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ASSIGNMENT
Choose from one of the activities or activity sets outlined in this module:
- Activity Set: Stars
- Activity Set: Space and Aliens
How would you use the activity in your classroom? Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to the forum as a reply to this post. You may include digital records of the activities.
Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post. -
Junior Infants Lesson (may take up to three lessons to complete): Aliens and Alien Worlds
The children willTalk about what an alien might look like.
Talk about what an alien landscape might look like
Create an alien landscape.
Compare the alien world to the environment around our school.
Use simple words to describe what they see.Introduction
Show the children a picture of space.Ask:
Have you ever seen a picture of an alien?
What do you think an alien looks like?
Where do aliens live?
Do you think their world looks like ours?
Tell the children:
“Today we are going to imagine an alien world. We will make our own alien and create a place where it lives.”Activity 1: Create an Alien
Ask the children to make their own alien.Encourage them to think about:
How many eyes does it have?
How many arms or legs?
What colour is it?
Does it have wings, horns, or antennas?
Is it friendly?
The children draw, colour, or use collage materials to create their alien.When finished, ask each child:
What is your alien’s name?
What does it like to do?
Where does it live?Activity 2: Create an Alien Landscape
Explain:
“Now we are going to make the place where our alien lives.”The children draw or paint an alien landscape.
Ideas:
Purple grass
Blue trees
Giant flowers
Two suns
Floating rocks
Colourful mountains
Strange rivers
Funny houses
Encourage lots of imagination.Activity 3: Compare with Our School
Look at the children’s pictures.Then talk about the school environment.
Ask:
What can we see outside our school?
Do we have trees?
Do we have grass?
Do we have flowers?
Do we have mountains?
Is our sky one colour?
Do we have two suns?
Draw a simple comparison together.Alien World
Our School
Purple grass
Green grass
Two suns
One sun
Blue trees
Green trees
Funny plants
Real flowers
Strange rocks
Paths and playground
Explain:
“Our school is a real place. The alien world is imaginary. Some things are the same and some things are different.”Extension Activity
Take the class outside for a short walk around the school.Ask:
What colours can you see?
What plants can you see?
Could an alien live here?
What would you change to make it look like an alien world?
The children can add one imaginary alien feature to a drawing of the school, such as rainbow trees, floating playground equipment, or glowing flowers.-
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I would arrange the children in a circle time approach and show them a picture of space. Ask, “What might we see in space?” Introduce the Sun, Moon, stars, planets, astronauts, and aliens. Explain that the class will become explorers. We would Practise a countdown from ten before blasting off.
We would then read a colourful space story with aliens. After We would move to three activity stations. At the first station, children make aliens using playdough, googly eyes, and various materials. At the next station, they build rockets from blocks or recycled boxes. At the third, they sort foil meteorites (tinfoil) by size and count them. I would ask the children to describe their aliens, rockets, and imagined planets. There would also be a movement activity where children walk slowly like astronauts, jump over craters, and freeze when a meteor passes. To finish off the lesson We would Return to the circle and children could share their creations and one new fact they have learned about space/aliens Finish a countdown back to earth and sing the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. -
Hi Rachel,
I like the idea of using station teaching in this lesson.
Stations are a great way of keeping infants “connected” as they move regularly throughout the lesson and get a chance to practice different skills. There is a lot of “hands on” creativity in this lesson which I think will appeal to all learning styles. -
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Hi Sarah, I really like the idea in your lessons to compare the school environment with the aliens landscape. That’s a great idea and will keep the children very engaged in the lessons. It sounds like lots of fun especially for a younger class. It can help them see things from another perspective, which younger children can find hard to understand at the beginning.
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I love how you split this into three lessons so as to make it more achievable. I especially liked the idea of creating homes for the aliens and how each home differs and make comparisons with their own home. I would definitely include this in my lesson as the children would love it and it would embrace their individual creativity.
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This is a lovely explorative set of lessons for junior classes. I liked how you also looked at where the aliens lived and made comparisons. My my own experience children love creating characters and settings and this would allow you to integrate the topic into some English as part of narrative writing. Or even a simple oral language games using adjectives to describe their monsters. Another way to integrate this topic would be role play in drama. One child could ‘be’ their alien and the other children could interview them. This would encourage the children to think about where the aliens come from and how life would be different where their aliens live. The theme of aliens really lends itself to integration and is a great cross curricular area for planning.
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Activity set- Stars (Infant lesson).
1. Discussion on stars- questions/ talk around ‘what do you see in the night sky? ‘Explanation that stars are giant balls of hot, glowing gas, the sun is actually a star and it looks bigger as it is closer to the Earth.
Why do stars twinkle? Activity- have the children cup their hands around their eyes like a telescope and practice moving them to observe the night sky.2. Thematic Art lesson on Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’.
Show the masterpiece- ask the students ‘what do the stars look like?'( swirling circles of bright lights).
Introduce the artist and explain hoe he painted things exactly how he felt them. He loved the night sky and wanted his stars to feel alive like they were dancing and glowing.
identify Van Goghs style- show the swirly skies, thick paint strokes and bright vibrant colours against the dark blues.3. Children can them paint their own version of ‘The starry night’ using their own interpretations.
4. Reflection on the lesson – stars and the way they have interpreted them through the work of Van Gogh.
Cross curricular links- Music: Listen to calming music while painting to inspire creativity.
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Hi Shauna,
Your lesson is such a good example of how Science and Art integrate so well together and is such a lovely way of consolidating the scientific ideas theorugh the medium of painting. Perhaps using the Don Mc Lean song ‘Starry starry night’ would be a nice track to use as your background music?
Lorraine
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Hi Shauna this is fantastic for your own interest this links maths to starry night!
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My thoughts on this lesson are actually similar to many of the replies- that the idea of comparing and contrasting the landscapes of our world and an alien world is wonderful. Not only is it guiding the children to closely observe their own environment, but it’s also scaffolding their activity with language and ideas. Julia Donaldson’s The Smeds and the Smoos comes to mind as a great story (with wonderful illustrations) to further develop and support the learning
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I have to agree with all the points made here. I was also reminded of Julia Donaldson’s story The Smeds and the Smoos. This activity further reinforced for me the benefits of integrating STEM and the Arts. Both areas enrich one another and provide children with opportunities to engage more deeply with the topic, develop their critical thinking skills, and make meaningful cross-curricular connections. I believe this integrated approach creates richer learning experiences and encourages curiosity, creativity, and deeper understanding.
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Space and Aliens
To introduce the topic of space and aliens, I would begin by reading the story Aliens Love Underpants with the class. Before reading, I would encourage the children to share what they already know about space and ask them questions such as what they think an alien might look like and where they think aliens live. This would help to spark their curiosity and encourage discussion. During the story, I would pause at different points to ask prediction and comprehension questions, allowing the children to engage with the text and develop their listening and communication skills.
Following the story, we would discuss the different characters and events, focusing on the imaginative way the author presents aliens. The children would be encouraged to describe the aliens using a range of vocabulary and compare them with humans. This discussion would also provide opportunities to introduce simple space-related vocabulary, such as planets, stars, rockets, astronauts, and galaxies.
The main activity would involve the children creating their own alien artwork. They would be encouraged to use their imagination to decide what their alien looks like, including how many eyes, arms, or legs it has, as well as its colours and unique features. Once their artwork is complete, each child would have the opportunity to talk about their alien by giving it a name, describing the planet it comes from, and explaining what makes it special. This would encourage creativity while also developing oral language and confidence when speaking in front of others.
To extend the learning, the children could take part in imaginative role-play by pretending to travel through space on a mission to meet friendly aliens. They could work together to solve simple problems, explore new planets, and create stories about their adventures. This type of play encourages collaboration, communication, and imaginative thinking while reinforcing the theme introduced through the story.
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Hi Sharon,
This sounds great! We actually have several instances of us trying to communicate with anything that might be out there, Might be nice to get the children to consider how they would communicate and what they think would be important to say.
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This is a great idea Sharon. Using Aliens Love Underpants is a great way to spark imagination and get children talking about space in a fun, accessible way. I really like how you build prediction and discussion into the story as it gives children lots of chances to share ideas. I would like to use your idea of designing aliens and then extend it by having children describe the planet they come from. A simple space mission around the classroom would extend the learning even further.
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As an Infant teacher, the activity set that I would choose is Space and Aliens. I find that the mystery of this topic always excites and engages children and this make it a great theme for Aistear/role play.
I would use the story “Alien’s Love Underpants” as a hook to get the children’s attention. Before reading the book, I would tell the children the name of the book but cover the front cover to build the suspense. I would ask the children thought provoking, open ended questions such as “what do you think aliens look like?”, “do you think they wear clothes?”, “what kind of clothes would an alien wear?”. I would then read the story to the children with a focus on the illustrations. This is a funny and detailed book and I feel that the children would be thoroughly engaged.
I would link this story to a cross-curricular Maths and art lesson by having the children create their own alien with underpants using 2D shapes. This gives the students the freedom to use their own imagination and creativity to design an alien with whatever shapes and materials they imagine an alien to look like.
As a follow up, I would read the story “Alien’s Love Dinopants” which is equally as funny and engaging as “Alien’s Love Underpants”. -
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This is wonferul Elaine, It could be cool to consider what creatures deep in our oceans or by volcanos on Earth look like as these extreme conditions are replicated on other planets. https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
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I would do a lesson with senior infants on stars based on the Esero lesson 13.
Learning outcomes:
Know that there are lots and lots of stars.
Know that the sun is a star.
Know that stars give off light
Know that you can see stars at night if it isnt cloudy.
I would start the lesson by singing the song Twinkle Twinkle.
Next I’d ask the children to count out some marbles and put them in a jar. Then I’d ask them if they thought there were more stars than marbles. Then I’d ask if they thought there were more stars than children in the class. Then I’d ask them to guess how many stars they thought there were. I’d explain that there are so many we need computers to count them. Then I’d compare the number of stars to the number of grains of sand on earth to give them an indication of how enormous that number is.
Next we could chat about how stars give off light and the sun is a star and how we can see them best on a clear night. I’d ask them lots of questions and try to tease out their understanding and then build on this.
Next we would link this with art and paint a night sky. The children could pick what colour they wanted to paint the sky. Then we would use lots of different colours and ask the children to pick what colours the stars would be. We would use a toothbrush dipped in paint and run a lollipop stick along it to spatter the paint.
Conclusion:
Finish the lesson with a recap of what we learned and sing the song Twinkle Twinkle again.
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Activity set: Space and Aliens.
I would introduce this topic or lesson with a story stimulus e.g. There is an alien in your book or Aliens love underpants. During the read aloud I would gather vocabulary in a word jar and stop to discuss those words.
After this I would ask open ended questions using think- pair- share approach so the children have an opportunity to tell their peers their ideas.
Moving on I would use the What is special activity from the Life in Space lesson. Depending on class level, ability and keeping inclusion in mind I would allow the children to draw, write, voice record what they would like to show about the earth that is special.
Following on from this we would discuss that as far as we know there are no people living on other planets but if so what would they look like and what would their home be like. They could then create their alien using arts and craft materials.
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Hi Hannah this is fab,
Might be cool to consider where aliens might live. Some material here could be simplified to do this.
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This is a very well thought out lesson. I agree it would take at least three lessons to complete. Using a picture of space is a great stimulus for any class to draw engagement and focus at the start of each lesson. You have listed lots of posing questions of higher and lower order which would be fantastic in infant class for all students to participate and discuss with a clear focus. Using a picture as a stimulus opens opportunities for discussion and peer discussion too
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Breaking this lesson up over three stints is a great idea to allow for thorough development of the many component parts.
I especially love the idea of planning and creating homes for the aliens. There are also many books on this topic that could link nicely with literacy. Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort was a firm favourite with my Junior Infant class.
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The analogy between the alien planet and the classroom, in my opinion, is a beautiful method to foster creativity while honing language and observation abilities. The outdoor extension activity appeals to me as well since it allows kids to make connections between what they are learning and the actual world.
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Hi Sarah this is a wonderful lesson plan. Just to recommend some materials, tinfoil to make aliens – that would look less like humans and model magic which is a fantastic as you can use it as an opportunity to teach children about colours as they only have the primary colours and one has to mix them together, a very tactile experience for younger children. Incidentally colours help us identify what sort of exoplanets(planets outside our solar system) we are looking at.
For your own interest this explains what I mean.
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<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Aliens and Space</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Class level: Senior Infants </span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Subjects: Literacy, STEM, Drama, Art</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Literacy</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Using provided pictures ask the children to describe what they see. Encourage the children to talk about how they think the aliens move.</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Read the “Aliens wear underpants” series</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Drama/Pe</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Move like an alien </span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Make up an alien dance</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Meet an alien – give the children a picture of an alien and in pairs the other child would interview the alien</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>The children would be encouraged to ask the alien about their life ( what they eat/ what they do all day/ how do they speak and communicate </span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Art</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>The children can create an alien using paint / they could create aliens using clay </span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>STEM</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>Create a spaceship or house for their alien using Lego / duplo</span></p>
<p class=”p2″><span class=”s2″>They could focus on how it would move etc</span></p>
I think this topic would be easily spread out over a two week block. I usually pick a theme and dip on and out of it over two / three weeks. I find it easier to cover all of the curriculum when I pick a topic and cover many subjects using it. The children love learning this way from my experience. -
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I would choose the Space and Aliens activity set because it is an exciting theme that naturally sparks curiosity and imagination in infant children. Young children are fascinated by space, planets, and aliens, making it an ideal context for inquiry-based STEM learning. I would begin the lesson by reading a story about space and encouraging the children to share what they already know and what they would like to find out. This would help to develop questioning skills and encourage children to become active participants in their own learning.
The children could then work in small groups to design and build an alien using recycled materials such as cardboard tubes, bottle tops, paper, and fabric. During the activity, I would encourage them to think about where their alien lives, how it moves, and what it needs to survive. This provides opportunities for creativity while also introducing simple scientific concepts about living things and different environments. Children could also investigate how rockets move by creating simple balloon rockets or paper rockets and testing how far they travel.
I believe this activity would support many areas of the Primary Curriculum Framework. It encourages communication as children share ideas and explain their thinking, while also developing collaboration through group work. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking as children design, build, and test their ideas. The hands-on nature of the activity ensures that learning is meaningful, enjoyable, and accessible for all children. As a teacher, my role would be to facilitate the learning by asking open-ended questions, providing appropriate resources, and encouraging children to investigate rather than giving them the answers. This activity would create a playful and engaging learning environment where children develop STEM skills through exploration, imagination, and discovery. It also demonstrates how play can be used as a powerful vehicle for learning in the infant classroom while fostering curiosity and a lifelong interest in science. -
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Hi Kate this is wonderful. This might be a useful resource to consider.
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I really enjoyed reading your lesson. I think it is a great way to encourage imagination and creativity while also developing the children’s oral language skills. I especially like the idea of comparing the alien world with the children’s own school environment, as it helps them understand the difference between real and imaginary settings.
The extension activity is also a lovely idea because it gets the children outside observing their surroundings before adding their own creative twist. I think this lesson would be very engaging for Junior Infants and would encourage lots of discussion, creativity and fun.
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The activity set that I have chose for the purpose of the module requirement is Space and Aliens focusing specifically on Alien Life ESERO19 and creating an alien. I would use Esero 19 to speak with the children about what makes the Earth so special. Perhaps initiating a conversation about difference between earth and other planets and how other planets may differ in comparison. The fun element is encouraging the children to act out what they think is special about the earth for their friends and the rest of the class. It accomadates many types of learners as the lesson concludes with children then drawing what they think an alien might look like. I lie the possibility of lesson extension by listing the things that make earth special and having the opportunity to display this list in the space role play center. Additionally, making a 3D modal of their alien, integrating visual art in a vary organic way is a super idea.
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Hi Tommy, This is fab!
It might be cool to use the idea of Venus as ‘Earths evil twin’ as they are both terrestrial planets with only a couple of hundred kilometers between them, Earth being the larger of the two. It is also the hottest planet as it experiences an accelerated greenhouse affect. If you do decide to use Venus this link might be useful.
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I would use the aliens as a follow on lesson from learning about planets.
I would begin by playing the alien drawing game. This is where I call out instructions (the alien has three eyes, the alien has four hands, the alien is small etc). At the end, the children hold up their aliens and we look to see do they look like each other.
We will then review what we know about each planet. I would explain that the children are going to design an alien for each planet. I would divide the class up into groups and supply a fact sheet oon each planet-information like temperatures, landscape, liquids on the planet etc). The groups would then design their alien to match the planet through drawing. They will create a fact sheet about their alien with 5 facts, I will assist with writing etc where needed.
The children will present their aliens to the class and advise why their alien is suited to the particular planet.
Linking in with art could be creating the alien through clay.
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Hi Sarah,
All of these lessons sound fabulous. I really love the idea of the set of 3 activities and how they are linking aliens, schools and the outside world! The opportunity for integration is also very appealing. A maths idea that was used this year was for each child to draw different number eyes on their aliens which then led onto who had more/ less/ same number of eyes.
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The Activity Set I would like to discuss is Space and Aliens. It is an activity set I feel the children in my class would both grasp, enjoy and engage in. I also think it is a lovely activity to be able to link to a range of other subjects, including maths, which we learned about as one of the STEM subjects.
The lesson I really loved and think with some tweaking my class would engage really well with is special life. Lesson number 19. I love how it incorporates Art and Drama as well. I think I would use it as a week’s lesson plan. The lesson I would start with would be explain that we live on Earth, there are other planets, but as far as we know there is no one living on them. We could discuss Earth and what they feel is special about it. They would then draw their favourite things from Earth. Day 2 recap the lesson, and extend it into Drama, act out what they drew. Day 3 we could do a Maths activity, counting drawings of Earth, maybe discuss the shape of Earth and then link to 3D shape.
Day 4 we could read the story Aliens love underpants. Day 5 would be an Art activity, design and draw your own Alien. -
Hi Rachael, This sounds wonderful
It could be cool to include this video exploring mars!
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I would adapt the ESERO Lots and Lots of Stars! activity for my First Class by using an inquiry-based, cross-curricular approach that encourages curiosity and active learning. I would begin by discussing what the children already know about stars using a KWL chart and asking questions such as Have you ever seen the stars? and Is the Sun a star? Using jars of marbles, the children would estimate and compare quantities to discover that there are far more stars in the universe than we can imagine, while also developing their counting and estimation skills. Throughout the lesson, we would explore key scientific ideas, including that stars give off light, we usually see them at night, and that the Sun is also a star. I would extend the learning by introducing simple constellations, allowing children to create their own star patterns and encouraging discussion about how people have used the stars to tell stories throughout history.
To reinforce the learning across the curriculum, the children would create splatter paintings of a starry sky using toothbrushes and paint, before completing counting and number activities based on stars. We would read engaging picture books such as How to Catch a Star and Whatever Next! to develop oral language, vocabulary and creative writing, while PE lessons would include imaginative space-themed movement games where children become stars, rockets and constellations. Gaeilge vocabulary relating to the night sky and songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star would further support language development. The unit would conclude with a classroom display of the children’s artwork, constellation creations and writing, providing an opportunity for them to share their learning and reflect on how science can be explored through creativity, collaboration and play. I feel the children would get endless fun from these activities.
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Hi Bernie,
This sounds wonderful! Is aoibheann liom an píosa gaeilge freisin. This might be of interest to you!
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The activity set I am choosing is stars.
I would begin with a game of charades, where different children read a word that is related to the night time and act it out – e.g. brush your teeth, put on your pyjamas, read a night-time story… I would see then if the children could work out what linked them all? – night.
We would then talk about what it looks like at night time outside. The children would draw a picture of night, and we would look and respond, focusing in on any who drew stars in their pictures, and tell the children we are going to learn about stars today.
I would give the children a piece of paper in the shape of a star, and ask them to record things they know about stars. We would then record these on a class chart.
I would then play the song ‘Outer Space, I’m a Star’ song, and we would compare and contrast information in this song to our class chart of prior knowledge.
We would then focus on the constellations part covered in the song, and would look at pictures of different constellations in the night sky. We would discuss their shapes and names etc.
Then, the children would get a chance to invent their own constellations and name them, and share these with the class.
We would finish with enjoying the story ‘My Pet Star’.
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I would use the Space and Aliens activity with my First Class pupils as an inquiry-based lesson to encourage curiosity, imagination, and scientific thinking. I would begin by asking the children the question, “Do you think aliens exist?” and invite them to share their ideas. Instead of telling them the answer, I would encourage them to explain their thinking and listen to different opinions.
Next, we would discuss what living things need to survive, such as air, water, food, and a suitable temperature. The children would then compare these conditions with different planets in our Solar System and decide which planets could support life. They would work in pairs to sort picture cards of the planets and justify their choices using the evidence they had learned.
To extend the activity, the pupils would design and draw an alien that could survive on one of the planets. They would explain how its features help it live in that environment, linking science with creativity. This allows children to apply what they have learned rather than simply remembering facts.
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Hi Esther,
This sounds wonderful. It might be cool to consider where aliens might come from https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-exoplanets/en/
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I will have First and Second next year and these are all great ideas. I think they would enjoy a lesson with Space and Aliens. It is so important to discuss their ideas with them and get them to think about what is needed to sustain life would Aliens drink water and need food to survive. Drawing an alien is a great activity and allows them to show their creativity and thinking.
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Class: Junior Infants
Lesson: What is a star? I would use esero, Lesson 13 for most of the lesson.
I would start the Lesson with the song Twinkle, twinkle little star. I would have children sing and do the actions along to it. I would ask who knew the song and I would ask – What is a star? I wonder can anyone tell me. I would get the children to work in pairs and share their ideas with their partner. Afterwards, I would ask some children to share their thoughts with the class. Next, I would explain to the class what a star is. I would also ask if anyone knew what the biggest star in the sky is? I would explain how the sun is and how it gives us our light and during the day when earth is facing it. I would explain the the sun is are closest star. I would then ask what gives us our light at night? When children answer the stars I will show them 5 marbles, which we will count together as I place in a jar. I’ll ask do you think there are more stars in the sky than the 5 in this jar? When children answer yes, I will ask what if everyone in class added a marble to the jar, would that be the same number of stars in the sky. Each child will add a marble and we will count together. Again I will ask is there the same amount of marbles in the jar, as there are marbles or do they think it would be hard to count all the stats? Children will share their thoughts. I will then add more marbles to the jar until it is full, but this time, we will not count them. I will ask the children do they know how many marbles are now in the jar? Can they see them all? Is it hard to count them? Children will share their thoughts. I will then explain that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on the earth. I will show them a sand timer and pass some around to each table for children to look at. They will have a few minutes to discuss their new leaning with their partner. Next, I will ask the children can they tell me something new they leaned today. I will write the new facts on the whiteboard. Then I will explain that we will now make our own starry night picture. Children will choose what colour of card they want to use from blue, dark blue and black. I will explain this will be the sky at night when we look up. I will explain that we will use splatter paint to make the stars. I will ask what colours do we need for this? Children will then watch me demonstrate how to use a small brush to flick the paint so that it splatters and makes the stars, I will ask can anyone count how many stars I made on the page. This will reinforce todays learning that there are lots of stars and impossible to count them all. After children have completed pictures, they will each show their work to one another. Giving feedback on what they like. I will make them aware how all pictures are different, just like at night the sky can look different wherever you are looking up from. Afterwards, we will go outside and sit in a circle. I will ask do theu see any stars in the sky? Children should say they see the sun. I will ask if thr see any other stars. I will then explain that the sun is so bright as the earth is facing it, that we can not see the stars that are far away until the sun goes down and they can be seen shining brightly. We will sing twinkle twinkle little star and summarise that we now know what a star is.
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I really like how you incorporated Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star at the beginning and end of the lesson to engage the children and reinforce learning. The use of marbles and sand to help children understand the enormous number of stars is a fantastic hands-on approach that makes a difficult concept much more meaningful and memorable for young learners
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Class level: Senior Infants
Subjects : Literacy, STEM, Art, Drama
Literacy – using provided pictures ask the children to describe what they see. Encourage the children to talk abut how they think the aliens move.
Read the “Aliens wear underpants” Series
Drama / PE – Move like an alien / make up an alien dance
Meet an alien – give the children a picture of an alien and in pairs the other child would interview the alien
The children would be encouraged to ask the alien about their life(what they eat / what they do all day / how do they speak and communicate)
Art- The children can create an alien using paint / they could create aliens using clay
STEM – Create a spaceship or house for their alien using LEGO / Dulpo
they could focus on how it would move etc -
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Hi Sarah I chose stars as my activity however having looked at all your ideas I think the space and aliens would be a lovely topic also. I love the activity of creating your own alien – this could also be done as a group activity and maybe displayed in your schools reception area? It could be opened up to other classes by having games such as ‘guess the aliens name’ etc. We love entering art competitions throughout the year as a class and this would be a perfect idea for this.
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Hi Sarah, this is so detailed and I feel the children would be so engaged that you would definitely get a few lessons out of this. Depending on their level they could even write their own stories about the alien they imagine. As I have infants we could certainly do this as a whole class. You could break it up into four different headings, what the planet is like where the alien comes from, what the alien looks like, what he likes do do/eat , and even draw a comparison on the aliens side and see what the alien thinks of earth and how he sees us.
The children cold create/draw a picture of these and then even make the alien out of clay or recycled items. Modelling writing a story on this character, setting and problem and solution headings would also be a fun activity. The class could work collaboratively to write the story and then they could all be the illustrators. There is so much cross curricular potential here. Thank you for sharing.
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I really like this activity because it allows children to use their imagination while still making connections to the world around them. I think the comparison between the alien world and the school environment is a great idea as it helps children understand the difference between real and imaginary. It also encourages creativity, discussion and lots of fun during learning.
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Hi Sarah, I really love your lesson plan. I would like to try this activity with my students during Space Week. The questions are brilliant—simple, clear and effective in encouraging children’s curiosity. Aliens are always an exciting topic for children, and I am sure they would really enjoy this lesson.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I will use story books and picture books in our lessons such Alien in Underpants save the world by Claire Freedman, Welcome to Alien School by Caryl Hart, The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers etc.
I would show the children a picture of Space and ask them questions such as:
What do you see?
What is missing?
Where are we at the minute-what planet?
I will place pictures of the planets on the space picture to demonstrate where they are.
Do you know anything else that is up in space-space station. We will add the picture to the space picture.
Do you think there are people or creatures living on the other planets?
What do you think they look like?
We will watch a video by SciShowKids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk5FUDaP5XU&list=PLw2cuKNQvZ2c5UQcwMS4Fg05UdiT3-gs4&index=13
After reading one of the story books, I will tell the children we are going to create our own Aliens. They can be like people living on this planet or very different.
