This year in our school we are engaging in ‘Space Week’ for the first time. As a Junior Infant teacher I am a big believer in ‘thematic planning’ so I will be exploring all about ‘Space’ through each curricular area. For example, in Language & Literacy/Gaeilge, I will explore a CJ Fallon Rainbow oral Language poster based on ‘Space’ with the children in order for them to start to learn new vocabulary. I will be exploring Oliver Jeffers ‘Space’ book to focus on reading/writing i.e. The way back home etc., The children will incorporate visual art into their English lesson by drawing how they think (predicting) the boy is going to get back home by just reading the title/looking at the front/back cover. In drama/Aistear, we will explore ‘Teacher in Role’/Roleplay as teacher becomes the boy/alien and the children will get to explore themselves as astronauts/aliens going to space in their aircraft etc., In Music, we will make up a song ‘Climb above the spacecraft’ based on the theme tune (itsy bitsy spider) which will incorporate Maths into this lesson by counting back wards from 10,9,8 etc., We will explore ‘space safety’ in our SPHE lessons which will add a sense of wonder/curiosity amongst the children about various ways the boy may need to keep safe in space/on the aircraft. Finally, as part of SESE we will look at constructing an aircraft from junk art material (interlinking aistear/visual art) as part of a class project/experiment and explore as ‘scientists’ what we need in order for our spacecraft to be ready for liftoff. We will also look at Neil Armstrong blasting into space landing on the moon so the children know that is has been carried out before and we will also look at Dr Norah Patten and how she is preparing to set off on her space mission in 2026.