Planning for Space Week in Senior Infants through Aistear:
Monday: Plan the playcentres on the first day, 4 play-centres from Tuesday-Friday.
Read the story: ‘aliens love underpants’ by Claire Freedman.
discuss what children know about space:
the sun, moon, planets, stars, astronauts, space station…
Record on chart/interactive board
1. The Sun: Show how it’s daytime in one part of the world and night time in another using a torch/light on a globe, rotate the globe to show how this changes. Children mimic the rotation of the earth through movement. Finish the lesson with the song ‘Mr Golden Sun’.
2. Look at a picture of an international space station and discuss how this could be set up using giant polydrons and blocks in an aistear station.
3. Talk about aliens, what they would like – draw a picture of an alien.
4. Brainstorm constellations – display pictures of well known constellations and discuss.
Aistear Stations:
1. Make rocket mice (teacher at this station).
– empty plastic milk bottle
– tape
– template for card mouse
– children compare how far their rocket launched.
2. International space station – using giant polydrons and blocks. Space suits and helmets provided from dress-up area. Poster and colours to create a backdrop.
3. Create aliens using playdough – use an ipad and the chatterpix app to get the alien to tell it’s story.
4. Re-create constellations using black sugar paper, stars, white paint and cotton buds. (teacher at this station).