I will ask the children about what they look like using handheld mirrors-2 eyes, 2 ears, nose, mouth etc. Children will sketch their Aliens on Whiteboards or on paper.
We will create our Aliens using Clay for our art lessons. -
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Aliens is such a fun and engaging topic with endless opportunities! There are so many picture books, art activities and cooperative games that can be included in the topic. It’s one that the children will definitely remember.
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I would create a series of lessons on Space and Aliens for a junior class. I would start by reading the story ‘Aliens love Underpants’ to introduce the topic of Aliens. I would then question the children on the story to check their understanding. I would then divide the children into pairs. In their pairs, the children would each have a turn and calling out a set of alien adjectives. The other person in the pair must draw what they think the alien may look like, for example the alien has 3 eyes, a square head and purple hair. This is an enjoyable activity for the children and allows them to learn how we can interpret different adjectives. I would enhance the children’s oral language by getting them to talk about their aliens and what makes them unique.
I would then build on this work in art by getting the children to create their own aliens under the strand of fabric and fibre. In geography I would like at houses and homes and we would create homes for our aliens. Questioning would occur surrounding what’s a good home, where would an alien live and so on? There are endless opportunities for integration and hands on active learning!-
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This is a great lesson ideas and it would be very stimulating for younger children and they would be very engaged. This allows them to be creative while still exploring the theme of space. It develops their oral language skills and vocab. I Also like how you have intergrated the theme across the subject areas to include creative art.
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The Space and Aliens activity is an exciting and imaginative way to introduce pupils in Second and Third Class to the topic of space while encouraging creativity, scientific thinking, and collaboration. I would use this activity as part of a themed unit on Space, allowing children to explore the planets, stars, the Moon, and the possibility of life beyond Earth through age-appropriate discussion and inquiry.
To begin the lesson, I would ask pupils what they already know about space and whether they think aliens could exist. This would encourage children to share their ideas and make predictions while recognising the difference between facts and imagination. Pupils could then work in small groups to design and create their own alien, thinking about the environment it might live in and the adaptations it would need to survive on its planet. This would provide opportunities to discuss how living things adapt to different habitats and link science with creative thinking.
The activity could be integrated across the curriculum by having pupils write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of their alien during English lessons. In Visual Arts, they could construct alien models using recyclable materials or create colourful space scenes. Mathematics could be incorporated by exploring 2D and 3D shapes while building alien spacecraft or by collecting and presenting class survey data on favourite planets. Digital technology could also enhance learning, with pupils using tablets to research planets, create digital drawings, or record presentations explaining their alien’s features and habitat.
I feel this activity would be highly engaging for Second and Third Class pupils because it combines scientific exploration with imagination and creativity. It encourages questioning, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving while helping children develop a greater interest in space and science through enjoyable, hands-on learning experiences.
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Hi Sinead,
For your own interest maybe you have heard of the golden record? linguistic and cryptography skills are tied up in our understanding of and practical missions in Space.
Have a look at Paxi for your classroom!
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I really like your idea of using fabric and fibre to create aliens for art. I love the cross curricular aspects that you have described and the endless opportunities for progression. The adjectives idea is fantastic describing aliens, perhaps the class could also develop their very own alien guess who game as a result of this activity to promote further oral language skills.
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I would do a lesson on the activity set Stars, for Junior Infants.
I would introduce the topic with the song ‘Catch a falling star’ to get them interested.
I would ask question to illicit what they know about stars?
What do you think a falling star is?
Have you ever seen stars in the sky?
What do they look like?
Explain that the sun is a star.
Stars give off light.
That stars are Giant balls of gas.
Show them visuals of stars in the night sky on the IWB, and that they seem small because they are far away.
Show them the picture of Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry night’
See if they can count the stars, and explain that there are millions of stars and we can’t see them all.
Discuss how stars twinkle in the sky and get them to move around wiggling their fingers to ‘twinkle’.
The whole class will come together to complete a collage of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry night scene.
Conclude the lesson by singing ‘Catch a falling star’
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Hi Emma,
This sounds lovely. Here is a fantastic resource booklet for falling ‘stars’ specifically.
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This is a fantastic idea and what a wonderful idea to initiate learning on the topic of space in your infant question. I think a particular strength of yours is your questioning. It is balanced and open – instead of asking what is a falling star – a falling star is this…. you ask a more open question – what do you think a falling star is – this allows room for speculation, and to tease out preconceived ideas in the classroom. A very natural and enjoyable way to link in maths with the infants is to count out stars in the sky. Again, you expertly integrate in movement and PE by having your students move around the space like twinkling stars. What fantastic ideas you have given the group. Thanks very much for sharing. Your questions are perfectly balanced and challenging and I am sure the children would enjoy thinking about them and sharing their thoughts.
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I really like this idea because it is engaging and integrates several curriculum areas. The story is a great hook, and the paired drawing activity is an excellent way to develop listening, oral language and descriptive skills. Extending the theme into Art and Geography provides meaningful opportunities for creativity and hands-on learning.
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Inquiry-Based Lesson: Seeing Stars two different ways, The Plough (2nd Class)
To begin the lesson, I would show the children images of the night sky and ask what they notice. We would introduce The Plough and discuss how it is a pattern of stars that can be seen in different ways. The children would be encouraged to share any prior knowledge and make predictions about what shapes they might see in the stars.
Using star maps and simple visuals, the children would explore how The Plough can be viewed in two different ways: as a saucepan shape and as part of a larger constellation. In small groups, they would use dot-to-dot star sheets to create and trace the pattern. They could also use the tinfoil and string method as outlines in the module- as this incorporates maths (meaurement) into the lesson. They would then compare their versions and discuss similarities and differences. They can then hang the constellation under their desks and observe it from diff angles.
To conclude, we would talk about how people in different places see patterns in the night sky.
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Hi Niamh
This is wonderful. I especially enjoy your join the dots piece.
– Stellarium Web Online Star Map free, open source and you can change the constellation cultures. In case you have not come across this already.
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Theme:Space and Aliens
Learning Objectives –
Children will:Listen and respond to a story.
Predict what might happen in a story.
Describe aliens using simple vocabulary.
Create their own alien using different materials.I would read the book called Aliens Love Underpants. The children would make a prediction prior to reading the story.
Questions during reading
*What do you think an alien looks like?
*Why do the aliens come to Earth?
*What is your favourite alien?
*How do you think the people felt?
*What would you do if an alien visited your house?Hands-on Activity 1: Build Your Own Alien
Materials: coloured paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, glue,scissors,markers/crayons.Instructions:
I would tell the children they are scientists discovering a brand-new alien. I would ask them to think about:*How many eyes?
*How many arms?
*Does it have antennae?
*What colour is it?The children would create their alien and give each alien a name. Afterwards they would work in pairs and tell their partner
“My alien is called…”
“It comes from…”
“It likes to eat…”
This develops oral language alongside creativity.Alternative Sensory Activity dependant on the class: Playdough Aliens
Children use playdough to make aliens. I would provide the children with a variety of materials“Can you make an alien with three eyes and four legs?”
This also reinforces counting.Movement Break (5 minutes)
Alien FreezeI would play space music and the children move like:Floating astronauts,Tiny aliens,Giant aliens
Fast aliens, Slow moon walkers
When the music stops:
“Freeze!”-
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This activity is great I like the fact that you have used Aliens Love Underpants as your hook because the story is entertaining and children will quickly become engaged with it. The activities that follow have imagination, hands-on opportunities and oral language practice and will link in with the space theme.
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I would use the Stars activity set to help pupils learn about stars through practical and engaging activities. I would begin with the Constellation Cards activity, where pupils connect stars to form different constellations and discuss the shapes they can see. This would introduce the idea that constellations are patterns created by people to help identify stars.
Next, I would use the Make Your Own Constellation activity. Pupils could create their own constellation, give it a name, and write a short story about it. This would encourage creativity while linking science with literacy and art.
To finish the lesson, we would compare our constellations with real ones and discuss why stars appear to move across the night sky. I would encourage pupils to share their ideas and observations throughout the lesson.
I think these activities would make learning about stars enjoyable and memorable. They promote teamwork, creativity, and scientific enquiry while helping pupils develop a greater interest in astronomy.-
Hi Kate, I really enjoyed reading your post. I choose the same activity. I particularly liked how you finished the lesson by discussing why the stars appear to move across the night sky. I hadn’t thought about mentioning that. I think that would be a lovely extension to the activity and could lead into a simple discussion about the Earth’s rotation. It would really help children to build on their understanding of Planet Earth in Space.
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Hi Kate,
Thanks for a wonderful lesson plan! knowing that you can change the sky cultures on Stellarium might be helpful here! If you’re interested in a crafting aspect here are some cool ideas from one of the ESA kids competitions!
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Activity : Life in Space
All children have such a fascination with aliens, I loved how this lesson steered the direction onto whats special for each child while still including the aliens!
I would begin by explaining to the children that we know there are many planets in space but as far as we know there are no aliens in space.
I would encourage them to think about what is special to them.
“If people did live on other planets, and they came to visit here on earth, what would you like to show them, what is special to you?” Try to think of an object or an animal that is special to you and why.
Without disclosing what it is, I would ask the children to draw the object and then in pairs act out to one another what it is. They fun will be in guessing were the right!
We will discuss if it was easy to act it out and figure out what was special to each person and why.
Children will explain what their partners special object is and why instead of their own.
They will also be given an opportunity to draw and decorate an alien using their imaginations!
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Hi Amy! I really enjoyed this lesson because it captures children’s natural curiosity about aliens while encouraging them to think about what is meaningful in their own lives. I like how the focus shifts from imaginary life in space to discussing personal interests and experiences, helping to develop communication, creativity, and empathy. The paired activity also encourages listening and turn-taking as pupils learn about what is special to someone else.
In my Junior Autism Class, I would adapt the lesson by using visual supports and photographs to help pupils communicate their ideas. Some pupils could choose a favourite toy, animal, or activity rather than drawing it, making the activity more accessible for those who are pre-verbal or have emerging fine motor skills. I also like the opportunity for pupils to design their own alien, as it encourages imagination without there being a right or wrong answer. Overall, this is an engaging, inclusive activity that can be adapted to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
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Hi Emily,
Its fantastic to see teachers adapting lessons to better suit their students, if you were getting the children to make aliens I recommend model magic – usually sensory approved and enjoyed by younger children who are more sensitive to that in my experience. I often find Paxi great for videos too if youre introducting topics though media like photos and videos.
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Hi Amy, I really like your lesson idea and the way in incorporates art and drama, the children would love this. Getting the children to think about something that is speical to them is also a nice element to the lesson, getting them to think of things that are meaningful and releant to them in their own lives.
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Hi Amy,
This is fab! Some things to consider – Venus is often called Earths evil twin as it is the same size and is a terrestrial planet but is incredibly hot! We have organisms living in and around volcanoes here on Earth might be another thing to consider in this context.
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Lesson Plan: Stars For Junior Infants
Starter Question:
Why do stars twinkle in the sky?Learning Intention:
Pupils will explore what stars look like, understand that they shine in the night sky, and be introduced to simple constellations.Lesson Activities:
I would begin by showing images or a short clip of twinkling stars and ask pupils what they notice. We would discuss how stars shine and appear to twinkle, explaining simply that they are far away and give off light.Next, I would introduce the idea of constellations by showing simple patterns of stars (e.g. shapes or animals). Pupils would use dot-to-dot star templates or stickers to create their own constellations on black paper, encouraging pattern recognition and creativity.
For a sensory activity, pupils could make a “twinkling stars” bottle using water and glitter. We could also darken the room and use torches to create “stars” on the walls.
Rationale and Curriculum Links:
This lesson links to the Primary Science Curriculum (Environmental Awareness and Care) through observation and exploration. It supports STEM learning and integrates with Art and Maths through patterns. Reflectively, it offers an inclusive, hands-on approach that supports curiosity and active engagement.-
Hi Wendy,
This is a lovely lesson, I recommend using stellarium here as well as the fact that how you can tell the difference between a planet and a star when looking up to the night sky is that planets do not twinkle, mainly because they are much closer to us! This fact and differences in colours are explored more here if you are interested!
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Activity Set: Stars
Class Level: Junior Autism Class (Junior & Senior Infants)I would use this activity set to introduce stars through sensory, visual, and hands-on learning experiences that are accessible to all pupils. We would begin by dimming the classroom lights and looking at photographs of stars and the night sky using the interactive whiteboard. I would ask simple questions such as, “What can you see?” and “Have you ever seen stars at night?” allowing pupils to respond using speech, gestures, AAC, or visual choice cards.
We would then sing a simple star-themed song, such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, using actions to encourage participation and engagement. Pupils would explore glow-in-the-dark stars, torches, and sensory materials before creating their own star pictures using paint, glitter, or collage materials. We could also make simple constellations by joining star stickers with lines or using large peg boards and string.
Throughout the lesson, I would use visual timetables, clear routines, repetition, and modelling to support understanding. The activities would encourage communication, turn-taking, observation, and fine motor development while fostering curiosity about the night sky. By providing a range of sensory and visual supports, every pupil, including those who are pre-verbal, would have meaningful opportunities to participate and enjoy learning about stars.
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I really like the multi-sensory approach here. The lesson really comes to life with the use of the glow in the dark resources, singing, art, fine motor work. you are really catering for the diverse needs in your class and creating a very inclusive environment for your children. It’s a very UDL approach to lesson planning. Loads of integration possibilities and I’m sure you could continue the stars theme over a number of other lessons. Thanks for sharing.
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I really enjoyed reading this. I love how you’ve adapted the activities so that every child can take part. The sensory approach, visuals and clear routines would really help to keep children engaged and build their confidence. I also like the idea of creating simple constellations with stickers and string, as it’s such a practical way to introduce patterns and the night sky. It sounds like a lovely lesson that would encourage curiosity while making sure all pupils can participate.
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Space and Aliens
Senior Infants
This lesson would follow on from lessons about Apollo 11 mission and the astronauts on that mission.
Listen and respond to the story ‘Man on the Moon’. This will stimulate an interesting discussion about taking care of our planet and how Bob takes care of the Moon. Share how they take care of planet Earth and identify what Bob did to take care of the Moon.
The children will be encouraged to share who is seen on the moon at night (aliens) and how Bob did not notice them. I would ask the children to describe the appearance of the aliens in the story and compare that to the image they may have had in their minds previously.
Recall prior knowledge of 2D shapes before moving onto a whole class activity where the children would describe their alien to me and I would draw it on the whiteboard. The children will be encourages to identify the shape of each part of the alien and the amount of each body part. We will look and identify the number of each body parts, identify if there are more eyes or hands etc and identify the shape of each body part. Repeat this activity in pairs where they take turns to give instructions and draw the alien.
The children will then be encouraged to design their own alien and add some sentences to describe their unique aliens. They will subsequently present their writing and drawing to their peers and discuss the similarities and differences between their aliens or between themselves and their alien.
A further lesson may include creating a 3D alien based on the 2D drawing.-
Hi Stephanie, Fantastic lesson! It might be cool to consider the <span class=”TextRun Underlined SCXW244660212 BCX8″ lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”none”><span class=”NormalTextRun SCXW244660212 BCX8″ data-ccp-charstyle=”Hyperlink”>ESA – Juice and Europa Clipper: Dream team to Jupiter</span></span> <span class=”EOP SCXW244660212 BCX8″ data-ccp-props=”{}”> missions as if we are to find life it might be very different from us based on its conditions. You could also draw links between the Apollo missions and the Artemis missions today! </span>
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Activity set: Stars
Class: 1st-3rd
The subject of constellations really appealed to me and my class group. I would use this topic as a series of lessons for my multigrade class.
I would begin by showing images of well-known constellations such as Orion and Ursa Major. Discuss how different cultures created their own star stories. The children would then do the Looking at the Plough from Two different ways activity with either wool or sticks depending on their ability. Hanging the wool version from the ceiling will keep the children interested in the topic.
Finding Patterns in the Night Sky
Review the previous lesson before exploring how constellations help people find directions and identify seasons. Explain that the stars appear to move because Earth rotates. Children use star maps to locate a few simple constellations and compare their shapes. They complete a matching game, connecting constellation names to their patterns and then complete the draw your own constellation activity from the Space Week resources.
Introduce myths from different cultures connected to the stars, showing how people have interpreted the night sky in unique ways. Children compare two constellation legends and discuss similarities and differences. To finish up the children will do the Lots and Lots of Stars, Making a starry sky art activity.
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Hi Sinéad
This is fab! I love discussing different cultural interpretations of the stars. Some resources that might interest you if you haven’t come across them already
– Stellarium Web Online Star Map free, open source and better with the App! It also allows you to change the sky cultures.
– Celestial Echoes: The Night Sky in Irish Folklore | In the Dark more for your own interest!
– I think the Polynesians have had one of the most interesting ways of using the stars! Māori Navigators: Ancient Seafaring Skills – Polynesian – Little Cellist
– I remember stories from when I was younger of farmers using the winter constellations in this country to know when to take harvest! One likely candidate based on our European counterparts would of course be the Orion Constellation.
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Activity Set: Stars
I would start the lesson by reading a story about stars to spark curiosity. Two of my favourites are How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers and Laura’s Star by Klaus Baumgart. Both stories offer magical introductions to the idea of stars and can encourage children to think about stars not only as part of the night sky but also as something special and personal.
Following the story, we would engage in a whole-class discussion about stars. I would ask open-ended questions such as “When do we see stars?” and “What do you think stars are made of?” to prompt thinking and conversation. To build on this, I would show a video from YouTube that explains what stars are, where they are found, and why they twinkle in a child-friendly way. This helps introduce basic scientific vocabulary also.
I especially love the constellation-drawing activity shared in this module. After looking at some real-life constellations, I would encourage the children to create their own using black paper, white chalk or stickers, and star-shaped cut-outs. They could either copy an existing constellation or invent one using their imagination. We could then display the children’s constellation artwork on a “Star Gallery” wall alongside key facts we’ve learned about stars. To finish the lesson, we would sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star together.
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Hi Sarah,
That sounds great here is a stars video, and for your own interest!
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Space and Aliens – Mind Map and Links
Earth: Our home
We live hereSun: Gives light and heat and links to shadows (light makes shadows)
Moon:We see it at night
We watch it changeStars: Shine in the sky
We look at the night skyPlanets: Many planets in space
We learned their names in songs and gamesSpace travel: Rockets and astronauts
We did role play activitiesAliens: Imaginary space characters
We drew aliens in artSpace: Very big
We ask questions and explore ideas-
Sounds fantastic Elaine!
You should have a look at the channel linked for songs! I find its super engaging for younger people and you wont be able to stop them singing this song in particular!
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Activity set: Stars
I would choose the Constellations activity because I think it would be an exciting and enjoyable way to introduce young children to space.It is also something that is tangible and observable in the night sky. It provides plenty of opportunities for hands on learning while also developing early maths, oral language and creativity.
I would begin by showing the children simple constellations such as the Plough and discussing how people have used the stars for many years to tell stories and find directions whilst sailing etc. We would look at pictures of different constellations and encourage the children to describe the shapes and patterns they can see.
The children would then create their own constellations using star templates with stickers before drawing lines to connect the stars. Each child could name their constellation and share a story about what it represents. This would encourage imagination and communication skills as well as spatial awareness.
I like that this activity naturally integrates science, maths, literacy and art. It supports the play based approach promoted in the Primary Curriculum Framework by encouraging curiosity, exploration and communication. I think the children would really enjoy creating their own constellations whilst at the same time developing a greater understanding of the night sky.
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Hi Marcia,
I love the sound of this lesson! Might be cool to consider the kind of equipment that navigators used like astrolabes etc. ! These can often be made in the classroom.
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Another interesting module!
I would use the ESERO activity set “Space and Aliens” in a Junior Infants classroom in a fun and simple way.
I would start by telling the children that we are going on a space mission and that we might meet aliens. I would ask the children what they think aliens might look like and talk about their ideas together as a class, encouraging everyone to share.
The children would then draw their own alien using crayons or markers. They would think about the colour, shape, size, and any special features their alien might have. After that, each child would show their alien to the class and say a few simple sentences about it. We would talk about how the aliens are the same or different from each other.
Finally, the children would take part in role play and pretend to be astronauts exploring space and meeting aliens on a new planet. This helps develop imagination, talking, and social skills.
As a digital record I would take photos of the alien drawings and save them as evidence of learning.
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For this module I have chosen the Activity Set: Space and Aliens because I believe it will be an exciting and beneficial activity for my Senior Infants class. Young children are often interested in the universe beyond Earth and find it exciting to imagine life in other planets. I will begin the module by introducing the topic of space and asking the children what they think an alien looks like.
This would stimulate discussion and the children’s own questioning abilities.
We would then share a space story, which may inspire our exploration of outer space. In small groups, the children would design and create their own alien using art materials. As part of the process, they would reflect on the alien’s environment and the characteristics the creature needs to survive there. This will enable children to learn about the adaptation and diversity of life on Earth. The children could express what they learn about aliens and space by writing a brief description and drawing a picture of their alien.
This project based activity would encourage them to observe, inquire, be imaginative, and communicate their ideas as they learn more about space.
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The activity I would pick from this module would be Space and Aliens – who doesn’t love the idea of aliens in a primary classroom!!
I would use the Special Life – Life in Space lesson as I think the children would enjoy it hugely and there are so many opportunities for integration. I love the idea of the children coming up with recommendations for visiting aliens, they could create an itinerary for a tour around Ireland, or a tour around the locality even. This would integrate nicely with SESE and could see some focus on local areas of historical interest.
The continuation of this into animals and plants that visitors should see would be great fun for the children, they could include family pets, maybe animals on farms at home, or animals they have seen elsewhere, zoos, etc. I love the idea of acting these out so classmates can guess. This could be extended to food also. I have conversations with children regularly about what’s for lunch, what’s for dinner that evening, etc. They would love the chance to suggest favourite dinners aliens would enjoy while visiting!
This activity would work well in groups or as an individual activity. The scene could be set with some reading from some of the books on this link: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/76018.Children_s_Picture_Books_with_Aliens_
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Valerie, I would love to see any itinerary a child would make for a visiting alien! This lesson encompasses so much – oral language, geography, creative writing, etc.. – and drama too with your idea of extending to including animals and acting each one out for their classmates to guess. Brilliant! Thank you for the link.
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Valarie,
I love this! Places of astronomical significance Newgrange Facts for Kids would be cool to consider.
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Theme: Stars
Class: Senior Infants
I would introduce the theme using the picture book Bright Sky, Starry City by Uma Krishnaswami. We would discuss what we know about stars.
Each child would create a star fact journal in their SESE copies, sketching and writing things they know about stars eg. See them at night/ are bright. This will be added to over the course of their lessons with new learning.
We will learn about constellations and how they form from a number of stars at different distances, and that their shape appears differently from different perspectives. We will create a model of a constellation and look at it from different angles. The teacher will model the activity and form the shape of the constellation Cassiopeia. The children will look from different angles, from the front and from the side, in a darkened room. What do they see? From the front, the stars look like the constellation Cassiopeia, but from the side they form a completely different shape. Apparently, constellations only have their form because we look at them from Earth’s perspective. We will do the same activity using different constellations.
The theme of stars could be integrated into other subjects such as Music and Visual Arts – Look at and respond to A Starry Night. Listen to music about stars and learn a song – When You Wish Upon a Star.-
I hadn’t heard of this book so I looked it up – it sounds like a wonderful story to use for a lesson on Stars, as it also could reinforce previous learning on the Planets. I also loved how a city/urban dweller could also get to see a starry sky…I did wonder how that would happen! Thanks for sharing!
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HI Riona, I cant recommend enough Stellarium or Open space by NASA (this one is more for planets) for viewing the sky above you as it is without light pollution! Especially if you get stellarium on a tablet or smartphone you can hold it up to the sky and have it orientate !
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Hi Alison,
Thank you for your wonderful lesson plan! For your own interest this discusses colour differences and why stars appear different to planets! The fact that Stellarium provides sky culture options might also be of interest to you!
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Theme: Stars
Class: Senior Infants
I would introduce the theme using the picture book Bright Sky, Starry City by Uma Krishnaswami. We would discuss what we know about stars.
Each child would create a star fact journal in their SESE copies, sketching and writing things they know about stars eg. See them at night/ are bright. This will be added to over the course of their lessons with new learning.
We will learn about constellations and how they form from a number of stars at different distances, and that their shape appears differently from different perspectives. We will create a model of a constellation and look at it from different angles. The teacher will model the activity and form the shape of the constellation Cassiopeia. The children will look from different angles, from the front and from the side, in a darkened room. What do they see? From the front, the stars look like the constellation Cassiopeia, but from the side they form a completely different shape. Apparently, constellations only have their form because we look at them from Earth’s perspective. We will do the same activity using different constellations.
The theme of stars could be integrated into other subjects such as Music and Visual Arts – Look at and respond to A Starry Night. Listen to music about stars and learn a song – When You Wish Upon a Star. -
I would use the stars activity.
I would start by asking the class what they see when they look up at the night sky. Talk about how they see stars. What are the stars made of, how do they light up the night sky. Explaining how the stars are made up of gas. Asking questions like are all stars the same, to spark curiosity.
I would introduce the song Twinkle Twinkle and ask students what do they think the story will be about. Recording the predications.
explain to the children that they will make there own starry night scene. Children are offered different colour paper, paints etc. to create there own images. The children can then discuss their pictures with each other.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
Class: Infants
Introduction: show a clip from E.T. to start a discussion around aliens and question the children. Do we know what aliens look like? What do you think? Where would they live? What do they eat?
Main body of lesson: children in pairs create and make their own aliens using toilet rolls and a selection of art and craft activities such as crepe paper, straws, eyes, feathers, materials etc. Teacher circulates asking questions about their aliens to encourage further thinking and discussion such as how does your alien move?
Conclusion: children introduce their aliens to their class.
Further extension of a drama lesson where children role play as their alien and interview each other. Another extension could be a lesson around where their alien lives and creating a home for their alien. They could draw or paint a scene with their alien or write a piece describing where it lives.-
I really like this lesson! First, starting with the E.T. clip and open-ended questions is a great hook for infants. Second, the hands-on alien making with the teacher circulating and asking follow-up questions keeps the activity playful while still building oral language and reasoning skills, and the drama and writing extensions offer lovely ways to build on it further.
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Activity Set: Stars
Introduction: How many stars?
Sit in a circle. Show a handful of marbles and ask if there are more stars in the sky than that. Count them into a jar, then compare to the number of children in the class, then fill a jar to the top — explaining there are far too many stars to count. Ask: “Have you ever seen the stars? When do we see them? Is the Sun a star too?” Explain the Sun is our nearest star, giving us light during the day, while other stars twinkle at night.Starry sky painting
Give each child dark paper and let them splatter white/yellow paint using a toothbrush and comb to create a starry sky, choosing their own star colours (just like real stars come in different colours).Draw your own constellation
Once dry, children connect a few of their painted stars with a pencil line to create a shape — an animal, object, or creature — just like ancient people did.Conclusion
Children share their constellation and give it a name. -
Activity: Life in Space
Children are usually very interested in space and the idea of aliens, so this lesson builds on that curiosity while also linking it to their own lives and experiences.
I would start by explaining to the children that we know there are many planets in space, but we do not have any real evidence of aliens visiting Earth. I would then shift the focus onto something more personal by asking them to think about what is special to them in their own lives.
I would pose a question such as: “If aliens came to visit Earth, what would you want to show them that is important or special to you?” This could be an object, an animal, a place, or even something they enjoy doing, and they should think about why it is meaningful to them.
Without telling anyone what they have chosen, I would ask the children to draw their chosen item. Then, in pairs, they would take turns acting out what they have drawn while their partner tries to guess what it is. The fun comes from the guessing and seeing how clearly they can communicate their idea without words.
Afterwards, we would discuss how easy or difficult it was to guess each other’s ideas and why. Pupils would then explain their partner’s special object or idea and why they think it is important to them, helping to develop listening and communication skills.
To finish, the children would also get a chance to design and decorate their own alien, using their imagination to think about what a creature from another planet might look like.
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Hi Michelle
I love this idea! This video looks at other worlds (exoplanets) in an accessible way! However we should never forget the moons in our solar system as places where life could have a nice time!
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Set: Aliens and Space
Class: junior infants
(LITERACY AND VISUAL ARTS and science)Lesson 1:
I would start the lesson off by reading the book: 10 little aliens.
I would then do a think, pair, share activity where the children discuss with their partner what they think an alien would look like. The pairs would then report back what their partner says.
As a class we would then discuss our body parts… eyes, ears, arms legs and how many of each we have. We would then discuss how we differ from what we imagine our aliens to look like.
Lesson 2: Creating clay aliens
We would revise what we dicussed in lesson 1 and talk about what we imagine our aliens to look like. The teacher would explain that they will be creating their owm aliens from clay. The teacher would show various objects and the children would brainstorm what they could be used for… pipe cleaners, cotton buds, googly eyes etc.
The children will get an oppprtunity to create their clay monster using clay and various other materials. At the end of the lesson each child will get a chance to introduce their alien to the class!
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Great story 10 little aliens the junior classes would definitely enjoy that story. The integration of the art lesson using clay to create aliens is an engaging and active for the junior infants. Clay will develop their fine motor skills. This lesson encourages active learning and ample opportunities for questioning
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Hi Gemma,
Thank you for the wonderful lesson plan! Also I always recommend model magic for alien or planet making as it can be less messy and provides an opportunity to teach about colours! Space can be a pretty extreme place and it can be interesting to take inspiration from some of the harsher environments at home like Volcanoes and the life that exists inside and in their proximity here is a small list! As even some of our closest neighbors are pretty hostile like Venus! And perhaps here is something more accessible for the children themselves we have just weird animals on earth in general!
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The topic of stars would provide an exciting and engaging lesson for a Junior Infants class. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about stars and when they have seen them in the sky. This would encourage discussion and help me build on their prior knowledge. I would then read a picture book about stars or show simple images of the night sky to introduce the idea that stars are bright balls of gas that we can see at night. The children would take part in a hands-on art activity by creating their own starry night sky using black paper and coloured chalk. They could add paper stars of different sizes and talk about why some stars appear brighter or larger than others. Throughout the lesson, I would introduce simple vocabulary such as star, night sky, bright, and twinkle. We would finish with a song such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and allow the children to share their artwork with the class. This lesson would promote curiosity, creativity, oral language, and fine motor skills while making science enjoyable and accessible for young learners.
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Hi Aoife this is lovely,
Considering the twinkling of stars might be cool here!
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For Senior Infants, the following would have to covered over two or three lessons.
Activity: Lots and Lots of Stars!
The initial step in completing this activity involves placing marbles in transparent containers, counting and questioning the children to see if they have a sense of how many stars there are in the sky. Opportunities for counting as Gaeilge here also. Teacher explains that there are so many stars it’s not possible for humans to count them. We need a computer to do the counting.
A discussion then develops around stars. What are they? What do they look like? Where do we see them? Is the sun a star? I would record the children’s responses on the flipchart to maximise the literacy possibilities of this lesson. The children examine a night sky picture of the stars.
The art activity is the next step in the lesson where children splatter paint on a black background. It may be easier and quicker to provide black sugar paper for this. There are nice mathematical estimation and comparison opportunities here when children are looking and responding to each others work.
I think I would use the final counting worksheet as an early finishers/optional activity.
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I would use an activity from the Stars activity set. First, we would discuss and describe images of stars in the night sky, including artwork like A Starry Night by Van Gogh. Have they ever tried to count the stars? Do they know how many stars are out there? Next we would look at groups of stars in constellations and chat about some more well-known zodiac constellations, using some of the ideas from the Universe in a Box resource, adapting the lessons as appropriate. Do the children see images like a scorpion and a lion? Or do they see something else? They will have the opportunity to ‘join the dots’ to recreate a constellation. In a later lesson, we will look at the Plough in greater detail, and make a 3D model of the Plough based on the Seeing Stars/Plough video. I liked this activity as it is full of integration and can be differentiated to suit the various ability levels in the class.
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Activoty – Space and Aliens
For a junior class, I would adapt this lesson by using the picture book Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman to introduce the topic in a fun and engaging way. After reading the story aloud, I would ask the children to discuss what makes Earth special and what they would like to show a friendly alien if one came to visit. We would brainstorm ideas such as animals, plants, families, playgrounds, or favourite places. Each child would then draw their chosen object or place without showing anyone else. When the drawings are finished, the children would take turns acting out their picture while their classmates guess what they are pretending to be, encouraging communication, imagination, and confidence. To conclude, the children would design and draw their own friendly alien inspired by the story, explaining why it looks the way it does. This activity integrates literacy, drama, art, and oral language while fostering creativity and appreciation of the unique features of life on Earth.
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Hi Colin, I really like how this lesson integrates literacy, drama, art, and oral language in a way that is engaging for young children. Asking the children what they would show a friendly alien is a great way to encourage imagination while helping them appreciate what makes Earth special. The drama element is also a lovely addition, as it builds confidence and communication skills through play.
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Hi Colin,
This sounds fab. It might be worth considering making the aliens to incorporate something tactile if you think your students would engage with that. Model magic is a great shout, also something like Alien eggs covered by sci show can be engaging.
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I would introduce a Space and Aliens theme by reading the story ‘There’s an Alien in Your Book’ to capture the children’s interest. After the story, we would discuss what the alien looked like, where it might have come from, and which planet in the Solar System it would be most likely to live on.
The children would then create their own alien using clay, encouraging them to think creatively about features such as the number of eyes, arms, antennae, or unusual body shapes. Once their clay aliens are complete, each child could describe their alien to the class and explain what makes it unique.
To integrate geography, we would explore the different planets in our Solar System and discuss which planet would be the best home for each alien. The children could explain their choices by thinking about the planet’s size, temperature, colours, or special features, for example, choosing Mars because it is rocky or Neptune because their alien likes the cold. This would encourage discussion, creativity, and curiosity while making meaningful links between art, geography, and oral language.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
Class Level: Senior Infants
This lesson would have to take place over a few weeks really to get everything covered.
To begin this lesson on Space and Aliens I would first ask the children a series of questions. Have they ever seen an alien? What would an alien look like? Where might an alien live? Would they look like us? We would record our ideas on the whiteboard.Then I would read the story of The Smeds and the Smoos. The children will see different types of aliens and planets. We will discuss the book and I will get the children to think of their own alien. What would their alien look like? Would it have lots of arms/legs/heads/eyes? How many of each of these things would it have? Would the alien be tall, short, big, small, fat, thin. We would be using a lot of mathematical language.
The children would then draw their aliens, putting in as much detail as possible. The children would then bring their drawings to life by making them in clay. They can be painted and decorated in whatever way the children see fit.
When the aliens are finished each child could tell the class about their alien. They can ask whatever questions they want – does your alien speak like us? What food does your alien eat? What is your alien’s name? We would then compare all the aliens, sort them into similar groups.
As an extension to this lesson the children could write a profile or a story about their alien, they might then visit another class to show their aliens and read their stories/fact files.
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Hi Elaine, I really like how your lesson builds gradually over a number of weeks, allowing the children plenty of time to explore the topic in depth. The open-ended questions at the beginning are a great way to encourage curiosity and get the children thinking creatively. I also like how you have integrated Art, Oral Language and Maths by having the children create, describe and compare their aliens. The idea of visiting another class to share their stories and fact files is a lovely extension, as it allows the children to build their confidence and communication skills. Overall, it sounds like a fun and engaging sequence of lessons that the children would really enjoy.
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Hi Elaine,
I love this! What would be cool to consider is what about the aliens environment dictates aspects of their appearance. Considering all the ways from the artic fox who changes colours with the seasons to the tardigrade (despite being microscopic these guys are sometimes called waterbears) who can survive extreme conditions in space.
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Activity set: Aliens and Space
class: Senior infants
I think when introducing this topic it is important to set the scene. Today we are going on an exciting journey into space! We will begin by talking about what we know about space. Children will have lots to offer on this topic so allowing them to discuss in groups about planets, stars, the Moon, and astronauts will help.
We will then imagine what aliens might look like and think about the question, If aliens existed, what would they be like? What would they eat? How would they communicate? What would they look like?
For an art activity, each child will design and create their own friendly alien using paper, crayons, paints, or collage materials. (This could also be done in groups with each child adding something unique)They should think about where their alien lives, how it moves, and what makes it special. I would encourage the children to write simple sentences about their drawing.
Next, children will work in small groups to create a short drama scene. They will pretend to be astronauts landing on a new planet and meeting friendly aliens for the first time. Encourage them to use expressive voices, movements, and imaginative dialogue. Each group will perform their scene for the class.
To finish, it would be important to reflect on what we think about aliens and to remind them although there is no proof of aliens yet, it is not impossible.
While I don’t have Senior infants next year I think integrating drama into any curricular area is extremely beneficial.
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Hi Sinead this sounds fantastic. Paxi has loads of videos about going to space and would be great fun for a junior class!
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I would explore the topic of space and aliens with my class group over a number of lessons using the Special Life Life in Space lesson as a guide. To begin, I would introduce the topic by listening to The Kiboomers’s song ‘Going on an Alien Hunt.’ I would ask the students ‘I wonder’ questions … ‘I wonder what an alien from another planet would look like, what hobbies and interests would they have, what food would they eat?’ I would invite the children to draw a picture of an alien from another planet and present their pictures to the whole class. In a follow up lesson I would give the children the opportunity to create their aliens using clay and a variety of materials. I would develop this theme by exploring the names of the planets in our Solar System. I would invite the children to work in groups to draw and create an imaginary planet where their aliens come from. I would give the children the opportunity to present their imaginary planets to the whole class. I would invite the students to compare their imaginary planets with planet Earth, are their any similarities or differences?
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Ive created a thematic plan for junior infants over a course of a fortnight. Junior infants would thoroughly enjoy this topic and it lends well to integration across lots of subject areas.
We would start with circle time!
“Good morning, astronauts! Today we’re going on a BIG adventure into SPACE! Put on your pretend space helmet…”
Pretend to zip your suit.
“Boots?”
Children: “On!”
“Helmet?”
Children: “On!”
“Ready to blast off?”
Children: “YES!”
🎵 Warm-Up Song (Tune: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom)
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
If you’d like to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon!
Repeat quietly, loudly, quickly and slowly.
🚀 Countdown Movement
Everyone crouches down.
Count together:
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
BLAST OFF!
Children jump up into the air and pretend to fly through space.
We could pause and close our eyes, imagining travelling in space!
“We’re flying high above Earth. Can you look out of your spaceship window? What can you see?”
(Pause for children’s answers.)
“I can see shiny stars! Can you point to the stars?”
“I can see the Moon! Can everyone wave to the Moon?”
“Oh no! We have reached a mysterious planet. Shall we land?”
Children: “Yes!”
“When we open the spaceship door, we hear funny sounds.”
Can everyone make a silly space sound?
“We see some friendly aliens waving.”
Can everyone wave back?
“The aliens love to jump.”
Let’s all jump together!
“They love to spin.”
Spin around!
“They love to dance.”
Dance together for a few moments.
“Before we fly home, the friendly aliens wave goodbye and thank us for visiting.”
Everyone waves goodbye.
💬 Talk About It
Ask:
What did we see in space?
What colour was the planet?
What do you think friendly aliens look like?
How did the aliens say hello?
Would you like to visit space?
As part of morning play, I would set up a space hunt in tuft trays filled with sand. Each group gets a chance to ‘be a space detective’
Hide pictures of:
Stars
Planets
Rockets
Friendly aliens
Children become astronauts.
Mission:
Find a yellow star.
Find a green alien.
Find a rocket.
Find a planet.
Each time they find one, they shout:
“Mission complete!”
We will then play Simon Says
Like Simon Says.
“Astronaut says…”
Float slowly.
Jump over a moon rock.
Wave to an alien.
Fly your rocket.
Walk in moon gravity.
Spin like a planet.
Another song the children will learn as part of this thematic unit is ‘The Space Song’
(Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)
The rocket in the sky goes
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The stars in the sky go
Twinkle! Twinkle! Twinkle!
The aliens all wave
Hello! Hello! Hello!
As an Art activity, we will – Make Your Own Alien
Children create an alien using paper, googly eyes, crayons, stickers and pom-poms.
Ask each child:
What is your alien’s name?
What colour is it?
What does it like to eat?
What games does it like to play?
As a movement break during the week, we will have ‘Alien Dance Parties’
Play music
Call out:
Wiggle your antennae!
Stomp your alien feet!
Float through space!
Spin like a planet!
Freeze!
Another nice morning activity is using play dough to make:
Stars
Rockets
Planets
Moons
Aliens
Ask them to tell the group what they have made.
As a maths lesson, we will have a space counting Activity and sorting activity!
Count:
5 stars
8 stars
10 stars
Sort stars into:
Big and small
Different colours
🌈 Colour Hunt
Can you find:
🟢 A green alien
🔴 A red planet
🟡 A yellow star
🔵 A blue rocket
👋 Goodbye Song at the end of each school day while we learn about space!
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
We’ll fly home in our rocket,
With a smile inside our pocket,
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
🌟 Extension Activities
Build rockets with blocks.
Paint planets with sponges.
Make foil moon rocks.
Create a cardboard spaceship in a construction station during morning play.
Read space-themed books such as Aliens Love Underpants!
Complete a moon-walk obstacle course in PE
Enjoy dramatic play in a pretend space station.
I loved planning this thematic unit and look forward to using it next year!
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Hi Jade
Sounds wonderful! If you are interested in song based space learning I suggest looking into the The Nirks.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I have chosen to explore a Junior Infants lesson on Aliens and Martian Landscapes, inspired by the lessons on the Space Week Ireland link provided in Module 3. I would begin the lesson with a discussion about Planets and ask children what kind of creatures they think lives on planets in space. I would then introduce children to the story ‘You can’t Eat a Princess’ allowing children a visual of how alien characters can be interpreted in different ways this will allow children to explore images and describe how each alien has different features.
Children then use their imagination to design their own aliens using fabric and textiles. I would encourage children to think about alien features such as number of eyes, arms, colours, and personalities. I think that having a child led approach encourages creativity and promotes descriptive language via adjectives.
As a follow up lesson children can also explore alien habitats and create a Martian landscape to place their alien on using art techniques such as blowing bubbles using paint to create textured terrain effects like those we imagine planets to have. Children would develop oral language skills by discussing features of planets and explore creativity by sharing ideas of what they imagine alien planets to look like. I would provide sand for the children to glue on to their backgrounds as well as providing mark making materials to promote line and texture to emphasise the rocky surfaces. I really enjoy thematic days in the classroom and for physical education I would follow up this art lesson with a fun space themed movement activity whereby the children walk like aliens, imagine they are on a really fast rocket ship and have just landed on Saturn. Following this the children would return to the classroom and complete a gallery walk, getting the chance to admire everyone’s alien and Martian landscape creations. I think that this would be a great series of lessons integrating SESE with Drama, PE, Art, Numeracy and Literacy.-
Hi Caroline, I really enjoyed reading your ideas for this activity. I like how you have used a story to introduce the topic, as it gives children a starting point before encouraging them to use their own imagination. The variety of art materials and sensory experiences, such as adding sand and creating textured backgrounds, would make the lesson very engaging for Junior Infants. I also think the space-themed movement activity is a great way to integrate PE while reinforcing the theme. Finishing with a gallery walk is a lovely opportunity for children to celebrate each other’s creativity, build confidence, and develop their oral language skills by talking about their work.
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Hi Caroline, I love the idea of using the story to help the children to think about the different ways that aliens can be interpreted. I think the children would love all of these hands on art activities to explore the topic of aliens and different landscapes. You’ve given me some great ideas to take away with me.
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The Stars activity would be a fun and engaging way to introduce young children to the night sky while encouraging creativity and curiosity. I would begin by asking the children what they know about stars and whether they have ever looked at the night sky. We would discuss how people long ago connected groups of stars to make patterns called constellations.
For the main activity, I would give each child a sheet of black paper with white dot stickers or drawn dots to represent stars. The children could either copy a simple constellation or create one of their own by joining the stars with lines. They would then give their constellation a name and tell or write a short story/ simple sentence about what it represents. This links science with literacy and encourages imaginative thinking.
To incorporate mathematics, the children could count the number of stars in their constellation, compare which constellations have more or fewer stars, and use positional language such as above, below, beside, and between when describing their patterns. We could also discuss how stars may look close together from Earth but are actually very far apart.
I think this activity is an excellent example of inquiry-based learning because it encourages children to observe, ask questions, explore ideas, and express their understanding in a creative way. It also provides opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and cross-curricular learning while fostering a sense of wonder about the world beyond our planet.
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Hi Evelyn,
This is fantastic and the math’s based element works quite well. Constellations | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids might be a good resource for your lesson plan.
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Activity: Alien Craft
Materials needed:
Construction paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Googly eyes
Markers or crayons
Pipe cleaners
Popsicle sticks
Instructions:
First, cut out various shapes from the construction paper. The children will use their imagination and create alien body parts such as circles, squares, triangles, and ovals. They can also create spaceships, planets, and other outer space objects.
Once they have their shapes ready, they will use glue sticks and glue the shapes onto a larger piece of construction paper to create their alien characters. They can mix and match different shapes to create unique aliens.
After sticking the shapes, the children will get googly eyes to add to their alien’s face. They can choose the number of eyes their alien has and stick them on using glue.
The children will use markers or crayons to draw additional details on their aliens such as mouths, noses, antennas, and any other features they like.
To make the aliens even more interesting, the children will use pipe cleaners to create arms, legs, or antennas. They can twist and bend the pipe cleaners into different shapes and stick them onto their aliens.
Finally,popsicle sticks will be glued to their aliens onto the sticks. This will allow them to play with their creations and make them “fly” around like real aliens.
Once the aliens are complete, encourage the children to use their imagination and come up with stories or adventures for their aliens. They can pretend the aliens are exploring outer space or visiting Earth.-
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I love this Art idea Karen. So much learning and links to Maths here for younger children. Lots of creativity also and children making their aliens how they want them. I’m sure a lot of googly eyes will be used!!!
I love the extension of using the aliens to come up with stories or adventures. This could be done in small groups and link to drama for children to act out the story using their aliens.
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I am using the Activity Set: Stars
I would start the activity with a discussion about stars, encouraging children to share what they already know and where they have seen stars, such as in the night sky, on flags, or in storybooks.
Children in infant classes could then take part in hands-on activities such as sorting stars by size or colour, counting stars, making patterns, or creating star pictures using paint, glitter, or coloured paper. These activities help to develop early mathematical skills, fine motor skills, and creativity. Teachers can also include songs and rhymes about stars, such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, to encourage listening, memory, and participation.
The star theme can be linked to literacy by reading stories about space or the night sky and encouraging children to describe the characters and events. Outdoor activities could include a star hunt, where children search for star shapes around the playground, promoting physical activity and observation skills.
Overall, the Activity Set: Stars provides a fun, engaging, and inclusive learning experience that supports children’s social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development while encouraging curiosity and imagination.
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Infant Lesson: Starry Sky.
1. Paint the Night Sky
Give A4 paper.
Children paint a night sky (blue, purple, black, grey) Discuss colours and patterns.
Talk: “This is the night sky.”2. Make Stars.
Use toothbrush/combs/lolly sticks.
Dip in white/yellow paint.
Flick or scrape to make star dots.
Say: “These are stars in the sky.”3. Discussion
What did we make?
What colour is the sky?
When do we see stars?
Share a few pictures.4. Counting Stars.
Count simple groups of stars (1–5).
Say numbers together. -
Activity set: Space & Aliens
Junior Infants
Learning objectives:
· Children will learn to describe what they think an alien would look like
· Use adjectives to describe an alien
Activity:
I would set up a space role-play areas for Aistear. All children would design their own space alien to how they think it would look. Model this first. How many eyes? Legs? Arms? What colour hair etc. Allow children to name their alien.
Using a black tent to act as the ‘Space Ship’ I would put pictures inside of all the children’s aliens.
Children could make their own telescopes from toilet roll holders/make helmets from junk modelling. Give the children torches and during Aistear groups take it in turns to use their telescopes to search for different aliens. Allow children to feed back to the class on what they saw and use adjectives to describe the aliens.
Extension: Add pictures of the planets, stars, sun. Can children describe the planet to a friend and have the friend guess which planet it is?
Adapt for older children: After a group has explored in the ‘Space Station’ display all the aliens in the classroom and allow children to describe the alien they are thinking of. Can others guess the alien?
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Infant Lesson: Starry Nights. ( Couldn’t edit above post so I’m resubmitting)
Children will explore the night sky through painting and simple discussion. First, give each child an A4 sheet and ask them to paint a night sky using dark colours such as blue, purple, black, and grey. Encourage them to mix colours and talk about what they see. Say, “This is the night sky.”
Next, create stars using white or yellow paint. Children can use toothbrushes, combs, or lolly sticks. Dip the tool into paint and flick, tap, or scrape it onto the paper to make star shapes. Demonstrate first. Say, “These are stars in the sky.”
Gather the children for discussion. Ask, “What did we make?” “What colour is the sky?” and “When do we see stars?” Let children share their pictures with the group.
Finally, introduce simple counting. Point to groups of stars and count together from 1 to 5. Encourage children to repeat the numbers as they count.
Optional: sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or display finished artwork on a classroom wall
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I would use the Space and Aliens activity with my Junior Infants because it encourages curiosity, creativity and inquiry-based learning. Young children are naturally curious by space, and this topic provides many opportunities for them to ask questions, explore ideas and use their imagination.
Introduction
I would display pictures of different planets and ask the children open-ended questions such as, “What do you notice?”, “Which planet looks the hottest?”, “Which one looks the coldest?” and “Do you think anything could live there?” I would encourage the children to share their ideas and make predictions before explaining that they are going to design an alien that can survive on one of these planets.
Activity
The children would choose a planet and create their own alien using playdough, recyclable materials or art supplies. As they worked, I would move around the classroom asking questions such as, “Why did you give your alien big feet?”, “How will it stay warm?” and “What does it eat?” These questions would encourage the children to think about the needs of living things and explain the choices they have made rather than simply creating an imaginary character.
Extension
To extend the activity, I would integrate it with Aistear by creating a Space Exploration role-play area where the children could pretend to be astronauts discovering new planets and meeting the aliens they had created. The children could also build homes for their aliens using construction materials and discuss what their aliens would need to survive. This would encourage oral language, teamwork and imaginative play while reinforcing the learning from the science lesson.
Conclusion
At the end of the lesson, each child would share their alien with the class and explain one feature that helps it survive on its planet.
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I love the fact that there is such a strong link in the lesson between the Art activity and using science based vocabulary to explain why they created their aliens the way the did. They have to be able to really think about the different elements/reasons they have for creating their alien. It allows the children to use cross curricular learning in lessons.
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Hi Ciara Love this! What might also be cool to consider is the kind of equipment we send to other bodies and what they require to survive! for example some solar powered rovers on mars didn’t fare so well as mars is covered in dust and has huge dust storms!
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Stars – 2nd Class
Lesson Intro: I would darken the classroom and use a star/galaxy projector on the ceiling (we are lucky enough to have one of these in our sensory room which is portable). I would use this as a stimulus for discussion- what do you see, do all the stars look the same, in what ways are they they same/different, can you make out any shapes, can we all see the same pattern/shapes?
Discreet teaching: People have been looking at stars for thousands of years, all from different parts of the world, all noticing different shapes and patterns, called constellations. As humans, we naturally look for shapes and patterns. The constellations were given names. We are going to explore them today.
Group activity, observation: students are given cards with dots/stars but no ‘lines’, they have to try identify the familiar shape. Compare and discuss. No right or wrong ideas here. Children can also draw lines to make their shapes/patterns more visible.
Group activity, investigation/creative: Like the activity suggested in this module, children would now use hanging tinfoil on black card to create their own constellation. They should give it a name, and a story. They could be hung from the ceiling for others to observe and try to name a pattern. I really liked this idea because it showed the children, through hands on experience, that stars in a constellation are not actually close together in space, but from our perspective they can appear as a shape. For higher level differentiation, some children could be challenged to recreate a given constellation.
Whole Class Study: looking at photos of real constellations and hearing their names/stories. Children’s comments and questions here could inform next lesson.
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I think Lucy’s idea is really lovely. I love that she uses a star projector to light up the ceiling, it makes the sky feel more real and gets the children super excited right from the start. The constellation activities sound so creative and it gives the children lots of chances to use their imagination while learning about space. I also love that the lesson mixes science, art and storytelling together, which makes it fun and memorable again something they might be able to share with their friends and family. It sounds like an activity the children would really enjoy and would be talking about long after the lesson was over. It’s definitely one I hope to try myself this year.
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Hi Lucy,
This sounds fantastic might be cool to look into Stellarium to help with this.
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I chose to focus on the topic of aliens as I think that the younger children would be really engaged by this topic. The Special Life lesson is a lovely starting point for children to think about what is so special about our planet. I find that the chidlren in infants often do not know the difference between fact and fiction. I would conduct this lesson as part of a unit on aliens/life other than on earth. There are lots of really lovely children’s books that could be included in this theme. The Smeds and the Smoos and Aliens love Underpants are favourites in my classroom. I would also source some non-fiction books to explain to the children that life has not yet been found outside of earth. There are so many art lessons that could also be tied into this unit, using lots of different materials such as fabric and fibre and junk art.
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Hi Gail
This sounds fab! I completely agree about the fact and fiction aspect! Here’s a good video introduction to the solar system.
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Lesson: Space and Aliens
Lesson outcomes: Describe what they think an alien would look like
Create a variety of aliens
Lesson body:
Because I teach an autism class, I like to use a multi sensory approach. I would being by reading the story ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ to the class. I would focus on the pictures and discuss what the different aliens look like.
Allow each child to brainstorm what their alien might look like.
Illustrate their alien on a page and use colours.
Mould clay to make an alien. Allow to dry and paint.
Describe their alien to their classmates.
Group work – give each pair or group of three a long sheet of drawing paper. Allow them to draw the outline of the alien and decorate / illustrate /colour the alien as they see fit. Discuss their work and the work of their peers when it is completed.
Drama – Hotseat an alien. In my case, the teacher would be the alien.
Talk using alien voices.
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Hi Alison,
This is wonderful! Model magic can be a great sensory shout when making aliens and is in my experience at least, easier to manage than clay! Funky creatures that live in extreme environments on earth might be a good place for children to start brainstorming !
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Special Life
Life in Space
I think this activity would be a good way to help my 2nd Class learn about what living things need to survive. I would begin the lesson by asking the children what they think people, animals and plants need to live. We would discuss their ideas together before completing the activity. The children would work in small groups and sort different pictures into things that living things need and things they do not need. This would encourage them to think, ask questions and explain their answers.After the group work, we would come together as a class to compare our ideas and talk about why water, air, food and shelter are important for life. I would then ask the children to draw or write about what they have learned. If tablets are available, they could create a simple digital poster showing the things living things need to survive. I think this activity would keep the children interested because it is practical and allows everyone to take part. It also helps develop teamwork, communication and thinking skills while making science fun and easy to understand.
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Hi Edel,
This sounds wonderful what might be cool to consider is what humans are planning to do for the Artemis missions and then eventually mars or even how we function on the ISS here is a child friendly video!
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Activity set: Stars
I would introduce the lesson with a picture of the plough constellation and tell the children that long ago people looked at the sky and played connect the dots and made up stories about the pictures they could see.
I would then ask them to do the same and tell me what picture they can see.
Following on from all their ideas, I would then explain that these 7 stars are in fact a group of stars in our sky called the plough. I would ask them why they think it might have been given this name. I would introduce the word ‘constellation’ at this point.
I would them get the children to stick 7 star stickers on to black paper to form the plough constellation.
As an extension creative activity, |I would allow the children to design their own constellation using the same materials and ask them to name it and tell the class about it.
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Hi Denise,
Having them make their own constellations is a fantastic idea! Every culture had their own stories for the stars and Ireland was no different see here for your own interest.
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Junior Infants
Activity set: Aliens
The topic of aliens is always a fun topic for children to engage with.
I would introduce this lesson by reading Alien’s Love Underpants. The children would discuss the appearance of the aliens.
How many eyes do they have?
What colours are they?
Are they tall?
Are they happy?
What alien is your favourite?
Design your own alien:
Using a variety of materials including card, foam shapes, googly eyes the children will be able to create their own aliens. When this is completed , the children would describe their aliens to their classmates. They could also discuss their aliens names and where they may live. What does your alien like to do?
There are plenty of opportunities for integration when covering this topic.
Numeracy: Counting the aliens eyes, arms, legs etc
Sorting by colour
Sorting by shape
Literacy:
Oral language: describing the aliens
Play:
Imaginative play, role play
PE
Alien movement lesson
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Hi Margaret,
I love this! Tinfoil, model magic, pipe cleaners are all super helpful when making aliens with children. It can be useful to consider life under extreme conditions on earth like in and around volcanoes for ideas.
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I would choose the ‘Special Life’ activity from the Space and Aliens activity set. I think it would work well in my classroom because it begins with something familiar before introducing a new and exciting idea. Rather than focusing straight away on aliens, I would first encourage the children to think about what all living things need to survive, such as food, water, air and shelter. This would give them a strong foundation before exploring whether life could exist somewhere else in space.
I would begin the lesson by sorting pictures of living and non-living things and encouraging the children to discuss what makes something alive. We would then ask questions such as, “Could something live on another planet?” and “What might it need to survive?” Children would be encouraged to share their own ideas and predictions before designing an alien that was suited to its environment. For example, an alien living on a cold planet might have thick fur, while one living on a dark planet might have large eyes.
I like that this activity encourages curiosity, imagination and discussion while still developing scientific thinking. It is practical, visual and easy to adapt so that every child can participate in a way that suits their level.
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Hi Emily. I really like the idea of focusing on and tying in living things and their requirements for survival. It can bring in needs and wants as well as scientific observations. You could also look at the different conditions on different planets in the solar system and compare them to Earth and how should we change/adapt them to live there. It would be interesting to see them look into how astronauts survive in space too.
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I like how you start with something familiar before introducing the idea of aliens. Building on what children already know about living things makes the activity more meaningful. I also think linking the aliens’ features to their environment is a great way to encourage scientific thinking while keeping the lesson fun and engaging.
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Hi Margaret,
I really like your idea of introducing the alien theme through the story Aliens Love Underpants. I think that the pupils would really enjoy the hands on activity of creating their own aliens. I also like the way you showed how this lesson could be integrated with maths lessons on counting, shape and pattern and also with literacy through oral language.
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Hi Emily,
This sounds fantastic. Considering whether or not fire is alive can bring about interesting discussion! It needs oxygen to survive it burns up things like eating! but it doesn’t reproduce. Also in terms of living on other planets this can be useful!
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Activity Set: Stars
To start I think I would use a similar approach to the Lots and lots of star activity, where I would get students to do art of a starry sky. I would use a variety of different materials to get them thinking including paint, glitter, tinfoil, sponges..etc. Then I would print a picture of a night sky and ask them to estimate how many stars are in the picture. We would count them after a few guesses and then they would be asked if the actual sky has more or less stars than the picture.
I really liked the idea of the 5.5 Viewing Constellations through Stories lesson from the Universe in a box. This is a great idea for bringing in literacy into the lessons and can connect where the ideas of constellations comes from.
I think I would then connect this to the Seeing Stars activity where it demonstrates the realistic position of stars and how this can change with perspective. The idea that the stars are in fact in a 3D space but depending on how you look at them can look like the 2D constellations that we were previously discussing. I find that this lesson really builds on constructing previous knowledge and get them to think. It also ties in with maths and numeracy with regards to measuring length and distance as well as measurements and scale.
Something that I would love to try out is a project that involves building several versions of the seeing stars project with attached lights on the ceiling or in a sensory tent to give a feel for a planetarium. Building a project means that an event could be held for viewing the stars and story telling with different classrooms and encourage communication and social skills.
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Activity set: Space and Aliens.
What a great topic. I think the children would be instantly captivated.
Introduction: Picture Book ‘ The Way back Home’ by Oliver Jeffers.
Discussion on life on earth. What conditions we need to live on earth.
Conditions on Mars. Is it hot or cold….How do animals on Earth differ in hot places/cold places.
Observe pictures of Mars on google Mars and study of pictures.
Investigation: What would a Martian look like?
What would an alien need to cope with the dust storms on Mars..
How would it cope with the big fluctuations in temperatures.
Think pair/ share with your partner,
Design and draw an alien on Mars.
Use of modelling clay and various materials to make a 3D Martian.
Present to the class, explaining the functions of the features of your alien.-
Hi Sharon, I love the topic of Space and Aliens too and agree that the children would be instantly captivated by it. I love the fact that you engage the children in thinking what the aliens might need to survive here on earth. This is a good way of looking at our own needs here and links well with our wellbeing areas. I would live to see the 3D clay models of the aliens!
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Great lesson Sharon. Children are fascinated by aliens. And what a lovely story ‘ The Way back Home’ by Oliver Jeffers. We all love the story of ET trying to find his way back home too. The link with visual arts is great-I can imagine how creative the children could be creating their models of aliens. Sounds like a fun activity and parents/guardians would love seeing their creations.
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Hi Sharon,
This sounds fab! In terms of space and planet simulators WinStars 3 can be great Open Space by NASA is another one. You can also use this software to drive around a simulation of the curiosity rover!
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The lesson I would teach in the Looking at the Plough from Two Different Views
To introduce the lesson I would show a picture of the Plough.
Discussion :
• Have you ever looked at the stars?
• What shape can you see?
• Do things always look the same when we move?
Explain:
“Today we’re going to look at the Plough from two different places.”
During the lesson we will observe a simple model created by the children of the Plough. By adjusting where we are siting nd standing we will notice that objects can look different from different positions. Vocabulary we will use- above, below, side, near, far. We will create a drawing of what we saw.
I feel the children will really enjoy the lesson as it is so hands on. Using the underneath of desks would really increase interest and attention. I would try to see if I could buy some small lights that could be added to the stars. Then turn off lights to see the stars in the ‘night sky’.
Follow up would be an art lesson creating a night sky with spatter painting.-
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Hi Eileen, I really like your idea of using the underside of desks to create an immersive experience for the children. Adding small lights would make the activity even more engaging and help them visualise the Plough in the night sky. The follow-up art lesson is a lovely way to reinforce learning while encouraging creativity and observation skills.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I would use the create an alien activity with my junior ASD class as it is a fun way to encourage creativity while developing communication and observation skills. Before starting the activity, I would show students pictures of planets and discuss whether they think life could exist in space. We would talk about what living things need to survive and compare this to what an alien might need if it lived on another planet.
I would then give each student a template or blank page to design their own alien. Students could choose the number of eyes, arms, legs and other features. They could colour their alien using crayons or complete the activity digitally on a tablet if appropriate. Once finished, each student would describe one or two features of their alien using words, visuals or their communication system.
This activity could also be linked to maths by counting body parts and comparing sizes. It would support oral language by encouraging students to describe their alien and explain why they chose certain features. I think my class would really enjoy this activity because it allows for creativity while being flexible enough to meet a range of learning needs. Using visual supports, choice and hands on learning would help all students to participate and stay engaged throughout the lesson.-
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I really like how you’ve adapted this activity specifically for your junior ASD class, especially the focus on visual supports, choice, and flexible communication methods. Starting with discussion around what living things need is a strong way to build understanding and make the idea of “aliens” more meaningful rather than purely imaginative. It also provides a nice link between science and real-world knowledge.
The create-an-alien task itself is very inclusive, and I think allowing students to choose features like eyes, arms, and colours gives them a sense of control and encourages engagement. I also like that you’ve built in opportunities for communication afterwards, whether through words, visuals, or their preferred communication system, as this ensures every student can participate at their own level.
The links to maths through counting and comparing body parts is a great extension, and it helps reinforce learning across different areas of the curriculum. Overall, this sounds like a very well thought-out, accessible, and engaging lesson that balances creativity with clear learning goals.
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Activity set: Stars
I would use the Star Lantern activity as part of a SESE lesson linked to space and constellations. It looks like a really engaging, hands-on way for children to explore stars and patterns in the night sky.I like that it begins with a simple printed constellation, as it gives the children a clear focus while still allowing creativity. I also think it would be great for developing fine motor skills and concentration.
Once the holes are made, rolling the card into a cylinder to form the lantern would help the children see how a flat image can become a 3D object. I think this would be a good moment for discussion around shape and structure.
Decorating the lantern with tissue paper or crepe paper would allow for creativity, and I can imagine the children being very proud of their finished work. If displayed with a light inside, it would really bring the constellations to life.
Overall, I think this would be a lovely cross-curricular activity.
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I would use the **Space and Aliens** activity set with my 1st Class to encourage curiosity, creativity and oral language development. I would begin the lesson by reading a space-themed story such as *Aliens Love Underpants* to capture the children’s interest. We would then discuss what they think an alien might look like, where it might live and how it might travel through space. This would encourage pupils to ask questions, share ideas and use their imagination.
The children would then design and create their own alien using a variety of art materials. Once finished, each pupil would describe their alien to the class, explaining its name, habitat, special features and how it survives on its planet. This activity would develop confidence in speaking and listening while reinforcing new vocabulary related to space.
To integrate digital technology, the children could use iPads to photograph their finished aliens and record a short voice clip describing them. These recordings could be shared with parents through our digital learning platform or displayed as a digital class gallery. This would provide every child with an opportunity to celebrate their work while developing early digital skills.
I like this activity because it is highly engaging and allows children to learn through play, creativity and discussion. It also links well with Science, English, Art and Digital Learning, while supporting collaboration, imagination and communication in an inclusive and enjoyable way.
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Love this lesson. Children just love the story Aliens Love Underpants!! The illustrations are so colourful and they love the notion of the characters in underpants.
The use of digital technology allows the parents/guardians to engage with the recordings which they will love.
The activity provides great cross curricular links and allows the children to develop so many skills.
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Hi Eimear,
Sounds lovely. If the children have access to ipads it might be cool to get them to explore the surface of mars with the google earth pro mars option! Also a simulation of driving the curiosity rover.
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I would choose the Activity Set: Stars for my classroom as it provides an engaging way for children to explore the night sky and develop early scientific understanding. I would begin by asking pupils what they already know about stars and what questions they have, allowing me to assess prior knowledge and encourage curiosity. We would then use images and short videos to introduce key ideas, such as the fact that stars are distant suns and vary in size, colour, and brightness.
Next, the children would take part in a hands-on activity where they create their own constellations using black paper and stickers or chalk. This would help them understand how people have historically connected stars to form patterns and stories. They would compare their constellations in groups and explain their thinking, promoting discussion and collaboration.
To conclude, we would reflect on what we learned and discuss how stars have been used for navigation and storytelling. I would finish with a simple exit question to encourage further inquiry and curiosity about space.
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Activity – Stars in the Infants class
I would use the theme of Stars and begin by singing the song ‘Twinkle Twinkle little star’. I would then enter into a discussion with the children about their understanding of stars and establish this as our basis. We would discuss the song and it’s lyrics.
I would progress the lesson by darkening the room and showing the children a video and pictures of stars in the night sky. I would ask the children about their experiences of the night sky. We would discuss the light provided by the stars and how we see them twinkle despite being so far away. We would discuss the possible number of stars and compare to known and unknown quantities- marbles, a handful of sand etc.
I would explain that star constellations help us to recognise some stars in the night shy. We would look at a selection of constellations and the children would be given an opportunity to draw and name their own constellation.
To complete the lesson the children would engage in an art lesson where they create the night sky, first painting the sky back ground and then using the splatter paint technique to create the stars.
This lesson would engage well with the STEM aspects of the curriculum engaging maths talk and discussion, space and shape, the environment and also that of art.
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Sinead I love your idea of darkening the room to show the children a video and pictures of stars in the night sky. This would I feel really engage the children in the lesson. The splatter paint idea for the art lesson is one that I think would also work really well amd I am going to try with my infant class.
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Hi Sinead,
This sounds amazing! Twinkle twinkle can be great as it shows the difference between planets and stars in our sky! Stars twinkle and planets don’t (mostly because they’re much closer). Stellarium might be useful for your lesson! I especially like the part where you discuss scales and incorporate maths!
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Activity: Stars
I would choose the topic of stars as children are naturally fascinated about stars in the night sky. I would probably begin by gathering any prior knowledge that children may have and would be a good opportunity to use a KWL chart. Also, as I have middle classes, I would keep it a really basic level to ensure optimum understanding.
I would show children pictures of the night sky and have a little discussion about what they see and maybe in pairs they could try to make shapes or patterns from the starry night shown and talk about constellations. I would then explicitly teach about The Plough and then introduce the activity of ‘Seeing Star! The Plough in Two Different Ways”. I would use straws rather than wool as with middle classes in would be easier for them to measure and cut. I think they would really enjoy the aspect of sticking their pictures under the table and looking up at them as they would with real stars and would further consolidate learning of The Plough. I think this type of lesson would very effective as its so hands on but practical in is result. I would also use the worksheet of Draw Your Own Constellation as a conclusion or revision of the topic at another time. -
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Module 3 Assignment – Activity Set: Stars
For this assignment, I chose the Activity Set: Stars, focusing on the “Draw Your Own Constellation” activity. I believe this lesson would be an engaging and creative way to introduce Senior Infants and First Class pupils to astronomy while developing important STEM and mathematical skills.
I would begin the lesson by discussing what stars and constellations are and showing images of familiar constellations such as The Plough. We would talk about how people have used the stars for thousands of years to tell stories and navigate. This introduction would encourage curiosity and provide opportunities for questioning and discussion.
Each child would receive black paper and star stickers or white chalk to design their own constellation. They would connect the stars with straight lines, give their constellation a name and create a short story explaining how it came to be in the night sky. This activity integrates Science, Mathematics, English and Visual Arts, as pupils recognise patterns, count stars, compare shapes and use positional language while expressing their creativity through storytelling.
To extend the lesson, pupils could share their constellations with the class and compare similarities and differences. They could also work in pairs to identify patterns and discuss why they chose particular star arrangements. This promotes communication, collaboration and confidence while reinforcing mathematical thinking.
I particularly like how this ESERO activity promotes inquiry-based learning. Instead of simply learning facts about stars, children actively investigate, create and explain their own ideas. The activity is inclusive and can be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. It links well with the Primary Mathematics Curriculum through pattern, spatial awareness and problem-solving while also encouraging creativity and scientific curiosity. Overall, this would be an enjoyable, hands-on lesson that inspires children to explore the wonders of space while developing valuable STEM skills.-
I like how you’ve combined creativity with scientific understanding of constellations. The use of star stickers and storytelling makes it very accessible for younger classes, and linking it to patterns, shape and positional language is a great way to integrate maths. Sharing and comparing constellations at the end is also a strong way to build discussion and collaborative learning.
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This is wonderful Dolores,
It might be cool to very simply discuss the different colours of their stars and what that means. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/exep/resources/studies/probe-scale-stdt/exoc/high-contrast/
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I would use the Space and Aliens activity with my 2nd class to encourage curiosity and imagination while developing scientific thinking. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about space and whether they think there could be life on other planets. This would lead to a discussion about what living things need to survive, such as air, water, food and shelter.
The children would then work in small groups to design their own alien and the planet it lives on. They would think about how their alien is suited to its environment, for example, if it lives on a hot, cold or windy planet. Each group would explain why they chose these features, encouraging them to justify their ideas using simple scientific language.
To finish the lesson, the children could present their aliens to the class and compare the different habitats they created. This activity links well with the Irish Primary Science Curriculum as it develops questioning, predicting, observing and communicating skills. With this lesson you could integrate Art and oral language, making learning enjoyable and accessible for all pupils in a mixed-ability 2nd class.
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Hi Nicole,
I really like the idea of presenting the habitats as well as the physiology of the aliens is inseparable from this! A follow up lesson could invlove understanding how we look for alien worlds! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-exoplanets/en/
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I would use the story “how to catch a star” by Oliver Jeffers to introduce the Activity set: stars to second class. This story encourages curiosity and is a great way to introduce Stars in an imaginative way whilst also introducing scientific facts. I would invoke a discussion about whether we could really catch a star or not. I would conduct a brainstorming session to gather the pupils’ previous knowledge and facts about stars and I would use this as a springboard to discover further information about stars.
I would use a PowerPoint about stars and their composition to help broaden their understanding about stars. I would include simple facts such as stars are giant balls of gas that are far away from the earth. They are bigger than the earth and the sun is a star. I would use question prompts so that the children could think pair share to further their understanding of stars. Some questions could include:
Why do stars appear small in the sky?
What kind of weather is best for stargazing?
Why can we only see stars at night?
The children could compare the story and. complete the lesson by playing a “story or facts” sorting game. They could record their results with an art activity. Pupils could divide their page into story and facts and compare imaginative parts of the story to real facts about stars. The theme of stars could be continued in further lessons using the beautifully illustrated book “The zoo in the sky” to discover more about animal constellations in the sky. A follow-up art lesson based on van Gogh’s starry night would work with this thematic approach.-
Lesson plan on constellations for second class.
Objectives:
Understand what a constellation is and be able to identify one well known constellations.
Resources:
Punched hole constellation cards
Black construction paper
Chalk
Hole punch and yellow paper
Torch
Start by discussing with the students what we see in the night sky. Are there shapes in the sky that are always the same – do we know any of the patterns we see in the sky.
Darken out the room and use our torch to project constellation shapes on the wall- students to identify the shapes- Orion (The Hunter), Ursa Major (Big dipper) and Cassiopeia (The Queen). Why were they given these names? Look at the shape a to understand the names we have given the constellations. Explain that constellations are very far apart but appear always appear in the same shape.
Use Chalk and black card to create their own constellation and present the name to the class.
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Space and Aliens activity set
I would begin by reading a short story about a friendly alien who has landed on Earth.
I would ask the children what they think the alien would see or find interesting about our world and encourage everyone to share their ideas.The children would the draw and colour their own alien, choosing its name, the planet it comes from, and what makes it special. Next, they would work in small groups to build a spaceship using blocks or recycled materials from the classroom.
Each group would have a chance to show their spaceship to the class and talk about how it works.
To finish the lesson, the children could write a few simple sentences about their alien and draw their favourite part of the activity.
I think this activity would be enjoyable for the children while also helping to develop their imagination, communication, and teamwork skills.
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Hi Caitriona,
I love this! might be cool to do a virtual tour of the ISS to see what the inside of spacecraft look like https://www.nasa.gov/feature/iss-virtual-tour/ .
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The activity Stars from this module is very appealing to Junior Infants and is very suitable for introducing pupils of this age to basic astronomy. I would begin by ascertaining what the pupils already know about stars, encouraging discussion and using questions to prompt. In this way the pupils are afforded opportunities to share what they know, develop their communication skills and think creatively. We would follow the discussion by looking at photographs of the night sky and various constellations as well as simple videos of the night sky. The lesson could be concluded with a simple art lesson (splatter painting) and later the story at the end of the day could be based on stars (The Littlest Star).
There is wide scope in this activity to create cross curricular links with literacy (story time-How to Catch a Star is a beautiful story; poetry; vocabulary development), with visual arts (artwork based on the stars, exploring Van Gogh’s Starry Night), music (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Star Light Star Bright, Holst’s Planets). The children could do a little stargazing with their parents/guardians and video their activity. Such videos could be uploaded to the seesaw platform used in the school. In the classroom the pupils could be photographed engaging with the art activities or videoed while reporting what they already know about stars. These photographs/videos could be uploaded to the seesaw platform for sharing with the parents/guardians. Other classroom activities could include the Make Your Own Constellation activity. I personally think this particular activity is very good one and the pupils would have great fun making their own constellation and naming it.
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Hi Paula this sounds fantastic,
I really like the idea of splatter painting – could be cool to link these to globular clusters of stars. I would also encourage 3D models where possible, either with tinfoil and card or through clay or model magic.
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A lesson for infants getting them to design and create their own alien.
I got ideas from the Blackrock observatory PDF. I would start the lesson off by reading Aliens love underpants. I have used this as a stimulus for lessons before and the kids love it. You could pause during the story and get the children thinking and talking about the aliens. Are they all the same? What colours, shapes, patterns can you see? If you met an alien, what might it look like?
I would then tell the children that they will be designing their own alien next and they can use ideas from the book, come up with their own unique design or whatever they would like.I would then give the children out a variety of materials such as playdough, pipe cleaners, pom poms, googly eyes, buttons, paper etc. They can decide to add their own features onto the alien. During the making, I would be walking around asking them questions about their aliens.
I would then get the children to present their alien and maybe tell the class a bit about it, detailing its name and make up a backstory about their planet. You could get them to write a sentence or two about their aliens if they were able.-
Hi Kevin,
Sounds brilliant. Glad our BCO PDF was helpful! making aliens is a fan favourite here. I definitely recommend following up by investigating where aliens might come from – exoplanets and getting the children to design their own plants model magic can be brilliant for this!
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I would start off by reading the story Aliens love underpants and go through all space specific vocabulary to make sure it is understood.
We would then integrate with art to create an alien and spaceship of their own choice.
Hands on activity: Create a star lantern.
Interactive learning: Kahoot quiz in groups. This reinforces learning and assessment.
Nursery Rhymes: Twinkl Twinkl Little Star, Hey Diddle Diddle
Creative Projects: In groups on space
Questioning: Constant questions throughout-
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I love the idea of linking with art and fabric and fibre to create their own aliens. I think this would be a fantastic way to encourage children’s creativity and really use their imagination with a variety of materials. I had mentioned making clay aliens but using F&F would definitely be a lovely alternative.
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With my Junior Infant class I would look at the activity set of Space and Aliens. This is a topic that the children really enjoy and I find I get great engagement from them. The Claire Freedman Aliens In Underpants books are a great stimulus for lessons on Space and Aliens and any class I have had always loves these books. After reading one of these books we would discuss what Aliens look like, are they all the same, what similarities or differences might they have. I would then task the children with creating their own Aliens using play doh or just colours/markers if they would prefer. I would encourage the children to create their own individual and unique aliens explaining that there is no right or wrong way to create their alien. I will also provide extra materials such as sequins, pipe cleaners, buttons, match sticks etc which they can use if desired. Once finished we would discuss their different aliens, looking at any similarities or differences. Children would be given the opportunity to discuss any changes they might like to make to their aliens. Children will then be asked to name and describe their own alien. To finish off the lesson we might do an activity such as the alien boogie from Go Noodle.
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Activity Set: Stars
I think that this activity is a lovely activity that could be used for Junior Infants to help them understand that stars give off light and that there are lots of stars, more than they can see.
I would start by using the ‘How many stars are there?’ activity using the marbles and jars in order to prompt discussion with the children. This would prompt them to start thinking about just how many stars there are up in the sky. This would no doubt lead to lots of discussion and questions around the
mount of stars they think are in the sky. This would be a fantastic cross-curricular activity as it incorporates mathematical language and activities.
The Starry Sky activity would also be fantastic for Junior Infants as it is hands on and active, while promoting and encouraging lots of language around stars, the sky and again mathematical language (how many? etc.) The children could display these around the classroom as part of their learning about space.
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Hi Caoimhe,
This is fab. The incorporation of counting and scale here is wonderful. Looking at the fact that there are different kinds of stars can be really engaging but of course needs to be hugely simplified.
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I would choose the Sun and Shadows Activity Set as I think it would best suit my first class next September. This activity encourages pupils to predict, observe changes, and promotes lots of class discussion.
I would begin by asking pupils what they already know about shadows and when they notice them. We would then go outside at different times during the school day to observe and measure our shadows using chalk or string. We are lucky to have a large yard space in our school, and we can compare shadow spaces within our school grounds. Before each lesson, I would encourage pupils to predict whether their shadow would be longer, shorter, or in a different position. On return to the classroom, we would compare our results and discuss why the shadows changed throughout the day, introducing the idea that the Earth’s rotation causes the Sun to appear to move across the sky. Which space showed greater shadows at different times?
We could create shadow drawings in art, or use our chromebooks to photograph and compare the shadows at different times. This activity easily lends itself to collaborative learning, class discussion and lot of fun. -
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I am focusing on the topic of stars with a Junior Infant class. To spark the children’s curiosity and hook them into the lesson I would display a small cardboard box wrapped in shiny tinfoil at the top of the room. This would be called our Space Box. Inside the Space Box I will place a yellow cutout of the Sun and an array of small glittery night stars. We will have a discussion about the Sun and stars and I would explain that the Sun is a star and the reason we can see it so clearly unlike the other stars in the sky is because it is closer to Earth than any other star.
We would then listen to the song ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ and the children would be encouraged to respond to the music through their choice of movements.
In groups the children will then complete an art activity where they are given a black piece of paper and they can recreate their own night sky with lots of stars.
We would finish the lesson with a game of Star Catchers – the children become astronauts and must pretend they are in space and collecting stars on command from the teacher. -
Space and Aliens
2nd Class
Learning Objective:
Pupils will develop their understanding of space through storytelling while using their imagination to create and describe an alien using appropriate space vocabulary.Lesson:
Begin by reading Aliens Love Underpants. Before reading, ask pupils what they already know about space and what they think aliens might look like or where they might live. Pause during the story to ask prediction and comprehension questions.After the story, discuss the characters and introduce key vocabulary such as planet, galaxy, astronaut, rocket and solar system. Pupils then design and draw their own alien, deciding what planet it comes from, its appearance and any special abilities. They write a few sentences describing their alien and explaining how it survives in space.
To conclude, pupils present their alien to the class and answer questions from their classmates. As a follow-up activity, pupils work in small groups to create a short story or comic strip about a space adventure featuring their aliens, encouraging creativity, collaboration and oral language development.
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Great story to begin with. All children love this story and it will really engage them. Children love creating aliens. To extend their artistic flare you could make name aliens….they write their names horizontally and then creat they alien from that or you can print our their name in bubble writing and they develop their alien from there. Describing their alien is wonderful for oral language and use of adjectives and descriptive language. They could also create junk art homes for their aliens or create clothes for thieir aliens to protect them from the weather.
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Hi Siobhan,
This is wonderful I really like the comic strip idea! Taking inspiration from funky creatures on this planet can be useful for creating aliens, especially those from extreme environments like in our oceans or around volcanoes.
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inquiry-Based Science Lesson: Stars and Constellations (2nd Class)
Begin the lesson by showing the class an image of the night sky and asking, Why do some stars seem to form patterns? Listen to the Coldplay hit Sky Full Of Stars. Encourage pupils to share their ideas and predictions. Explain that these patterns are called constellations and have been used for hundreds of years to help people navigate and tell stories. Explain how the stars have been so important to humanity and that every culture has reverence and awe for stars and the night sky.
In small groups, provide pupils with star pattern cards or dot-to-dot constellation templates. Ask them to identify the shapes they can see before revealing the names of well-known constellations such as the Big Dipper or Orion. Pupils can then create their own constellation by placing star stickers on black card and drawing lines to connect them. They should give their constellation a name and explain why they chose that shape.
Bring the class together to discuss their observations. Ask questions and share thoughts and insights.
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I think the Design a Martian activity from the Space Week Resource is a really fun and creative way to help children learn about adaptation. I would begin by chatting with the class about Mars and what they already know about it. We would talk about what it might be like to live there, thinking about how cold and rocky it is. To introduce the idea of adaptation, I would compare Mars to the Arctic and ask the children how a polar bear survives in such a cold environment. We would discuss its thick fur, layer of fat and large paws before thinking about what features a Martian would need to survive on Mars.
I would have them make one using materials such as coloured card, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, feathers, recycled materials and googly eyes. The children really enjoy practical, hands-on activities like this. As they make their Martians, I would ask them to talk about why they are adding certain features and how these would help their creature survive.
To extend the activity, I would get the children to work in small groups and make a Mars diorama using recycled materials. They could include craters, rocks and mountains before placing their Martians into the habitat they created. At the end, each group could present their Martian and diorama to the class and explain how their creature is adapted to survive on Mars.-
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Hi Fiona,
This is fantastic and very engaging. Might be cool to give the virtual rover a whirl while ye are at it! https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/curiosity/
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I would begin by asking the children open-ended questions such as, “What do you think space is like?”, “Could aliens exist?”, and “What might they look like?” The children would share their ideas, make predictions, and ask questions to guide our learning.
The children would explore pictures, storybooks, and short videos about space, planets, stars, and astronauts. They would then work in small groups to design and create their own aliens using art materials, explaining where their alien lives, how it moves, and what it eats. I would encourage the children to compare their ideas and explain their thinking.
To extend the activity, the children could build spaceships using construction materials and role-play travelling through space. At the end of the lesson, each group would present their alien and spaceship to the class.-
Hi David,
These all sounds fantastic and you could split them up into a few lessons too! This is definitely a great place to start for videos.
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To introduce the topic of stars I would play the following clip from The Lion King where Simba, Timone and Pumbaa discussing stars and what they think they are. This will lead on to a discussion on what the children think the stars are and will engage the children and elicit discussion.
I would then teach the children about stars. The resource Lots and lots of stars – Looking at the stars has some great ideas. Firstly I would follow the introductory activity using marbles. I would then complete the art activity using black paper instead of painting the background and use a toothbrush and paint to create the stars.
I would use the photo as a discussion point for the lesson and summarise what we have learned.
Following on from this I would teach the children about constellations. This would probably be a second lesson on this topic. Taking the plough for example, I would use the Discover Primary Science resource – Seeing Stars and follow the directions for the younger classes to make a model. Another idea would be to alter the directions and give the children marshmallows and spaghetti to create the constellations/the plough.
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I think the Stars activity would work really well with my class. I would start by asking the children what they think stars are and where they come from, as this would bring out their imaginative ideas. We would then watch a video that explains what stars are made of, why they shine, and how they can be different sizes and colours. We would also look at the constellations and the different names.
After the video, I would give the children black card and either chalk or metallic/bright crayons to create their own “night sky.” I’d encourage them to include different colours to represent hot and cool stars, and we could even add some constellations we’ve learned about. Once they’ve finished, we’d do a quick “space gallery” walk around the classroom so they can admire each other’s work and share something interesting they’ve learned. This combination of discussion, visuals, and creativity would help the learning stick in a fun and memorable way. -
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Lesson: Stars
Trigger:I would begin this lesson by reading the book ‘How to catch a star’ by Oliver Jeffers. There are many lovely pictures to stimulate discussion of what stars look like.
Wondering: I wonder how many stars there are in the sky? Brainstorm what the children know about stars.
Exploring: I would then use ‘lots and lots of stars’ activity from ESRO (lesson 13)
I would continue this with splatter painting of stars.
We would then use the counting sheet to count the stars and discuss that we need computers to count the stars as there are so many in the sky.
Invvestigate starter question: Do stars look different depending on where you are? Trigger questions – do we all see the exact same things? Look out wondow from your seat and discuss with partner what you can see.
Predicting: Place a box with differnt 2D shapes on each face in an area of classroom and ask children to predict will they all see same thing?
Conduct investigation: Get children to draw what they see from differnt areas of the classroom to describe what they see in different areas.. Discuss that depending on where you are things look different and same applies that star consellations look different.
Make their own 3d star constellations using playdogh, art straws, cotton buds etc. and move around classroom looking at them from different angles.
Applying learning and making connections: Use teacher pre-made plough model for observation and discuss that the plough looks differnt depending on where you are looking at it from.
Facts: Sun is largest star. -
Space and Aliens
Junior InfantsIntroduction:
Whole class discussion on space. KWL chart where teacher acts as the scribe. What do we know about space and what do you want to learn? I will prompt the children to bring up Aliens if they don’t do it themselves, for example ‘does anyone/anything live in space?’Main Activities:
Children will be shown an oral language poster based on an alien birthday party. They will be asked questions like to compare our party to their party what are the similarities/ differences between them. Then we would discuss Aliens and themselves on a day to day basis for example house/school/jobs etc.The children will then plan their own alien on their whiteboard and use classroom materials to construct their alien for example playdoh/ art materials etc.
We will conclude the lesson by comparing our aliens.
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I will focus on the idea of star constellations, explaining to the children that a consolation is a group of stars in the night sky that form an imaginary picture. Just like a giant, celestial game of connect-the-dots, people draw imaginary lines between the stars to create shapes of animals, heroes, or everyday objects. I would use the book Zoo in the Sky by Jacqueline Mitton to introduce the children to constellations. This is a very engaging book and I would use it to encourage children to identify the different patterns of stars and discuss what shapes or animals they can see. I liked the idea from the module about the frying pan for what is traditionally known as the ‘plough’ constellation. I will use this as an opportunity to introduce the idea to the children that people from different cultures have imagined stories about the stars for thousands of years.
After exploring the constellations in the book, children can take part in a range of creative art activities to reinforce their learning. One activity I would do is for the children to make constellation lacing cards by punching holes where the stars are and threading string between them. Another activity is to use chalk on dark paper to recreate a favourite constellation from the book.
I would also encourage the children to design their own imaginary constellation and write a short story explaining its meaning. These activities encourage creativity while strengthening children’s understanding of star patterns and their place in the night sky.
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Hi Mairead,
This sounds brilliant! I especially like the use of the threading piece! There are Irish stories behind the stars too!https://telescoper.blog/2023/08/29/celestial-echoes-the-night-sky-in-irish-folklore/
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Stars
I would use the Looking at the Plough activity to ignite the children’s curiosity and introduce them to observational astronomy. This activity not only encourages students to look up and engage with the night sky but also deepens their understanding of how cultural and scientific perspectives can coexist. I would begin with a short storytelling session featuring different cultural interpretations of the Plough — such as its representation as a plough here in Ireland, a bear in many Native American traditions, or a wagon in German folklore.
Then students would engage in a hands-on star-mapping activity using star charts as suggested in this module. I like the idea of pre cut straws to the correct length (instead of the wool), stars and black paper or card so the children ( in my case in 2nd class) can make their own plough.
For homework or as a digital extension, students could record their own
observations using mobile apps and take night-sky photos where possible.Children exploring the night sky at home with parents or guardians is a lovely way to foster home school links. It connects science with culture, mythology, and geography, helping children see that science is not isolated but influenced by human perception and history. Children could present their findings through art projects, poems, song lyrics, visual scores, digital posters or short videos, fostering not just knowledge, but creativity and ownership. This activity encourages creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, and an appreciation of the vastness of the world above us at night!
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I really enjoyed reading your post. I liked how you adapted the activity for your Second Class by having the children make their own Plough using straws and stars. I also think encouraging children to observe the night sky at home is a great way to involve families and strengthen home-school links. It sounds like a fun and meaningful way to develop curiosity about space.
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Hi Zara,
I absolutely love the incorporation of different folklore! Stellarium has some options for changing sky cultures which might be useful to you during this lesson! If you are already engaging students with software – winstars 3 and open space might be something cool for you to use in the classroom with them!
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Hi Zara,
I absolutely love the incorporation of different folklore! Stellarium has some options for changing sky cultures which might be useful to you during this lesson! If you are already engaging students with software – winstars 3 and open space might be something cool for you to use in the classroom with them!
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Activity Set- Space and Aliens
I would use the Martian activity in my classroom as a fun and imaginative way to introduce children to the planet Mars. I would begin by talking about Mars and showing the children pictures of the planet. We would discuss simple facts, such as Mars being known as the “Red Planet”, that it is very far away from Earth, and that scientists use robots to explore it.
To introduce the activity, I would create a story where a little Martian has landed in our classroom in a spaceship. Using an alien puppet, I would ask the children questions such as “What do you think our Martian looks like?” and “What do you think he needs to live on Mars?” Before seeing the puppet, the children could use their imagination to draw what they think the Martian might look like.
The children could then create their own Martian using a variety of art materials such as paint, paper, cardboard, fabric and recycled materials. They could share their creations with the class and explain their ideas. I would use the interactive board to show images and videos of Mars to support their learning. This activity would encourage creativity, language development, problem-solving and curiosity about space. -
Using the Star Lantern activity in my Senior Infant classroom would provide an engaging and meaningful way to introduce children to the wonders of space. The activity encourages curiosity, observation, and discussion as children explore how stars appear in the night sky and how light travels through small openings.
I would begin by reading a story about the night sky and constellations to spark children’s interest before introducing the lantern-making activity. We would then look at some constellations on the IWB. As the children carefully create their lanterns, they would develop fine motor skills through cutting, colouring, and assembling. Once completed, we would darken the classroom and use torches inside the lanterns to observe the patterns of light, encouraging children to describe what they notice and make predictions about how the light changes. They could bring these lanterns home and explore further with their parents/guardians at night.
This activity would promote scientific inquiry through questioning, observing, and communicating findings while also integrating visual arts, oral language, and mathematics through shape recognition and pattern making. Working collaboratively would encourage social development as children share ideas and help one another.
I think the Star Lantern activity would create a memorable, hands-on learning experience that nurtures children’s natural curiosity about space while making science enjoyable, accessible, and relevant to their everyday experiences.
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This is a lovely lesson for Senior Infants. Thank you for sharing. I will be using this in my classroom next year. I love that you used story to promote interest at the beginning of the lesson. This is a really active lesson using hands on materials and ICT. I ma sure the children would be very engaged during this.
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Hi Rachel,
This is a brilliant activity. Perhaps this would be useful if you are doing star inviestigations!
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Stars
I chose the “Stars, Seeing Star! Looking at the “Plough in Two Different Ways” activity because I think it would be a really enjoyable way to introduce children to space and the night sky. I like that it encourages them to observe things for themselves instead of only reading about them in class. I would begin the lesson by asking students if they have ever looked at the stars, how many do they think exist (marble jar – mentioned in these slides) and whether they recognise any constellations. We would then explore how the Plough has different meanings in different parts of the world and discuss why people might see the same stars in different ways.
Next, the children would use a star chart or a stargazing app or draw, using pencil (personal preference) to help identify the Plough. I would encourage them to continue their observations at home with a family member and keep a simple record of what they notice over a few nights. They could keep this record in their homework copies.
Back in class, students could share their observations by creating a slideshow (Google Classroom) or speaking about what they found (Scrapbook Project) or through Visual Arts – for example: The splatter painting technique (mentioned in these slides) could be used as a stimulus for their presentation. Every child learns their own way. I think this activity is a lovely way to combine science with storytelling and family involvement while encouraging children to ask questions, make observations, and enjoy learning about the world around them. -
Activity: Stars (2nd Class)
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about stars and when they can see them. I would encourage them to talk about the differences between the daytime and nighttime sky (nicely linked to the previous day and night lesson from module 2) and ask the stimulus question, “Why can we see stars at night but not during the day?” and allow for discussion/brainstorm on this. We would discuss that stars are always in the sky, but the sun’s bright light makes them difficult to see during the day.
The first activity would involve pupils creating a simple star viewer using black card with small holes punched into it to represent different star patterns, like shown in the module. The classroom would be darkened and pupils would shine a torch through their star viewer onto a wall or white sheet. They would observe how the light shining through the holes creates the appearance of stars in the night sky.
As a second activity, I would take the class outdoors on a clear day and ask them to look at the sky and discuss why they cannot see the stars. We would then compare this with photographs of the night sky and identify familiar constellations, such as the Plough. Pupils would then complete a simple art activity by creating their own constellation using black paper and drawing stars, before sharing the pattern they created with the class.
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I chose the Activity Set: Stars because it provides a fun and engaging way for children to learn about the night sky while developing their observation and inquiry skills. The activities encourage pupils to ask questions, make predictions, and explore simple scientific ideas in a hands-on way.
As I currently have Second Class, I would adapt the activities to suit their age and level of understanding. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about stars and encourage them to share their ideas. We would discuss when we can see stars, why they are only visible at night, and how the Sun is also a star. I think this would help address any misconceptions while building on their prior knowledge.
I would use practical activities such as creating star patterns, identifying simple constellations, and making star pictures using black paper and chalk or paint. I would also encourage the children to observe the night sky with their families and share what they noticed during class discussions.
I believe these activities would work very well with my Second Class because they are hands-on, encourage curiosity, and promote discussion. They also support the development of observation, communication, and scientific thinking skills while making learning about space enjoyable and meaningful.
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ENGAGE:
I would show children pictures of colourful, friendly aliens or read a short story about space (e.g. Aliens Love Underpants/Smeds and the Smoos).
Questions:
What do you think an alien looks like?
How many eyes might it have?
Could it have three arms or five legs?
What planet might it live on?
Encourage children to share ideas and use their imagination. Explain that there is no right or wrong answer because everyone will create their own unique alien.INVESTIGATE:
My Starter Question:
How can we use different shapes, colours and materials to create our own alien?Predicting:
Children discuss what features they think their alien will have before they begin.Conducting the Investigation:
I would demonstrate how to draw a large body shape using circles, ovals and rectangles.
Children add features such as eyes, antennas, mouths, arms and legs.
They colour and decorate their aliens using crayons, markers, collage materials, googly eyes, glitter or coloured paper.
Interpreting Results:
Children compare their finished aliens.
Discuss similarities and differences:
Which alien has the most eyes?
Which is the tallest?
Which uses the brightest colours?
Highlight that every alien is different and creative.TAKE THE NEXT STEP:
Children give their alien a name.
They describe:
What planet it comes from.
What it likes to eat.
How it travels through space.
Display the aliens together to create a “Class Alien Planet.”
Link to oral language by encouraging children to tell a short story about their alien.REFLECTION
I will ask children:What was your favourite part of making your alien?
What shapes did you use?
What makes your alien special?
If you made another alien, what would you change?Teacher Reflection:
Did the children use their imagination and create original designs?
Were they able to use a variety of shapes and colours?
Did they confidently talk about their finished work during the reflection? -
I have chosen the Space and Aliens activity set and think it would be a fantastic way to engage children in Junior Infants through imaginative, inquiry-based learning. I would begin by reading a story about aliens or showing the children a picture of a mysterious spacecraft to spark their curiosity. I would encourage them to ask questions such as, “What might an alien look like?”, “Where could it live?” and “What would it need to survive?” The children would then make predictions and discuss their ideas with a partner before designing and creating their own alien.
To extend the inquiry, the children could investigate which planets might be hot, cold, rocky or icy and decide where their alien would live and why. They could create a habitat for their alien using recycled materials and explain how its features help it survive. Throughout the activity, I would encourage the children to observe, predict, communicate, design and evaluate, developing the science skills outlined in the Curious Minds ESERO inquiry framework.
This activity also provides excellent opportunities to integrate oral language, visual arts and STEM. Children could record their ideas through drawings, photographs of their models and short voice recordings explaining their thinking. I think the imaginative nature of this activity would motivate children to ask questions, solve problems creatively and develop confidence in sharing their scientific ideas while learning through play.-
Hi Edwina,
This is fab! Something to help get the creativity flowing around what aliens could look like is strange animals in extreme environments here on Earth. Volcanoes or sea creatures.
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In my junior infants classroom, I would use the Space and Aliens activity to make learning fun and simple. I would show the children pictures of an alien and ask them to talk about what it looks like, what it might eat, and where it might live.
Then, I would let the children draw or make their own alien. They could choose colours, shape, and body parts, which would help them with speaking, listening, and fine motor skills. I would also ask simple questions like, “Is your alien happy?” or “Can your alien fly?” to encourage imagination and language. This activity would link well with art, oral language, and science because children are learning through play and discussion. It would also help them notice that living things need certain things to survive, in a way that is suitable for young children.
I would use this activity because it is creative, engaging, and easy for junior infants to understand.-
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Hi Elaine this sounds brilliant!
Might be cool to consider where the aliens might come from here is an accessible video .
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I would use the Special Life lesson as a basis for my lesson in senior infants. I would begin with reading the children ‘Aliens in Underpants’ as a stimulus for discussion around what an alien is, what they look like, what do he do etc. Then I would encourage the children to discuss this with their partners. I would then ave them draw their own alien. I would follow this with a gallery walk for them to see both their own and other people’s aliens. Then we would have a circle time to discuss the similarities and differences between each alien. I love the act it out segment in the lesson plan as this links in with drama. Children love to explore through play and use their imaginations. Lastly, I would encourage another class to come and help our class in making an alien landscape. The children will work in small groups and use art materials to create their landscape. These could then be presented during assembly.
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I would use the Stars activity set with my 2nd class because I think the children would enjoy learning about the night sky. I would start the lesson by asking the children what they already know about stars and again make use of a mind map and expand on it as we continue learning about stars. We would talk about when we can see stars and for homework ask them to look at the night sky and see what shapes thae can make out and to try encourage them to draw what they see. I would encourage the children to share their own ideas and experiences.
I would then show the class some pictures of the night sky and different stars. We would look closely at the pictures and talk about what we notice. This would help build the children’s vocabulary and encourage lots of discussion. This would link well with English.
For the main activity, the children would create their own night sky picture using black paper and white and yellow paint. They could use their fingers or cotton buds to print stars onto the paper. This would give the children the chance to be creative while also developing their fine motor skills.
I like this activity because it is hands on and suitable for 2nd class. It links Science with Art and gives the children plenty of opportunities to talk, ask questions and share their work. I think it would be an enjoyable lesson and would help the children become more interested in learning about space
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I previously read ‘Man on the Moon’ (a day in the life of Bob) to my Junior and Senior Infants class, and it proved to be a highly engaging and enjoyable learning experience. The children listened attentively throughout the story and eagerly participated in discussions about the characters, the setting, and what they imagined life in space might be like.
The children then designed their own aliens using their creativity and imagination. They then used clay to create three-dimensional models of their alien designs. Once the clay had dried, the children carefully painted their aliens. As part of our learning about space, we also explored the planet Mars. We discussed its appearance, colour, and why it is often referred to as the “Red Planet.” The children used clay to make their own models of Mars before painting them red.
On our writing table I had set out some colouring sheets and opportunities to write lists- What would I pack to go to the moon? What would I have for lunch on the moon? Interesting facts about space etc. I would also use the space songs from YouTube to further engage the children’s interest in space.
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Hi Laura this is lovely!
This video might be of use for your moon piece.
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This activity was inspired by the Mars classroom resource from SpaceWeek.ie
Can We Design a Martian?
ENGAGE
The Trigger: I would begin by reading Life on Mars by Jon Agee to the children. I would explain that scientists have never found life on Mars, but today we are going to become space scientists and imagine what a Martian might look like if it lived there.
Wondering: I would ask questions like:
- What do you think Mars is like?
- Is Mars hot or cold?
- What would an alien need to live there?
- Would it look the same as people or animals on Earth?
and the children can brainstorm ideas or what aliens might look like
Exploring: Children explore photographs of Mars, noticing that it is rocky, dusty and dry. Give them a selection of different modelling materials to explore (e.g., toilet roll/kitchen roll, small cardboard boxes, egg cartons, bottle tops, yoghurt pots, plastic containers, cereal boxes, corrugated cardboard, play-dough, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, pom-poms, lollipop sticks, card/paper, felt, tissue paper, crepe paper, feathers, gems, etc.) and discuss which ones they might use to create their Martian.
INVESTIGATE
Starter Question: What would a Martian need to survive on Mars?
Children draw a simple picture of the Martian they plan to make and explain why it has certain features, e.g., My Martian has big feet so it can walk on rocks; It has big eyes so it can see in the dark; It has long arms to climb over mountains.
Working individually or in pairs, children create a Martian using their chosen materials. Throughout the activity, I would encourage children to explain how each feature helps their Martian survive on Mars.
Sharing: Children present their Martians to the class, describing their special features and explaining why they designed them in that way. Together we compare the different ideas and discuss how living things often have features that help them survive in their habitats.
NEXT STEP
Applying Learning: Children create a simple habitat for their Martian using sand, rocks, and recycled materials. They test whether their Martian can stand, move or fit inside its habitat.
Making Connections: We compare our imaginary Martians with animals on Earth, discussing how camels, polar bears and fish all have different features that help them survive in their own environments. This reinforces that living things are suited to the places where they live.
Thoughtful Actions: We discuss why scientists continue to explore Mars and search for signs of life. Children reflect on how looking after our own planet is important because, as far as we know, Earth is the only planet that supports so many different forms of life.
Maths Follow-up
Children sort and classify their Martians according to different features (e.g. number of eyes, legs, antennae or colour). Together, the class creates a simple pictogram showing the different features of the Martians. The children compare quantities using language such as most, least, tall, short, wide, narrow, etc.Considerations for Inclusion: Provide a wide range of modelling materials that are easy to manipulate, along with visual prompts and picture vocabulary cards (Mars, planet, habitat, rocky, hot, cold, alien). Children can work in small mixed-ability groups if appropriate and are encouraged to explain their ideas verbally, through drawings or by demonstrating with their model.
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Hi Meabh,
This is wonderful I particularly like the maths link! Might be cool to virtually drive one of the mars rovers around too!
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I chose the Activity Set: Space and Aliens because it provides an excellent opportunity to encourage creativity while developing children’s inquiry skills. Young children are naturally fascinated by the idea of life in space, making it a very engaging topic for Junior Infants.
I would begin the lesson by reading a space-themed story and asking the children open-ended questions such as, “What do you think an alien might look like?” and “What kind of planet might it live on?” This would encourage the children to think creatively while understanding that we are imagining rather than describing real scientific discoveries. We would discuss the different features aliens might have and why they might need them to survive on their imaginary planets.
The children would then design and make their own alien using art materials such as coloured paper, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. Once finished, they would introduce their alien to the class, describing where it lives, what it eats and how it moves. This provides valuable opportunities to develop oral language, vocabulary and confidence when speaking in front of others.
As a teacher in a DEIS 1 school, I find that activities involving art, storytelling and discussion allow all children to participate successfully, regardless of their literacy levels. The activity can easily be differentiated, with children expressing their ideas through drawing, model making or simple sentences. I would also incorporate digital technology by taking photographs of the children’s creations and recording short audio clips of them explaining their alien. These could be shared with parents through our school’s digital platform or displayed as part of a classroom presentation.
This activity encourages imagination while developing communication, creativity and inquiry skills. It also helps children understand the difference between scientific facts and imaginative ideas, making it an enjoyable and meaningful way to explore the topic of space. -
I chose the Activity Set: Space and Aliens because it provides an excellent opportunity to encourage creativity while developing children’s inquiry skills. Young children are naturally fascinated by the idea of life in space, making it a very engaging topic for Junior Infants.
I would begin the lesson by reading a space-themed story and asking the children open-ended questions such as, “What do you think an alien might look like?” and “What kind of planet might it live on?” This would encourage the children to think creatively while understanding that we are imagining rather than describing real scientific discoveries. We would discuss the different features aliens might have and why they might need them to survive on their imaginary planets.
The children would then design and make their own alien using art materials such as coloured paper, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. Once finished, they would introduce their alien to the class, describing where it lives, what it eats and how it moves. This provides valuable opportunities to develop oral language, vocabulary and confidence when speaking in front of others.
As a teacher in a DEIS 1 school, I find that activities involving art, storytelling and discussion allow all children to participate successfully, regardless of their literacy levels. The activity can easily be differentiated, with children expressing their ideas through drawing, model making or simple sentences. I would also incorporate digital technology by taking photographs of the children’s creations and recording short audio clips of them explaining their alien. These could be shared with parents through our school’s digital platform or displayed as part of a classroom presentation.
This activity encourages imagination while developing communication, creativity and inquiry skills. It also helps children understand the difference between scientific facts and imaginative ideas, making it an enjoyable and meaningful way to explore the topic of space. -
I liked the Star Lantern activity because it’s something I could see working really well with the younger classes. I’d start by showing the children a few different constellations and asking them what shapes or pictures they can see. I think it would be interesting to hear all of the different ideas before introducing some of the stories behind the constellations. I’d spend a bit of time looking at some of the constellation stories first. It gives the children a bit of background before moving on to the art activity and makes the lanterns more meaningful than just copying a pattern.
Once they had explored a few of the constellations, I’d let the children create their own star lanterns. I think they’d really enjoy this hands-on activity, and once the classroom lights were turned off, seeing the constellations projected onto the walls would make the lesson feel that bit more special. It would also be a good way to talk about why we see different constellations at different times of the year and why some are easier to spot than others.
I think I’d finish the lesson by encouraging the children to look for some of the constellations at home with their families and see if they can spot any of the ones we talked about in class. They could come back the next day and tell us what they found. I think that would be a nice way to keep the conversation going outside the classroom.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
Learning Outcomes – Use their imagination to draw an alien being
I would introduce this topic by reading the story ‘The Smeds and the Smoos’ by Julia Donaldson to the class. We would discuss the idea of aliens and bring in vocabulary such as planets, stars etc. We would discuss the similarities and differences between the Smeds and the Smoos in the story and from this talk about our ideas of what aliens would look like. I would ask them questions and get their opinions on observations from the story. We would also look at the various planets the Smeds and Smoos visit and talk about their features, characteristics and talk about what their planet is like.
We will brainstorm some ideas as to what our aliens might look like and then the children will have the opportunity to create their own drawings. This can be extended to add features to their aliens and to include details such as what they like to eat, where they sleep etc. Once finished we will share our drawings with the class and discuss them together.
We could link this to art and create clay aliens based on our drawings.
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Hi Siobhan I think this is great! might be cool to consider some Earth beings in the process. https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weirdest-sea-creatures
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Activity: Why is Earth Special?
Class level: First Class
I would use a combination of the two Special Life lessons. Additionally, I would use some resources that I have collected throughout the years and added into my pack on the theme of Space.
Engage:
– Begin with a read aloud of “There’s an Alien in your Book” by Tom Fletcher
– This is an interactive book with the main character of a little alien
– play the ‘We are all special and different game’. All children stand up and teacher calls out traits and talents i.e. I have brown hair, I am good at gymnastics, I have 2 brothers.Investigate
– In the end one child is left standing and similarities and differences can be discussed.
– Ask the children to suggest what makes the Earth special and to draw and label their favourite things about earth i.e. animals, trees, flowers, peopleNext Step
– Show images of the other planets and encourage the children to imagine what martians on that planet might look like
– show a selection of alien illustrations i.e. The Smeds and the Smoos, Aliens Love Underpants, etc.Reflection
– Ask the children to choose a planet and to draw a martian that may live there
– classroom carousel at the end to view and give peer feedback. Play music and stop at the nearest piece of work when music stops. Comments can be sought after each pause or a post it note can be left beside each space. -
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Space and Aliens
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about space and whether they think aliens could exist. This discussion would encourage them to share ideas, ask questions, and listen to the opinions of others.
Next, I would read a story about space to introduce new vocabulary and stimulate imagination. The children could then work in small groups to design and create their own alien using recycled materials, playdough, or art supplies. Each group would describe their alien’s appearance, habitat, and special abilities, supporting oral language development and confidence in speaking.
To extend the learning, I would incorporate a simple STEM challenge by asking the children to build a spaceship that could safely transport their alien using blocks or construction materials. This activity would encourage problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity.
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I really like how this activity combines science with creativity. Starting with an open discussion encourages children to think critically and share their own ideas, while the story provides a great context for learning. The alien and spaceship activities are excellent for developing imagination, teamwork and problem-solving skills. I also like how the lesson naturally integrates STEM, oral language and art, making it engaging and accessible for all children.
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ESERO 19: Special Life- Life in Space
Strand: Energy and Forces
Strand Unit: Forces
I would introduce the lesson by asking the children the following questions.– Where do we live?
– What is Earth?
– What other planets are in space?I would explain that
– Earth is a planet in space.
– There are many other planets, but as far as we know, there is no confirmed life on other planets.
We would then discuss the following.
– If an alien visited Earth, what special thing would you show them?
– What animal, plant, place, or object makes Earth special?
I would encourage the children to share a variety of their ideas.
Main Activity- Draw something special
I would give each child:
– A4 paper
– Colouring pencils
I would ask the children to secretly draw one special thing from Earth.
I would remind them not to show their drawing to others.
I would encourage the children to think about:
– Why their chosen object/animal is special.
– How they could represent it using actions.
Then we would act it out. The children would sit in a circle. One child at a time would act out their drawing without showing it. The class guesses what is being acted out. The child reveals their drawing after guesses.
We would then discuss…
– Was it easy or difficult to act it out?
– What clues helped others guess?
– Did actions help explain the idea?
Then we would design an alien. I would ask the children…
– What do you think an alien might look like?
– Would it look like humans or something completely different?
The children would draw their own imaginary alien.
Then, we’d discuss…
– Why did you choose those features?
– What made you imagine your alien that way.
I would explain that…
– No real aliens have been discovered, so we do not know what they look like.
Conclusion
I’d review the key ideas of the lesson:
– Earth is a planet.
– Earth has many special forms of life.
– Scientists have not found confirmed alien life.
I’d ask…
– What makes Earth special?
– What would you show an alien visitor?
– What did you learn today?
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I really like the idea of the children acting out their drawings before revealing them. I think that would be great fun and would keep everyone engaged. The alien drawing activity is also a nice way to let the children be creative while thinking about why their alien would need certain features. Starting with what makes Earth special is a lovely introduction and helps the children make connections before moving on to life in space. It sounds like a lesson that would create lots of discussion and excitement.
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I’d go with the Activity Set: Stars because it’s a really fun and exciting topic for a Junior Infant class. I’d start by chatting with the children about what they already know about stars and when they’ve seen them. This would get everyone talking and help me build on what they already understand. We’d read a story about stars and then look at pictures of the night sky, spotting patterns and constellations together.
Next, the children would get hands-on by creating their own constellations using black card and star stickers, or by punching holes in paper and shining a torch through them. They’d make guesses, notice different patterns, and share their ideas with the class. We’d also talk about why some stars look brighter than others and why we usually only see them at night.
I’d link the lesson with art by making star pictures, with maths by sorting and counting stars, and with oral language by getting the children to describe and talk about their constellations. This way, they’re learning by exploring and asking questions, while also building skills like observing, talking, and problem-solving. Most importantly, it keeps their curiosity alive and makes science fun and meaningful from the start.
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Activity Set: Aliens
I love how you could incorporate this lesson with art and oral language. Firstly, I would talk to the class and get them to brainstorm what an alien might look like. I would use different questions as prompt to create a giant mind map of what aliens may look like e.g. how many arms/eyes do they have? I would then explain to the class that we are going to use different materials to create our own aliens. I think the class would have a lot of fun making their own aliens. At the end of the lesson, I would get them to have a walk around and look at their own and other’s aliens before sitting in a circle to compare and contrast the different aliens they have all created. The lesson could be extended in a variety of ways such as to create homes for the aliens, role-plays or using them for maths activities e.g. sorting, ordering.-
This is fab Emer! Considering what sort of creatures we have in extreme environments here on earth might be a good place to get some inspiration for aliens! https://cheswardineschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Animals-that-live-near-volcanoes.pdf
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weirdest-sea-creatures
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The Stars activity set can be used effectively in a junior primary classroom to develop children’s observation, communication, and early science skills through play-based learning. I would begin by reading the story book ‘How to catch a star’ by Oliver Jeffers. Then show pictures of stars and talk about what children already know about the night sky. Pupils could then sort, count, and compare different star shapes and sizes, supporting early mathematical concepts such as pattern, size, and number. The activity encourages children to use descriptive language by discussing colours, shapes, and textures, helping to build vocabulary and oral language skills. Children could also create their own star artwork using paint, collage, or loose parts, encouraging creativity and fine motor development. The lesson links well with the Irish Primary Curriculum by promoting inquiry, exploration, and hands-on learning. It also supports collaborative learning, as children work together, share ideas, and develop social skills in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate learning environment.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
For this reflective exercise, I chose the Space and ‘Create an Alien’ activity. This activity would be an excellent way to encourage children’s imagination and creativity thinking about life in space. I would begin by discussing the different environments and landscapes found on Earth: deserts, oceans and forests, and ask the children to identify what animals live in these different environments. This would lead into a discussion about whether life could exist on other planets and what an alien might need to survive in a completely different environment.
The children would then design and create their own alien using arts and crafts materials. As they create their alien, they would explain the purpose of its features, such as why it has large eyes, scaly skin or special feet. This encourages children to think critically and justify their ideas using simple scientific reasoning rather than creating an alien based only on imagination.I believe this activity supports inquiry-based learning because it encourages children to ask questions, predict, discuss and explain their thinking. It also provides valuable opportunities to integrate Science with Art, Oral Language, as children can present their creations and listen respectfully to the ideas of others. Reflecting on this activity, I think it is an enjoyable and inclusive way to develop creativity while helping children understand that living things have features that help them survive in different environments. It would also encourage curiosity about space and inspire further learning about our Solar System and the possibility of life beyond Earth.
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I really like how you’ve linked the children’s knowledge of different habitats on Earth before introducing the idea of aliens. It gives the activity a real science focus while still allowing lots of creativity. I also like that the children have to explain why they chose certain features for their alien, as it encourages them to think a little deeper rather than just making something colourful. It sounds like a fun activity that the children would really enjoy.
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Hi Emma,
This sounds fab! Might be cool to consider places that might be god for life even within our solar system. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice/Juice_and_Europa_Clipper_Dream_team_to_Jupiter
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I would go with the Stars activity set, especially the “Draw Your Own Constellation” and “Lots and Lots of Stars!” exercises. These, in my opinion, would truly spark the kids’ imaginations and inspire them to study and enquire about the night sky. I would start by displaying images of well-known constellations and discussing how, for hundreds of years, people have used star patterns to tell stories. After that, the kids would use star stickers or dot patterns to make their own constellations and come up with a narrative to accompany their designs. To enable each child to engage at their own level, I would employ flexible materials, models, and visual aids. I appreciate how this activity fosters conversational language, creativity, spatial awareness, and a natural connection between science, art, and reading. It would be an entertaining way to teach astronomy and inspire kids to utilise their imaginations as they study the stars.
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I would choose the Activity Set: Stars, particularly the “Draw Your Own Constellation” activity, with my first and second class. I think this activity is an excellent way to introduce young children to stars and constellations while encouraging creativity, observation and discussion. I would begin the lesson by showing pictures of well-known constellations such as The Plough and explaining that people have connected groups of stars to create pictures and stories for thousands of years. We would also read a simple myth or legend about a constellation to integrate literacy and history into the lesson.
The children would then observe different constellation patterns before creating their own constellation by joining stars with lines and inventing a story about what their constellation represents. They could name their constellation and share its story with the class. This inquiry-based approach encourages children to ask questions, make observations and use their imagination while developing scientific understanding that stars can appear in patterns but are actually very far apart in space.
The activity also provides many opportunities for cross-curricular learning. In English, pupils could write a few sentences or orally tell the story behind their constellation. In Visual Arts, they could create star pictures using black paper, chalk and glitter or make star lanterns. In Maths, they could count stars, identify 2D shapes within constellation patterns and use positional language such as above, below, beside and between. These activities support spatial awareness and early mathematical thinking while making learning enjoyable.
I believe this activity would engage all learners because it is practical, creative and inclusive. It encourages collaboration, discussion and curiosity while allowing children to express their own ideas. Most importantly, it helps pupils develop observation, communication and problem-solving skills through an inquiry-based approach, fostering a sense of wonder about the night sky and inspiring a lifelong interest in science-
I really like this idea. I think the way you’ve linked it with literacy, art and maths would make the lesson engaging and meaningful for the children. Reading a myth before creating their own constellations is a lovely idea; it would encourage both creativity and curiosity. It sounds like a fun, hands-on lesson that the children would really enjoy.
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I would choose the Activity Set: Space and Aliens because I think it’s a topic that most children would be really excited about. Space is something that naturally sparks their curiosity, and I think using their imagination is a great way to get them interested in science.
I’d start by creating some excitement before the lesson. I’d leave strange footprints around the classroom, a painted “space rock” and a short letter from a friendly alien asking the class to help them learn about Earth. This would encourage them to ask lots of questions and come up with their own ideas about what had happened.
The children would then work in small groups to look at different planets using pictures and simple facts. They would create their own alien using recycled materials, playdough or construction toys. I would encourage them to think about where their alien lives and what it would need to survive there. For example, if it lived somewhere really cold, it would have thick fur, or if it lived on a dark planet, it might have really big eyes.
To finish, I would turn the classroom into a space station. The children could pretend to be astronauts going on a mission, collecting moon rocks, looking for signs of life and recording what they found in a simple space journal. I think this kind of role play would make the learning much more memorable and would suit a junior classroom really well.-
Hi Ruth,
This is absolutely my favourite so far! Might be cool to show them clips of what living on a space station is like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIjNfZbUYu8
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Teaching a lesson on stars would provide an exciting opportunity to develop children’s curiosity about space while integrating science, literacy and the arts. I would begin the lesson with the picture book How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers as a hook to spark children’s imagination and encourage discussion about what stars are and where we see them. Following the story, I would use a short BBC Bitesize video about stars and the night sky to introduce key scientific concepts in a child-friendly way. We would discuss that stars are natural sources of light, that they can only be seen clearly at night, and compare them with other sources of light. Children would then create their own starry night artwork using black paper, paint splatters and metallic or glitter materials to represent constellations. As an extension, they could use a simple digital app such as SkyView Lite to explore the night sky and identify well-known stars and constellations. This combination of storytelling, digital technology and creative learning would make the lesson engaging, memorable and accessible for all learners.
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1st Class Space Unit: Stars and Constellations
Lesson Introduction pose a question to students – How did people find pictures in the stars?
Lesson 1 – Looking Up at the Night Sky
Learning Intention – To explore what we already know about stars.
To understand that stars appear in patterns called constellations.Engage – Read “How to Catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers.
Stop throughout the story and ask:
-What do you think a star is?
-Can we really catch one?
-Have you ever looked at the stars?
-What do they look like?Video: SciShow Kids – What Are Stars? (2–3 minutes) or StoryBots – Outer Space Song
Activity: Children draw what they think the night sky looks like.
Lesson Finisher : Create a class mind map: What do we know about stars?
Lesson 2 – What is a Constellation?
Learning Intention – Children discover that people joined stars together to make pictures.
Engage Show pictures of:
-The Plough
-Orion
-CassiopeiaAsk: What do these remind you of?
Explain that long ago people imagined pictures in the stars and gave them names.
Video: National Geographic Kids Constellations for Kids
Practical Activity: Using black card and star stickers… Children recreate
The Plough. Then turn off the lights and shine torches over them.Discuss:
-Can everyone see the same picture?
-Why do you think people made up stories about stars?Lesson 3 – Create Your Own Constellation activity.
Inquiry Question: Can different people see different pictures using the same stars?
Give every child exactly the same page of random stars.
Before joining them ask:
-What picture do you think you can see?The children:
-join stars
-create a picture
-name it
-invent a short story explaining how it got into the sky.
-they present to the class.The key learning:
Everyone used the same stars but created different constellations.Lesson 4 – Star Lanterns – Children make star lanterns.
When finished…
-Darken the classroom.
-Switch on battery tea lights.
-Play relaxing space music.
-Children walk around observing everyone’s lanterns.Lesson 5 – Our Own Planetarium
Turn the classroom into a mini planetarium.
Resources:
-torches
-glow stars
-blankets
-projector
-relaxing musicChildren lie on the floor looking upwards. Project stars onto the ceiling.
Ask:
-I wonder…
-Why do stars twinkle?
-Are there stars during the day?
-Why can’t we see them?
-What would it be like to visit one?Children then complete – If I could visit the stars… drawing and writing activity.
Assessment: Observe children:
-using words like star, constellation and night sky, asking questions
sharing ideas
-explaining their constellationCurriculum Links
-Science: Space, observing, questioning
-English: Storytelling, oral language, writing
-Visual Arts: Drawing, collage, lanterns
-Drama: Acting out constellation stories
-Music: Space songs
-Geography: Earth and space
-SPHE: Listening and sharing ideasAs a SET teacher, I like that each lesson is practical and gives children different ways to learn. Some children can demonstrate their understanding through drawing, discussion or creating, rather than relying on writing. The mix of stories, videos, art, drama and hands-on activities means all children can take part at their own level. It also builds curiosity naturally, with each lesson leading into the next instead of treating stars as a one-off topic. I think it would be a really enjoyable unit that children would remember long after it had finished.
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Module 3 Space and Aliens Activity
Teaching Junior Infants the whole topic of aliens is one that is fascinating and really brings out their imagination, this topic would cover a multitude of cross curricular lessons. It is great for sparking curiosity about space.
To Start : I would read: The Way Back Home By Oliver Jeffers
Discuss the story, what are the differences between the martain and the boy, where did the martian come from/where do you think he lives? Are aliens /martians friendly?
At the end of the story there is an opportunity to create a role-play between the boy and the martian with walkie talkies.
Prompt:The boy can tell the martian where he lives? Role play the martian then describing where he lives. (give different children turns at this) Continue to question, where would he sleep? what would he eat? Who does he live with? What do they look like?etc
Hand on activity: Create the martian/alien home
Split the class into groups: One is given junk art/glue/scissors/art materials to construct/create the martians home. Another group can use junk art to design/create martians. Another group can use playdough to create the martian and his friends/family. Another group has a large roll of paper to design, draw/colour the home of the martian. Monitor/discuss/support as they create encouraging collaboration, prompts, use of fine motor skills etc.
Allow groups to walk around on completion to discuss/admire the work of others.
The finished creations can be dislayed on the ‘Space’ table.
Additional activities could be creating aliens in clay to paint, alien tag in PE, sensory play ‘alien slime’, blow painting aliens with paint/straws. The opportinities are endless really.
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<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Activity Star</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Introduction:</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Identify that stars are bright lights in the sky that are very far away.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Learn that the Sun is our closest star and it is very big and hot.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Discuss how we can see stars better when there are no clouds in the sky.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Star Shapes and Colours</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Recap our lesson on the Sun and take a quiz on when we can see stars.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Discover that stars are not all the same size or the same colour.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>- Explore how stars can make patterns in the sky that look like dot-to-dot drawings.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Ask: </span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>What is a Star?</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Have you ever seen a tiny light in the sky?</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Make a Star Lantern</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Draw your own constellation? Adaptable activities for young children.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Early Maths and Spatial language.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>The Pupils shall be enabled to identify and discuss stars.</span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>Incorporate playful mathematical activities related to the progression </span>
<span style=”font-size: medium;”>criteria from the Draft Mathematics Specification.</span>
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Activity Star
Introduction:
Identify that stars are bright lights in the sky that are very far away.
Learn that the Sun is our closest star, and it is very big and hot.
Discuss how we can see stars better when there are no clouds in the sky.
Star Shapes and Colours
Recap our lesson on the Sun and take a quiz on when we can see stars.
Discover that stars are not all the same size or the same colour.
Explore how stars can make patterns in the sky that look like dot-to-dot drawings.
Ask:
What is a Star?
Have you ever seen a tiny light in the sky?
Make a Star Lantern
Draw your own constellation? Adaptable activities for young children.
Early Maths and Spatial language.
The Pupils shall be enabled to identify and discuss stars.
Incorporate playful mathematical activities related to the progression
criteria from the Draft Mathematics Specification.
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Hi Camilla,
Sounds like a solid plan! this might be a useful resource!
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Difficult to choose which one for this module but the topic of space will take many weeks to complete so hope to cover all the choices in my planning for the year. For this forum I will share my ideas about aliens. We will use a picture of earth and who lives here and discuss us. Then I will show photos from Mars and explain features of Mars and get them to use their imagination and decide who lives there, what they.look like, move like talk etc .we will use many writing opportunities in English to develop their character. Then building on my teachnet cpurse from last year I will use their description for gemini or co pilot to create the inage of their alien from their description. We will write a letter to him and get replies. We can ask questions about his planet to find out more about Mars. Other children will ask about a differnet planet and create some inhabitants there too. In drama we will move like them, copy mirror them. In visual arts some of the learning outcomes are about 2d and 3d creations so this wouod be ideal.opportunity to create 3d eith clay or other materials and even a spaceship for their alien. There will be plenty of playful opportunities to learn.
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Hi Shirley!
I love the idea of discourse with the Alien! Super clever. Sometimes it can be fun for either the teacher or the children to take up this role as it can be more interactive and engaging. If you were to make up aliens perhaps something tactile like model magic, tinfoil, pipe cleaners or recycled materials is something you could consider.
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Lesson: Alien Life? (First Class)
I would introduce the lesson by reading Aliens Love Underpants to the class. I would remind the children them that it is a fictional story but nonetheless, they should enjoy it. Afterwards, I would ask, “Do you think aliens are real?” and “What does the story make you wonder?” I would explain that scientists have searched for signs of life beyond Earth, but so far, they have found no evidence that alien beings exist. I would reassure the children that asking questions and wondering are important parts of science.I would invite the children to think about what makes Earth liveable for humans, plants and animals. Together, we would discuss air, water, sunlight, plants and animals, and wonder whether other planets might have everything needed for life. I would then challenge the children to imagine an alien that could survive on a different planet. Showing a variety of pictures of wild animals, I would encourage them to think about how an alien might move, eat, communicate or protect itself before drawing.
The last thing I would do before the drawing part of the lesson is to invite each child to dramatise their alien by moving, speaking and introducing themselves to the class. I would encourage them to explain which planet they live on and how their special features help them survive there. (It might take too long to go through everyone so we might pair up here).
Throughout the lesson, I would encourage the children to observe, wonder, imagine and explain their thinking, celebrating creativity while reinforcing that there is no evidence yet of alien life in space.
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That’s a really nice lesson! It covers so much – starting with fiction, considering the big question of whether there is life in the universe, focusing on life here on Earth and then having a drama element. What I really like about it is that it opens up considerations about life here on Earth and considering the scientific themes of life and what is required to support it.
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Hi Marie,
I love this especially the drama piece! Might be cool to consider how we find alien worlds also! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-exoplanets/en/
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<span style=”font-size: large;”>The Night Sky</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Activity Star</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Introduction:</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Identify that stars are bright lights in the sky that are very far away.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Learn that the Sun is our closest star and it is very big and hot.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Discuss how we can see stars better when there are no clouds in the sky.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Star Shapes and Colours</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Recap our lesson on the Sun and take a quiz on when we can see stars.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Discover that stars are not all the same size or the same colour.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>- Explore how stars can make patterns in the sky that look like dot-to-dot drawings.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Ask: </span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>What is a Star?</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Have you ever seen a tiny light in the sky?</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Make a Star Lantern</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Draw your own constellation? Adaptable activities for young children.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Early Maths and Spatial language.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>The Pupils shall be enabled to identify and discuss stars.</span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>Incorporate playful mathematical activities related to the progression </span>
<span style=”font-size: large;”>criteria from the Draft Mathematics Specification.</span>
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Activity Set: Designing an Alien for Mars
I would begin the lesson by showing the children a picture of Mars and asking them what they notice. We would discuss that Mars is a cold, rocky and dusty planet. It has very little oxygen, strong winds, low gravity and only a small amount of water. I would explain that their challenge is to design an alien that could survive in these conditions.
Before they begin, I would give the children specific questions to help them plan their alien:
How will your alien breathe when there is very little oxygen?
Does it need a mask, special lungs or another way of breathing?
How will it keep warm in the freezing temperatures?
Will it have thick fur, layers of skin or a hard outer shell?
What senses will it need to survive on Mars?
What colour will it be and will this help it hide in the red dust?The children could first draw and label a plan of their alien. Depending on the class level and ability, they could write sentences, record their ideas orally or explain their design to an adult. They could then make their alien using playdough, clay, recycled materials or other art supplies.
When the aliens are finished, each child could introduce their alien to the class and explain at least three features that help it survive on Mars. I would encourage the children to explain the reasons behind their choices rather than only describing what the alien looks like.
To finish the lesson, I would ask the children to imagine that their alien had to move from Mars to Neptune. Neptune is much colder, has extremely strong winds and does not have a solid surface like Mars. How would their alien need to change? Would it need a thicker body, a different way of moving or the ability to float through the planet’s atmosphere?
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Hi Eimear,
This is fab! I especially like how you engage with the physiology being affected by the Martian environment. What might be interesting to incorporate here is that while the surface of Venus is completely hostile we could possibly have humans live in its atmosphere!
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Activity Set: Space & Aliens
I would use the children’s book Marshmallows for Martians as a stimulus for this lesson. It’s a book I have in my classroom and has always proven to be very popular. The book has a brilliant rhyming rhythm so there’s lots of opportunities for the children to fill in the rhyming words.
I will read the part of the story where George discovers the Martians. I will ask the children to imagine what their Martian looks like. They will do a quick sketch of their idea on paper. They will then use play-doh to design their Martian. The children can present theirs to the class, describing its features; how many eyes/ears/arms/legs etc?
There are lots of opportunities for extension activities with this lesson: use marshmallows & sticks to create a Martian, build a rocket ship using our polydrons, feed your martian some sweets and count out loud as you do, interview each other in the ‘hot-seat’ as both George and the Martians etc. -
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
How would you use the activity in your classroom?
Both activities in this set really work to develop further two activities that we usually do in Senior Infants.
We completed a drama activity whereby children had to work in groups to act out a scene of the arrival of an alien but the only word they were able to use was ‘Alien’. Doing the ESERO lesson Special Life prior to this would equip them to further develop the scene in greater detail and create better linkage across the curriculum.
We also completed a similar activity to the spaceweek.ie Mars – Design a Martian activity. We read a story by Colin McNaughton titled ‘Here Comes the Alien’ and we used this a springboard to design an alien using play-doh and craft materials. I really like how the spaceweek.ie activity takes it a step further, connecting it to real-life (Mars) and across the curriculum (sorting and classifying in Maths). It creates a better structure on the activity and is definitely something I will use with it in the coming year.
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Hi Christine,
This sounds fab! This website has great resources and this could be a follow up to that alien landing piece which sounds like great fun !
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Further tomy last contribution i am fortunate to lice within one hour of OM Dark sky and observatory in county Tyrone.amazing set up, facts the ceiling even opens up where they have telescope set up and davagh forest one of the designated night sky areas so highly recommend a visit for yourself or if your school is within visiting distance amazing set up.
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Junior infant lesson on Stars
Following on from the Activity on stars, with a focus on constellation.
Star Constellation;
Learning objectives:
Children will:
Know that stars are seen in the night sky
Understand that some stars make patterns called constellation.Materials: Black paper, chalk, gold stickers, pictures of simple constellation such as the Big dipper.
Discussion:
Have you ever looked at the sky at night? What can you see? Have you seen stars?
Talk about how long ago that people noticed that some stars made pattern called constellations.
Show children short you tube clip on constellations.
Spot the pattern:
Show a picture of a constellation, Count the stars, trace the line between the stars with your finger or a pencil.
Children create their own constellation. Name their constellation- rocket, bike, dinosaur etc.
Children in pairs or groups discuss their constellation, how many stars in their constellation, why did they name it…..
Cross curricular links:
Art, maths-counting and pattern work, music Twinkle, Twinkle little star, Oral language.-
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Hi Mary this sounds Fab! The constellations can be explored using software like stellarium and perhaps the star colours could be investigated simply also – even just to make children aware that they have colours! https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/star-colours
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Activity Set: Stars – Draw Your Own Constellation
The activity set is a nice lesson for junior classes, I could see it working really well in first class. The lesson involves looking at the stars that make up the classic constellations. I think it would provoke a lot of discussion as the constellations in question often look quite different from the things they are meant to represent – this gives an opening for children to use their imaginations to try and see if the shapes can actually match up to, for example, a bull, a bear, etc.
The main activity in the lesson is then to use the sheet to construct an alternative constellation shape based on the stars in question. There are two reasons that I think this is a good lesson for a junior class – the first is that the activity capitalises on the inherent creativity and imagination of young children. It would be interesting to see what shapes and objects the children would associate with the stars. The second reason that I think this is a good activity is that, by asking children to study the arrangements of stars and construct their own constellations, it encourages children to study the arrangement of stars as they would really appear in the night sky. Children will be more likely to be able to identify constellations in the night sky if they can associate it with a shape or pattern that is personally meaningful to them.
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I would choose the Stars: Draw Your Own Constellation activity as I think it has lots of potential across different curriculum areas. What I like most is that there isn’t a single correct answer. Children are encouraged to use their imagination, explain their ideas and listen to the ideas of others, which often leads to the richest learning.
In my own setting, I work mainly with small groups, so I could see this activity working really well as a discussion-based lesson. After looking at examples of constellations and hearing some of the traditional stories behind them, pupils could create their own constellation and explain what they see in the pattern of stars. Some might choose to draw and label their ideas, while others could tell their story orally or record it using photographs and simple captions. Adapting the recording in this way would allow all pupils to participate successfully.
I also like that this activity naturally encourages children to appreciate that people from different cultures have looked at the same night sky and imagined different stories and meanings. It provides a lovely opportunity to value children’s own ideas and experiences while also developing creativity, vocabulary and confidence in expressing themselves.
This module reminded me that science can link so naturally with art, storytelling and oral language. Sometimes giving children the time to observe, imagine and explain their thinking can be just as valuable as learning scientific facts. -
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Activity: Stars.
I would begin by discussing with the class by asking questions and making connections with children’s lived experiences of night sky watching/ observing.
I would agree with another member that has already posted and show a video of the constellations in the sky to introduce the lesson. I would show some images of different constellations and perhaps assign each group a different constellation to map on black paper (large A3 format) I would have the materials supplied per group. I would ask the group to use the ipad to research a fun fact about the constellation they have created and present their constellation along with the fun fact they find to the rest of the class.
I would love to use some of the BCO (Blackrock Castle Observatory) YouTube channel. There is an online tool called stellarium web which allows you to explore the nights sky live, which I think would be an invaluable resource in the classroom.
In addition I am aware that BCO supply a 3D experience of the night sky and a school can rent a nigh sky dome for children to experience star gazing at school, this would be fantastic.
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Hi Rachel
I really like your use of group work in this lesson and the group presentations is an excellent idea.
I was not aware that BCO have an outreach night sky dome available to schools. Being in Drogheda might be too far out of their area but I just discovered that Armagh planetarium do something similar for schools.
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Hi Rachel! This sounds fab! Just so you know, at BCO for the next while at least, classes have to visit the castle to see the dome. I adore when classes have already covered the basics because we can get onto specific questions they have and more deep space objects! Looking forward to hearing from you if ye are able to make the journey. Open Space or winstars 3 are also fantastic software resources!
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I am choosing the activity set on the stars. This will be a number of lessons for junior infants.
Our starter is “Twinkle, twinkle little star”. Children recite and duscuss ” how I wonder what you are”. Children can give ideas of what a star is,what does it look like?, size/shape etc.
I will then read the story ” How to catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers. Again this will prompt duscussion. Can we reach/ touch a star ? We will eventually be told what a star actually is and how far away they are.
We can discuss the night sky, how many stars can we see? We can then introduce the idea of constellations, how people long ago “joined the dots” to make pictures of the star groups. We will view pictures of some well known constellations.
We will use the draw your own constellation activity and then move on ti children designing their own constellations. We will use black paper with star stickers or white paint dotted on with cotton buds. Children will join their stars to make pictures and name their own constellation. We can display them on our notice board and add a whole class moon collage to create our own night sky with new, as yet undiscovered, constellations. -
I would choose the theme ‘Space and Aliens’ for my Junior Infant class. As I cover themes across the curriculum I am including some ideas for various lessons.
Circle Time: Show pictures of the moon, stars, earth, a rocket, cartoon aliens. Questions: Have you ever looked at the stars? What do you think is in space? What might an alien look like? If you met an alien, what would you say?
Song: “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon.”
<p data-start=”1040″ data-end=”1081″>Literacy Activities:</p>
<p data-start=”1040″ data-end=”1081″>1. Story Time: Read picture book Whatever Next!</p>
After the story children create story maps in groups.2. Phonics– Sort pictures by initial sounds (eg moon, meteor,rocket,robot,star,satellite, space)
3. Oral Language
<p data-start=”1417″ data-end=”1448″>Describe the alien.</p>
<p data-start=”1417″ data-end=”1448″>Show a colourful alien picture.</p>
<p data-start=”1450″ data-end=”1468″>Children describe colour, eyes, legs, arms, spots, antennae</p>
Model sentences:
<ul data-start=”1536″ data-end=”1603″>
<li data-section-id=”1hst82r” data-start=”1536″ data-end=”1564″>”My alien has three eyes.”
<li data-section-id=”wr9p3u” data-start=”1565″ data-end=”1581″>”It is green.”
<li data-section-id=”hyv75e” data-start=”1582″ data-end=”1603″>”It has four legs.”Maths Activities
<ul data-start=”1536″ data-end=”1603″>- Count aliens (1–10)
<li data-section-id=”1q29mi8″ data-start=”1831″ data-end=”1852″>Match numeral cards
<li data-section-id=”1fpt211″ data-start=”1853″ data-end=”1884″>Sort aliens by colour or size<p data-start=”1886″ data-end=”1896″>Questions:</p>
<ul data-start=”1897″ data-end=”1975″>
<li data-section-id=”irdyqi” data-start=”1897″ data-end=”1920″>Which group has more?
<li data-section-id=”19z8zpv” data-start=”1921″ data-end=”1939″>Which has fewer?
<li data-section-id=”19z8zpv” data-start=”1921″ data-end=”1939″>Can you make a set of five stars?Art Activity
<p data-start=”2045″ data-end=”2055″>Design Your Own Alien.</p>
<p data-start=”2045″ data-end=”2055″>Materials:</p><ul data-start=”2056″ data-end=”2130″>
<li data-section-id=”10o1jhz” data-start=”2056″ data-end=”2072″>Coloured paper
<li data-section-id=”1uv3oyf” data-start=”2073″ data-end=”2086″>Googly eyes
<li data-section-id=”10m5mn9″ data-start=”2087″ data-end=”2102″>Pipe cleaners
<li data-section-id=”9npeqe” data-start=”2103″ data-end=”2113″>Pom-poms
<li data-section-id=”1j4476b” data-start=”2114″ data-end=”2120″>Glue
<li data-section-id=”i5jsnn” data-start=”2121″ data-end=”2130″>CrayonsFree Play Ideas:
Role Play
<ul data-start=”2330″ data-end=”2393″>
<li data-section-id=”zrbg4z” data-start=”2330″ data-end=”2349″>Astronaut helmets, jet pack (made from bottles), costumes
<li data-section-id=”1wm1ezh” data-start=”2350″ data-end=”2363″>Toy rockets
<li data-section-id=”x0atkn” data-start=”2364″ data-end=”2376″>Clipboards
<li data-section-id=”wyugid” data-start=”2377″ data-end=”2393″>Walkie-talkies<p data-start=”2395″ data-end=”2429″>Children pretend to explore space.</p>
<p data-start=”2395″ data-end=”2429″></p>
<p data-start=”2395″ data-end=”2429″>Small World</p><ul data-start=”2457″ data-end=”2524″>
<li data-section-id=”179aa2c” data-start=”2457″ data-end=”2468″>Space mat
<li data-section-id=”b9mg5b” data-start=”2469″ data-end=”2478″>Rockets
<li data-section-id=”780a9w” data-start=”2479″ data-end=”2498″>Astronaut figures
<li data-section-id=”a9axxa” data-start=”2499″ data-end=”2514″>Alien figures
<li data-section-id=”w96zw9″ data-start=”2515″ data-end=”2524″>Planets<p data-start=”2548″ data-end=”2554″>Construction</p>
<p data-start=”2548″ data-end=”2554″>Build:</p><ul data-start=”2555″ data-end=”2617″>
<li data-section-id=”b9mg5b” data-start=”2555″ data-end=”2564″>Rockets
<li data-section-id=”57wnmj” data-start=”2565″ data-end=”2578″>Alien homes
<li data-section-id=”1qkrug1″ data-start=”2579″ data-end=”2617″>Space stationsusing blocks or LEGO.
<p data-start=”2638″ data-end=”2643″>Playdough</p>
<p data-start=”2638″ data-end=”2643″>Make:</p><ul data-start=”2644″ data-end=”2682″>
<li data-section-id=”1w7ul78″ data-start=”2644″ data-end=”2652″>Aliens
<li data-section-id=”b9mg5b” data-start=”2653″ data-end=”2662″>Rockets
<li data-section-id=”i5teug” data-start=”2663″ data-end=”2672″>Craters
<li data-section-id=”w96zw9″ data-start=”2673″ data-end=”2682″>Planets -
Activity: Design a Martian Space Week Activity for Senior infants/1st class
Show the children pictures of different environments eg desert, the Arctic, the ocean, outer space.
Ask what animals live in these places?
Do all animals look the same?
Why do polar bears have thick fur?
Why do polar bears have white fur?
Why do fish have fins?
Why do frogs have webbed feet?
Explain to the children that we are going to become scientists. Imagine a new planet. Is it hot/cold, dark/light, wet/dry etc etc.Ask them to think deeply about their new planet and perhaps have a few children describe their planet to the group/ to a partner.
Ask your children to think again about their planet and now what type of alien might live there? what will it look like? Will it camoflauge with the landscape? will it have webbed feet/wings etc
Ask them to design an alien that is perfectly suited to live on their new planet. Ask them if their alien will be the same as anyone elses alien? Why?
As they are creating/designing you could encourage them to think about how many eyes/ears/mouths it has? How does it move? What will it use to move? Does it have fur/scales?
When finished you could ask the children to name their alien?
What language does it speak?
What does it eat?
What special body part helps it survive? avoid predators?
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Hi Susan,
This is fab! I especially like how you get the children to think about where these animals are positioned in their ecosystems. It can be fun to consider extreme animals we have here on earth https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
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I would use the Special Life space and aliens activity to integrate an English procedural writing activity. Having done the suggested activity I would then ask the children to consider an alien visitor to our school who does not know anything about how life on our planet / in our school /in our town works. I would ask them to work in pairs to choose something to explain to the aliens and to write about it, making sure to include all the information the aliens will need to understand and take part in the activity. An example might be to explain about playing football for the local team, what equipment they use, what clothes they wear, how they train, what a match involves etc.
I think the topic of aliens would be fun and engaging and as there are not many facts to teach about aliens, this would be a good way of expanding the topic across the curriculum!
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I would use the Activity Set: Stars with a junior class. I think children are naturally interested in stars and space, so this would be a great way to introduce science in a fun and engaging way. I particularly liked the Draw Your Own Constellation activity. I would begin by showing the children pictures of well-known constellations, such as the Plough, and talk about how people long ago used the stars to tell stories and find their way. We could also read a short story or myth about a constellation to link with literacy. After that, I would let the children create their own constellations by joining dots to make a shape and then writing or telling a story about it. This would encourage creativity while also developing their observation and spatial awareness skills. We could finish by displaying the constellations around the classroom to create our own “night sky.” I like that this activity links science with art, storytelling and maths. It encourages children to ask questions, use their imagination and observe patterns in the stars. I think it would suit junior classes really well because it is practical, hands-on and gives every child the chance to take part, no matter their ability. It also shows that learning about space can be fun and creative, not just about remembering facts.
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For this activity, I would use the Draw Your Own Constellation idea from the Stars activity set. I would begin by showing the children simple pictures of real constellations such as the Plough or Orion. We would talk about how stars make patterns in the sky and how people long ago imagined pictures from these patterns. I would ask the children what shapes they can see and encourage them to think what their own constellation might look like.
Next, the class would create their own constellations using black paper and chalk. Children place their stars on the page and then count how many they used, which links to number work. Children would name their constellation and tell a short story about it, which supports oral language development.
To extend the activity, children would use a tablet to compare their designs with real constellations. We would take photos of the constellations and create a simple digital Class Star Gallery so children can see everyone’s patterns together.
To finish, we would gather and discuss what shapes were made, how many stars were used, and whether their constellation looked like any real ones.
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Hi Sandra,
This is lovely, I enjoy the star gallery idea in particular. There’s some fantastic stories about how we once used the stars all over the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_in_folklore_and_literature while not a constellation but a star cluster you might find the above interesting!
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While I really loved the activity set on Aliens and look forward to using these in my class next year ( along with borrowing a teacher in my schools alien eye sunglasses as a great conversation starting point and then for taking on the role of a space alien!) the I am going to focus on Stars for this assignment.
I would start with the story How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers.
We would then have a discussion about stars – have you even seen a star? When do we see stars? What happens to the stars during the day?
I really liked how this activity set looked at the idea of how many stars are in the sky and would use this approach as outlined in the ESERO 13 lesson plan. I would also used the suggested video from GAIA to explore this further.
We would then look at the idea of Constellations and The Plough. I would send information home with the children and encourage them to try some star spotting at home.
I like to use star stickers , silver pens and black sugar paper to create our own Star Name constellations! Using the silver pen to draw lines between star stickers to write our names. We can spatter paint as suggested to add more stars to the background!
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I would use the “Special Life” and “Create an Alien” activities together as a cross-curricular unit exploring life in space, linking Science, literacy and early maths skills. I’d start with the ‘What is special?’ discussion from ESERO 19, asking children to think about what makes life on Earth possible and what might be different on another planet. The ‘Act it out’ drama activity would let children physically explore how a creature adapted to a different planet might move.
Next, I’d move into the ‘Design a Martian’ investigation from the Mars Classroom Resource. Children would start with the question “What would a Martian look like?”, sketch a prediction, then create their alien using 3-D materials such as playdough and pipe cleaners. This hands-on making stage supports the Designing and Making skills alongside working scientifically through predicting and observing.
Once every child has made their alien, we would use the collection for early number work like counting eyes, legs or arms, sorting aliens by colour or size, and classifying them by shared features. This turns a fun creative activity into a genuine, playful opportunity for early mathematical language and reasoning, while also encouraging children to justify their sorting decisions to a partner.
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Hi Tadhg,
This sounds fab. It might be cool to look at funky animals for some inspiration https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weirdest-sea-creatures
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Having taught the topic of constellations several times over the years, I found the Curious Minds – Making the Plough activity to be a refreshing and engaging approach that I am eager to use in my own classroom. It clearly demonstrates the integration of STEM and the Arts, reinforcing the value of cross-curricular learning that was highlighted in an earlier module.
I particularly liked the process of measuring the wool and pulling it through to create the constellation. It was an ingenious way of developing pupils’ understanding of length through a meaningful, hands-on activity rather than through traditional worksheets or textbook exercises. As teachers, it can be challenging to find new and motivating ways to teach mathematical concepts such as measurement, and this activity provides an excellent example of how practical tasks can deepen understanding while maintaining high levels of engagement.
I would use the ESERO Framework to structure my lesson, encouraging pupils to predict, investigate, create and reflect throughout the activity. The framework would also support my evaluation of the lesson, allowing me to identify what worked well and how I could build on pupils’ learning in future lessons. Overall, I believe this activity would promote curiosity, creativity and collaboration while helping pupils make meaningful connections between science, mathematics and the arts.
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Initially when I saw the module assignment and started the module I decided I would use the lesson on The Big Dipper but after completing the module I can’t decide between it and the Special Life lesson , so I will reflect on both!</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Looking at The Plough lesson would integrate with so many other subjects across the curriculum. As I will be teaching Junior classes , I feel the there are parts of the making of the constellation that may be too difficult for younger classes , like the measuring and the star names etc. But they would definitely get great enjoyment from making the constellation and displaying them on the ceiling . Often it can be difficult to teach the stars and space when you can’t actually go out with the class to see it and of course the weather /time of year can hinder the children going out to see them at home at night . This is a fantastic way of bring the night sky into the classroom . </span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I feel that the lesson “Special Life” would also lead to lots of integration . When the idea of what they would show to an alien would come up , it would be what the children are interested in themselves , so it could be incorporated into a lesson on My favorite …./ my interests etc . The children would get great enjoyment in acting out/miming the particular animal / hobby that they would show the visiting alien . SO could be integrated with drama / oral language also .</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> These are two fantastic lesson ,I intend to use next year . </span>
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I would use the Space and Aliens activity with my Junior Infant class because I think it would really capture their imagination. Children of this age are naturally curious about space and love pretending and role play, so I think they would really enjoy this lesson.
I would begin by talking about Earth and explaining that it is our home planet. We would discuss what makes Earth special and what we would like to show a visitor from another planet. I think this would encourage lots of conversation and give every child the chance to share their own ideas. The children would then draw something they think is special about Earth before acting it out for the class. I like that this activity combines art, oral language and drama, while also building confidence as the children take turns guessing each other’s drawings.
I also like the alien drawing activity because there are no right or wrong answers. It gives children the opportunity to use their imagination and be creative while also reinforcing that, as far as we know, no real aliens have been found.
Overall, I think this lesson would be very engaging for Junior Infants. It encourages creativity, discussion and active participation while helping children to appreciate what makes Earth such a special place to live.-
Hi Karen,
This sounds lovely. It might be cool to get children wondering where Aliens might come from https://www.esa.int/Education/Teach_with_Rosetta/Paxi_animations
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Class: First Class
Lesson: Space and Aliens
Introduce the lesson by showing an image of space. Ask how are the other planets different to the earth?
In pairs get the children to discuss the following “If an alien lived on another planet what would they need to survive. The children should come up with food, water, air, warmth and a place to live. The teacher will need to prompt for these answers.
By the end of the lesson the children should name something found in space and name things an alien needs to survive.
Children will draw a picture of an alien. Every child will use their imagination. Discuss different features the children draw e.g big eyes, wings, long/short limbs.
Get each child to present their drawing. They can give the purpose of the different features they drew.
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Activity: Aliens in infants
I would start the lesson by showing the class a picture of Mars as a prompt. Do you think anybody lives there? If so who? What would they need to survive?
I would then explain how scientists don’t know if aliens or martians exist but I want them to be alien designers in class. We would then do a whole-class discussion on what we think aliens might look like- do they have teeth? Hair? How many eyes do you think they have?
The children would then sketch what they think an alien would look like. They would share their finished sketch with their peers- gallery walk in classroom.
The following lesson would be a 3D construction of what they think their alien would look like using clay/fabric and fibre
These clay/fabric and fibre aliens would then be used for many different integrated activities- such as writing prompts in literacy, or small world play in drama, or sorting and classifying in Maths.
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Hi Laura,
This is lovely. I would recommend using model magic here as well for making the aliens as its durable and light after it dries! thinking about what some creatures on earth look like when put in extreme conditions might be helpful for coming up with ideas for aliens too! https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
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I would choose the Constellation Shapes & Stories activity as I think it would really spark the children’s imagination while also helping them to develop their observation and communication skills. I like that there isn’t just one correct answer, and every child has the chance to be creative.
I would begin by showing the children pictures of a few well-known constellations and talking about how people long ago used the stars to tell stories. We’d discuss how different people can look at the same group of stars and see completely different shapes. I think the children would really enjoy this part because they often have brilliant imaginations.
I’d then give each pair of children a set of star cards or dot patterns and ask them to create their own constellation by joining the stars together. Once they had decided what they could see, they would make up a short story about their constellation and share it with the class. We could even display all of the constellations around the room to create our own classroom night sky.
I like this activity because it naturally brings together Science, oral language, art and even early maths through pattern and spatial awareness. It gives every child a chance to contribute, regardless of ability, and encourages them to explain their thinking. I think it would be a lovely way to introduce constellations while keeping the lesson fun and engaging.
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Hi Laura,
This sounds lovely! I consider discussing how different cultures had different stories for the stars in this lesson as inspiration for making their own!
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Activity – Space and Aliens (Create an Alien)
I would begin the lesson by reading the picture book: Here Come the Aliens by Colin McNaughton.Think, pair, share: what was your favourite alien? Why?
The class would engage in a whole class discussion to feedback about the alien’s physical and personality traits. Each student would then make a plan to create their own alien, making sure to include what their alien would look like and what personality traits they may have. Once the students are happy with their plan they would then paint a picture of their alien.The activity of creating their own alien could be integrated with the English topic of narrative writing whereby each student would work towards creating a story that features the character of their alien. This would include character and setting profiles as well as a plot with a clear beginning, middle and end. I think that incorporating their very own alien in a writing activity could promote engagement among the students.
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Hi Niamh,
This sounds wonderful. It might be useful to think about where these aliens could come from https://www.esa.int/Education/Teach_with_Rosetta/Paxi_animations
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Space and Aliens lesson for Junior Infants
I will begin the lesson by inviting the children to imagine that we are astronauts getting ready for a journey into space. We will talk about what we already know about space and wonder together whether aliens might exist. This discussion will encourage curiosity, imagination and oral language.
I will then read Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort. Before reading, I will encourage the children to predict what the story might be about from the cover. During the story, I will pause to ask questions, discuss the illustrations and encourage the children to join in with repeated phrases. Afterwards, we will chat about the different aliens, their adventures and what we think an alien might look like if we met one.
To extend the learning, each child will design and draw their own alien. They can decide what their alien looks like, where it lives, what it likes to eat and whether it is friendly or mischievous. I will encourage the children to describe their alien to a partner, helping to develop vocabulary and confidence in speaking.
As part of our Aistear learning, we will transform the role-play area into a Space Station. The children can become astronauts, scientists or friendly aliens as they explore the dramatic play area using helmets, maps, clipboards, rockets and space-themed props. In the construction area, they can work together to build rockets, spaceships or alien homes using blocks, recycled materials and small world figures. In the creative area, they can make planets, stars and flying saucers using paint, collage materials and playdough. The small world area can include astronauts, aliens and space vehicles to encourage storytelling and collaborative play.
Throughout the week, I will reinforce early mathematical skills by counting stars, sorting planets by size or colour and creating simple repeating patterns using space-themed objects. I will also encourage early writing by inviting the children to create a postcard or simple message from space.
To conclude the lesson, we will gather together to share our alien creations and reflect on what we have learned. I will encourage the children to think about what surprised them most about space and what they would like to discover on their next imaginary space adventure. -
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The activity I have chosen is “Lots and Lots of Stars – Looking at the Stars”
I would use it in my classroom as follows:
Learning Outcomes:
• know that stars give off light
• know that you can see the stars at night (if it is not cloudy)
• know that the Sun is a star
• know that there are lots and lots of stars
• practise counting
• practise writing numbers and reading them1. Have 3 matching clear containers/jars.
Show the children 5 marbles: ask are there more stars than marbles?
Next count how many children are in the class – put the same number of marbles in the second jar – ask are there more stars than children in the class.
Next fill the 3rd container to the very top – are there more starts than marbles in the jar?
Explain there are so many stars that we could count forever and not find how many – we would need a computer to help us.
2. Make a mindmap of what the children already know about stars
a. What do they look like?
b. Where are they?
c. When do you usually see them?
d. Do they give us light?
e. What do you know about the Sun? (it is a star too!)
At this point we can clarify the common misconception that the stars ‘disappear’ in the day time and instead how that they appear to disappear because the sun’s light is so bright that we just cannot seem.
3. Make a starry sky
Use a piece of card or construction paper as a sky. Use a toothbrush and lollipop stick with paint to splatter a starry sky onto the background.
Allow the children to choose the colour of the sky and stars.
4. Discuss and Review
a. Show what you and tell us about it
b. why did you choose these colours?
Continue to reinforce the learning points – there are more stars than we can count, they provide light, they look small because they are far away but up close are like the sun. We can add any new learning into our original mind map.
5. Extension Counting stars worksheet. Draw and count the stars.-
Hi Amanda,
This is fab! I Love the way you broke this down. For your own interest https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/How_many_stars_are_there_in_the_Universe
Might also be cool to consider the Gaia mission which has mapped over two million objects! https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia_overview
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I chose the Activity Set: Stars because I think it would really capture the interest of the pupils I work with in a special school. Many of my pupils are naturally curious about the night sky, and I think learning about stars through practical activities would make the topic enjoyable and accessible for everyone.
I would begin the lesson by asking the children what they already know about stars and encouraging them to share their own experiences of looking at the night sky. We could then read a short story related to stars and look at photographs of different constellations to spark discussion. I like the idea of giving pupils the opportunity to explore rather than simply telling them facts.
One activity I would use is creating simple constellations using black card and star stickers or by joining dots with chalk or white pencils. Pupils could also use torches in a darkened classroom to create their own “night sky” and identify different star patterns. For children who benefit from sensory learning, I would include textured materials and visual supports, while pupils who use alternative communication could use picture symbols or communication devices to answer questions and share their ideas.
I think this activity fits really well with an inquiry-based approach because it encourages children to observe, ask questions and investigate. Instead of focusing on finding the correct answer straight away, the children are encouraged to think about what they notice and explain their ideas. This helps to develop their confidence as learners and supports communication and problem-solving skills.
In my classroom I would adapt the activities so that every child could take part at their own level. Some pupils might draw or build constellations, while others could sort pictures, match shapes or simply explore the materials through play. I feel this flexibility is one of the strengths of inquiry-based learning, particularly in a special school setting. Overall, I think the Stars activity would be a fun and engaging way to develop scientific thinking while encouraging curiosity about the world beyond Earth. -
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I chose the Activity Set: Stars because I think it would really capture the interest of the pupils I work with in a special school. Many of my pupils are naturally curious about the night sky, and I think learning about stars through practical activities would make the topic enjoyable and accessible for everyone.
I would begin the lesson by asking the children what they already know about stars and encouraging them to share their own experiences of looking at the night sky. We could then read a short story related to stars and look at photographs of different constellations to spark discussion. I like the idea of giving pupils the opportunity to explore rather than simply telling them facts.
One activity I would use is creating simple constellations using black card and star stickers or by joining dots with chalk or white pencils. Pupils could also use torches in a darkened classroom to create their own “night sky” and identify different star patterns. For children who benefit from sensory learning, I would include textured materials and visual supports, while pupils who use alternative communication could use picture symbols or communication devices to answer questions and share their ideas.
I think this activity fits really well with an inquiry-based approach because it encourages children to observe, ask questions and investigate. Instead of focusing on finding the correct answer straight away, the children are encouraged to think about what they notice and explain their ideas. This helps to develop their confidence as learners and supports communication and problem-solving skills.
In my classroom I would adapt the activities so that every child could take part at their own level. Some pupils might draw or build constellations, while others could sort pictures, match shapes or simply explore the materials through play. I feel this flexibility is one of the strengths of inquiry-based learning, particularly in a special school setting. Overall, I think the Stars activity would be a fun and engaging way to develop scientific thinking while encouraging curiosity about the world beyond Earth.-
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Hi Louise,
This is fab, i especially like how you discuss adapting the lessons! Paxi can often be a great tool here as some children engage faster with the whimsy of a mascot, and others with direct scientific content and many of the resources surrounding him do well to balance this!
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If I were selecting one of the activity sets, I would choose Space and Aliens because it captures children’s interest and encourages them to explore new ideas through play. The topic of space is full of mystery and excitement, making it a great way to introduce STEM learning to young children. I would begin by sharing a space-themed picture book before inviting the class to discuss what they already know about planets, stars, and aliens. Together, we would create a list of questions that the children would like to investigate during the lesson.
To extend their learning, the children would work collaboratively to create their own alien models using recycled materials such as boxes, tubes, bottle caps, and coloured paper. As they build, I would encourage them to think about their alien’s habitat, how it travels, and the features it would need to survive in space. This imaginative task allows children to apply their creativity while also considering simple scientific ideas about habitats and living things. The class could also explore how rockets work by making and testing balloon or paper rockets, comparing which designs travel the furthest and discussing why.
This learning experience supports many aspects of the Primary Curriculum Framework by promoting communication, teamwork, creativity, and inquiry. Children are encouraged to share their ideas, listen to others, solve problems, and reflect on their discoveries. My role would be to guide the investigation by providing materials, asking thought-provoking questions, and encouraging children to experiment and learn through exploration. Overall, this activity offers an enjoyable and meaningful way to develop STEM skills while nurturing curiosity, imagination, and a positive attitude towards science from an early age.
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Hi Sinéad,
This sounds fantastic! Might be cool to consider funky animals that we have here for some ainlen inspiration. https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weirdest-sea-creatures https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For a First Class lesson on the planet Mars, I would use a creative comic strip activity. After exploring key facts about Mars, such as its blue sunsets, two moons and a rocky landscape, the children would create a comic strip set on Mars. They would be encouraged to include some of the facts they have learned while also using their imagination to design their own Martian character, as suggested in the module. This allows children to combine factual knowledge with creativity in an engaging way. Once the comics are complete, we would create a similar comic strip based on Earth. As a class, we would compare the two planets by discussing similarities and differences, such as the colour of the sky, the number of moons, living things and the environment. This activity integrates Science, English and Visual Arts while promoting communication skills as the children will explain their thinking. </span>
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Lesson: Stars – The Plough
Class: 2nd
Learning Intentions :Children will
Observe the pattern of stars called the Plough
Understand that groups of stars can make patterns called constellations
Investigate how people have used the Plough to find direction
Develop their observation and questioning skills.
Materials: picture of the plough, black card, star stickers or white chalk, torch, dot to dot worksheet of the plough,
Introduction:
-Recap on what the sun, moon and stars are.
-I would show the children a picture of the night sky with the Plough highlighted and ask questions such as What do you notice? Does this pattern remind you of anything? Have you ever seen this pattern before? Why do you think people gave groups of stars names? How did people use it long ago? I would make a connection to the movie ‘Moana’ where she uses the stars to find her way.
Investigate : Finding the North Star
Follow the pointer star. Using the picture of the Plough . Identify the 2 stars at the end of the bowl and draw an imaginary line through them to find the North Star., Which stars are helping us? Why might this have been helpful before maps or gps?
I will guide the children’s discussion to identify what a constellation is. How people long ago played connect the dots and made up stories . Sailors and travellers used the Plough to help find the North Star, which points north. The stars may appear close together but are actually far apart.
The children will then create and label the Plough on black paper using stickers or chalk.
As an extension creative activity, |I would allow the children to design their own constellation using the same materials and ask them to name it and tell the class about it.
Assessment:To finish the lesson , children will a quick assessment using 3 sentence starters such 1.Today I learned..
2. The Plough is..
3. 1 question I still have is..
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Space and Aliens: Junior Infants
A simple lesson that I would do with my JI is ‘Do you think Aliens Exist?’
As an introduction I would show the children a picture of a friendly cartoon Alien and ask: What do you think this is? Where might it live? do you think Aliens are real? What colour could an Alien be? How many eyes might it have?. I would emphasise that nobody knows if Aliens really do exist , so everyone’s ideas are welcome.
Class discussion- Thumbs up/thumbs down, hands on head = maybe, activity. Example questions could be – could an alien have three eyes? could an alien live on the moon? etc.
Creative Activity- Children draw their own alien. Children are encouraged to think about their alien’s name, what planet does it live on? what does it eat? Is it friendly? .
Conclusion – Share and think if an Alien came to our classroom , what would we like to show it?
This lesson encourages imagination , oral language and creativity.
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I would like to try the Plough Constellation activity with my class. I would get the children working in pairs and have all their materials ready for them, the 7 15×15 cm tinfoil squares, 7 pieces of black string, cellotape, black a4 card and the template from the activity link. The children will work in pairs to attach the black card to the template with the cellotape. One child could hold the page while the other child punctures holes into the correct location on the template. The children could take it in turns to attach the string to the tinfoil and crumple up the tinfoil to form the stars. Using a white board they could work out the distance they need each star to be. This is a great way to incorporate maths skills into the lesson. The children will then secure the stars by taping the string to the back of the card. I think I would get the children to stick their constellation onto the underneath of their table so they can see clearly how it looks.
The children can reflect on the lesson. Discussing the challenging parts and what worked for them.
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Loved this! Lovely integration with other subjects, art and maths etc. Also feel like this could work well in plenty of class levels. It’s interactive, really engaging and I always love when they have something concrete to bring home or display at the end of a lesson. Some literature or something to go alongside this I think could really boost it, lovely lesson idea I might definitely use this year! Thank you!
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Space and Aliens
I would start by talking about space and where it is. I would ask can they name any planets in space? We would dance and listen to Unicorn Noodles on Gonoodle as a mnemonic to remember the order of the planets -My Very Excellent Monkey Just Served Unicorn Noodles.
Next I would read the story Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman. We would discuss aliens, if they think they exist, and if they do, where do they live? I would use questions to elicit information about their thoughts on what aliens look like and what the landscape looks like. Is the land cold or hot? Is it dark or bright? What do aliens breathe? Is there water in this land etc?
I would give the children time to draw their own alien and the landscape where they live. In another lesson, they could use junk art/clay to make the alien. We could use maths eyes to ask questions or make statements about the aliens.
I often use the idea of aliens in English lessons when introducing procedural/instruction writing. As every step has to be explicitly stated I always say “you are writing this for an alien who has just landed on earth, they don’t know that you spread butter with a knife!” (This is during a sandwich making lesson). This is another link with the theme of space and aliens.
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I would start by assessing any prior knowledge to do with Aliens and their planets.
This lesson would follow on nicely from the planets we did before. How do we know there are no aliens on Earth? Would their planet look like ours? Going from there I would lead them to discuss what Aliens could look like and yes bring in something like Aliens love under pants to see if aliens wear clothes which could be a nice segue into Eadai, in Irish. Plenty of opportunities for expressing themselves through art to arrive at that conclusion of what the alien looks like.
They could then design the Aliens planet and the ships they could use to come to Earth.
A lovely way for the infants to end the lesson would be to act out their Alien they have drawn. Silly voices, silly walks. Plenty of lovely child led explorations. This could be a series of lessons for the infant classes.
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Senior Infant activity based on stars.
We will begin the lesson by establishing what prior knowledge the children have on stars by asking some questions such as 1) what is a star – bright objects in the night sky and 2) what do stars do – they shine, are far away, appear at night.
I will then darken the classroom by drawing blinds / turning off the lights and shine a torch on the ceiling. We will continue our discussion on stars – what do we see in the dark sky, when do stars appear and I will also show them a couple of examples of a starry night sky on the iwb. Next I will give them some new information on stars – that stars are giant balls of hot gas. Stars look tiny because they are very far away. The Sun is infact a star and is the closest star to Earth.
To bring some movement into the lesson we will play a quick game. When I say <strong data-start=”1733″ data-end=”1740″>day, everyone stands tall like the Sun. When I say <strong data-start=”1789″ data-end=”1798″>night, everyone twinkles like a star.” Next we will create our own version of a starry night sky loosely based on the famous painting. I will show them the original on the iwb and then provide the paint, pages and paint brushes for their inner Van Gogh to shine through! I will encourage them to include the moon, stars and most of all to use their imagination. We will conclude our lesson by singing the song ‘twinkle, twinkle’.
This topic is so broad that there is loads of scope to elaborate each section into a lesson of its own if time allowed.-
Hi Audrey,
This sounds wonderful. For your own interest concerning starry night.
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The Special Life Activity: I really enjoyed this activity because it is simple but gives the teacher a lot of information about what children know and understand. It allows children to share their ideas about the Earth and other planets in a fun and creative way. I liked seeing how the children used their imagination and expressed themselves through movement, art, and classroom discussion.
Maybe using one star and a wish would encourage children to talk about their ideas and learn from each other. It also gives them the opportunity to use language they already know to explain their thinking. The class discussions that would follow, would help the children build on their understanding and confidence.
I think this activity fits well with the Junior Curriculum because it is playful, and engaging. It also helps the teacher identify each child’s prior knowledge of the topic. By observing the children during the activity, the teacher can learn more about their interests, understanding, and individual personalities. -
What Does a Martian Look like? 2nd class
Introduction – What Do We Know?
I would begin by showing the children an image of Mars and asking:
- What do you know about Mars?
- What do you think Mars is like?
- Do you think there could be life on Mars?
- What do you think a Martian might look like?
Explain to the children:
“Nobody knows what a Martian would look like. Scientists have not discovered any Martians. Today, we are going to use our imagination to design our own Martian.”
Emphasise that there is no single correct answer. A Martian could look completely different from the aliens we see in films and books.
Design a MartianAsk each child to design and draw their own Martian.
Encourage them to think about:
1. What does it look like?
- How many eyes does it have?
- Does it have ears?
- Does it have arms, legs, tentacles or wings?
- Is it big or small?
- Does it have fur, scales or spots?
2. How does it live?
- What does it eat?
- How does it move?
- Where does it live?
- Does it need water?
- How does it communicate?
3. What is special about it?
- Can it fly?
- Can it change colour?
- Can it glow in the dark?
- Can it survive in very cold places?
Children can give their Martian a name, for example Zog, Blip, or Marty.
Meet My Martian (10 minutes)
Children work in pairs and describe their Martian to a partner.
They can use the sentence starters:
“My Martian is called __________.”
“It has __________ eyes and __________ legs.”
“It lives __________.”
“It can __________.”
“My Martian is special because __________.”
A few children can share their Martians with the whole class.
We could also read A Maróg from Mars but I wouldn’t start with this as then every drawing will be identical to the purple haired three eyed creature in Scriven’s poem.
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This is a creative and engaging lesson idea that gives children plenty of opportunities to use their imagination while developing their oral language and descriptive skills. I particularly like how you begin by discussing what they know about Mars before encouraging the children to think beyond the stereotypical “alien” image. The structured prompts support all learners and help them develop rich ideas about their Martians. Pair sharing is an excellent way to build confidence in speaking and listening. I also agree with your decision to read A Maróg from Mars afterwards, allowing children to create original ideas before being influenced by the poem’s character.
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Hi Alma
I love this and its really well planned out! It might be cool to look at funky creatures here on earth for inspiration. https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weirdest-sea-creatures
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To introduce the topic of stars to my Senior Infants class, I would begin with a “mystery box” activity to spark curiosity. Inside the box, I would place objects related to the night sky, such as a star-shaped ornament, a small torch, a picture of the moon, and a pair of toy binoculars. The children would take turns choosing an item and discussing what it might tell us about the night sky. I would ask open-ended questions such as, “What do these objects have in common?” and “What do you already know about stars?” This encourages the children to share their ideas and build on their existing knowledge. I would then do a storytelling activity using a picture book about the night sky, such as How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Before reading, I would show the cover and ask the children to predict what the story might be about. During the story, I would pause to ask questions that encourage discussion, such as, “Have you ever looked at the stars?” and “What do you think stars are like?” This helps activate the children’s prior knowledge while developing their listening and oral language skills. After the story, the children would work together to create a large class mural of a night sky using black paper, paint, and star-shaped stamps or stickers. As they create the mural, we would discuss the colours, shapes, and patterns they notice in pictures of the night sky. This activity encourages creativity, cooperation, and observation while providing an engaging introduction to the topic. It also supports the integration of oral language, visual arts, and early scientific exploration in an enjoyable way.
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Activity Set – Stars (First Class)
I think stars are a lovely topic to explore with a First Class as they naturally encourage curiosity and discussion.
I would begin the lesson by asking the children what they have noticed in the sky at night. We would discuss questions such as, “Can you always see the stars?”, “Why do some stars look brighter than others?” and “Have you ever tried to spot a pattern in the sky?” This would allow me to build on their prior knowledge before introducing the idea that stars are huge balls of hot gas, and that the Sun is actually our nearest star.
Next, I would show the children pictures of different constellations, such as the Big Dipper and Orion, and explain that people have been finding patterns in the stars for thousands of years. The children would then work in pairs to create their own constellation by placing star stickers on black card and joining them together with white chalk or a white colouring pencil. They would give their constellation a name and make up a short story about how it got into the sky.
To finish the lesson, each pair would share their constellation with the class and explain the story behind it. I think this would be a really enjoyable way to combine science with creativity while encouraging oral language and imagination.
Cross-curricular links: English (oral language and storytelling), Visual Arts (creating constellations), and Maths (recognising patterns and shapes).
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I chose the lesson ‘A special life’ from the ESERO resources.
The aim is for children to understand that as far as we know there are no alien beings in space. The children will also understand what makes life on Earth special. This lesson is filled with opportunities for creativity and imagination through drawing and drama.I feel this lesson is perfect for the junior classes. They get some serious information while also keeping it fun and light. Many children really enjoy the topic of aliens and life in space. It really fuels their imagination thinking about what or who could be out there. There is so much media for children relating to this topic which children just find enthralling.
The children begin by learning about just how special life on Earth is. They imagine they are speaking to an alien life form. They choose something special on Earth that they want to show the alien. It can be a creature or an item. They then draw their special thing and act it out to illustrate the thing to their alien visitor.
This is a very active and fun activity. It can be done with lots of group discussion and brainstorming. It could be done in pairs or small groups as well as individually depending on the class. A game element could be added into or taken out of the act it out circle time activity.The final activity is another creative opportunity. Children get a chance to draw an alien of their choosing. They can think about how the alien looks and why it looks like that. Some references to creatures on Earth could be made here. Certain creatures look a certain way depending on where they live and what they can do, ( eg, fur, scales wings). The children could draw their alien alongside the item they had previously shown them if they wanted.
This lesson is given 60 minutes. It’s quite a long time for a young class but the range of elements to the lesson ensures a balance of quite, collaborative and noisy activities to keep the children engaged. Depending on interest levels, the alien creation portion could be extended into a language lesson or further art activities.
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Reflection on the Stars Activity Set
I would use the Stars activity set with my Senior Infants class by introducing the idea of constellations. I would explain that constellations are groups of stars that make pictures or patterns in the night sky. I would show the children a few simple examples before encouraging them to create their own.
Each child would draw a collection of stars on black paper and then join them together to make a picture of something they choose, such as an animal, a flower or a rocket. They could use art materials such as string, lollipop sticks or chalk to connect the stars and create their own constellation. Afterwards, the children could share their constellation with the class and explain what they have created.
I think this activity would work really well because it encourages creativity while also introducing a new science concept in a fun and practical way. It allows children to investigate, explore and use their imagination, which is an important part of inquiry-based learning. The activity also supports oral language, fine motor skills and art, making it easy to integrate with other areas of the curriculum. I think the children would really enjoy creating their own constellations and would remember the lesson through the hands-on experience.
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This is a great idea Anna, I think the infants would love creating their own constellations and is a fantastic opportunity to link some Mathematical skills to your lesson content through patterns and early number strategies such as how many stars they plan to have in each constellation. As you have also mentioned there are great opportunities to improve language and fine motor skills while working scientifically, allowing for meaningful integration with other skill sets.
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Module 3 – Space and Aliens Inquiry Lesson (Junior Infants)
To introduce the topic, I would read The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers and encourage the children to discuss what they noticed about the boy and the Martian. Using “I wonder…” questions such as, “I wonder what it would be like to live on another planet?” and “I wonder how a Martian would survive there?” will stimulate curiosity and discussion.
The inquiry challenge will be: Design a Martian that is perfectly adapted to its planet. Children will work in small groups to decide what their planet is like (hot, cold, windy or rocky) before creating a Martian using playdough, collage materials or recyclable items. They will explain why their Martian has certain features, for example, large feet for rocky ground or three eyes to see in the dark.
Groups will share their creations with the class, describing how their Martian lives, moves and survives. The lesson integrates Science, Visual Arts and Oral Language while developing creativity, collaboration, scientific thinking and problem-solving skills.
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Hi Susan,
This is wonderful. I like how you link physiology to the environment. Might be cool to consider how humans could live in the atmosphere of Venus. https://www.planetsforkids.org/planet/venus/can-humans-live-on-venus.html
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I would use the Space and Aliens activity with a Senior Infants class because it is a fun way to get children thinking about science while using their imagination. I would begin by talking about what living things need to survive, such as food, water, air and shelter, linking it to what they have already learned in science. Using role play such as a freeze frame or hot spotting an alien/human being would be a good way to deepen this understanding and to front load the students with information prior to creating their martian. We would then imagine a new planet together and discuss what it might be like. The children would create their own alien that could live on that planet, thinking about why it might have certain features like extra eyes, long arms or thick fur. They would draw and talk about their alien with a partner before sharing their ideas with the class. This would encourage lots of discussion, questioning and listening to each other’s ideas. The activity also links really well with maths through counting body parts, describing shapes and comparing sizes. I think this activity would keep the children engaged while helping them develop their creativity, scientific thinking and confidence in explaining their ideas to others. Next I think that I would work on creating aliens in the “design a martian” task with clay or morla would be a very fun way to develop fine motor skills, as well develop an understanding of form when physically creating the alien. For writing I would also create a link by labeling the alien’s body parts or the landscape they live in. If I had time for quite a long unit of work, I would also explore non fiction texts and work on writing factual information texts about animals, touching on their adaptions, prior to this activity.
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Hi Lauren,
This is brilliant! I like how discussion based and engaging this is. Some alien inspiration can come from funky creatures here on Earth!
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Stars- Lots and Lots of Stars
I really like the lessons Lots and Lots of Stars. I think this is another great lesson that incorporates many different subjects. I think it is a great lesson for integrated learning in an infant classroom.
I think I would start this lesson off as a whole class discussing the difference between day and night. After the class would brainstorm stars and what they know about stars. The children will then guess how many stars there are. The children could also watch the video One Billion Stars to grasp just how many stars are in the world.
After I would set up some stations where the children can rotate and complete different activities such as Starry Night artwork, counting stars and exploring images of different of stars.
The lesson would finish with a walking gallery where the children can walk around and look at the work of the other students in the classroom -
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Activity set: stars.
I would begin this lesson by encouraging the children to think about the night sky. I would ask questions such as, How many stars do you think are in the sky? and invite the children to make their own predictions. To support this discussion, I would place five marbles into a clear jar and ask whether they think there are more stars in the sky than marbles in the jar, or even more stars than there are children in our class. This creates a meaningful cross-curricular link with Mathematics through counting, estimating and comparing quantities. I would also ask questions such as, Have you ever seen stars? What did they look like? Do stars give us light? When can we usually see them? Finally, we would discuss how the Sun is also a star, even though it appears much bigger because it is much closer .
For the main activity, the children would create their own starry night sky. Each child would paint an A4 sheet using colours they feel best represent the night. Once the background has dried, they would use a toothbrush with a splatter screen, comb or lolly stick to flick small dots of paint across the page to represent stars. I would explain that stars are not all the same colour, encouraging the children to choose different paint colours for their artwork. This activity allows children to explore creative art techniques while developing their understanding of the night sky.
Overall, I think this activity set offers excellent opportunities for cross-curricular learning. It combines Science with Mathematics through estimation and comparison, while also encouraging creativity and self-expression through Art.
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Hi Sarah this is fab! This might be of use to you.
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How I would use this activity in class
After discussing what children already know about stars, I would show examples of simple constellations. Pupils would then draw their own constellation by joining stars with lines and give it a name. They would share their constellation with a partner and explain what it represents. This encourages creativity, observation and oral language.
How I would adapt it to meet the needs of my students
- Provide constellation templates or dot guides for pupils who need support.
- Use larger stars and simple instructions with visuals.
- Pair pupils for discussion and sharing ideas.
- Challenge early finishers to write a short sentence about their constellation or create a story about it.
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Activity: Space and Aliens
The topic of space and aliens is one that I find the children really engage with. It allows opportunities for children to get creative and use their own imagination.
I would introduce the topic of aliens and space by asking the children what they already know about the topic. I would use the book ‘The Smeds and the Smoos’ by Julia Donaldson as the prompt to engage their interest. I love this book as it’s rhyming and artwork are very good for catching the children’s attention.
I would use questioning to investigate what they think about aliens after the story. I would ask them to create their own alien using different means – play doh station, junk art station and drawing and colouring station – this would allow the children to create their own idea of what an alien looks like using various ways and materials.
To conclude I would get the children to present their favourite alien to the class and encourage them to think of a name to give it.
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Space and Aliens
I chose this topic as it naturally sparks curiosity and interest amongst younger classes. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about space and brainstorm their ideas on the whiteboard and encourage them to talk about planets, stars, rockets, astronauts, and aliens. We would then focus our attention on Aliens and as a stimulus for further exploration of the topic I would read “Super Spud and the Space Rescue” to the class. I would pause during the story to ask simple questions about the appearance of the aliens at each of Superhero Spud’s missions. This would naturally allow for discussion about the characteristics of the aliens and what life in space might be like. As a follow up I would ask the children to pretend they are Superhero Spud and invite the children to draw an alien they met on their adventure. To help the children stay engaged we would have three focus questions to bear in mind while completing their task.
- Think about what the alien looks like
- Where the alien lives and
- What it likes to do.
The children would use their imagination and creatively begin their drawings. Afterwards during our reflection, the children would each show their drawings and talk about their alien in front of the class or alternatively with a partner as some children are more comfortable sharing their work this way. To conclude our lesson, I would acknowledge how everyone’s ideas are different and praise all their creativity efforts.
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Hi Michelle,
This sounds fantastic! It might be cool to use animals that live in or around extreme environments here on earth as inspiration for what aliens might look like!
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II would choose to use to story The way home here to introduce the topic of aliens. This could lead into a discussion on aliens and their existence. We would then talk about our lesson where we will design our own alien. We can first plan and draw how our alien looks and we can then make them using different materials. A follow on acitivty for this would be as a group create a wprld for our aliens to live in using junk art materials. We can then present the world to other groups desciribing the features included and how we think the aliens live on this planet.
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I have gained lots of inspiration in this module that I would use to plan lessons for my class. One of the activities that stood out to me was the Lunar Landscape one, developed by UNAWE. In this activity the children would create their own lunar landscape, using everyday objects. The children would use marbles/stones and project them into a tray of cocoa/sand/flour. The children observe how the marbles/stones size, shape, weight, direction of origin etc can influence the craters created thus gaining a deeper understanding of the moons surface. This activity stood out to me as it is playful, hands on and engaging. Another activity that I feel the children in my class would enjoy is drawing their own constellations. We would start off by learning about the stars and observing stars in the sky (through videos and images). We would then have the opportunity to create our own constellations using a range of medias.
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Hi Elaine,
This sounds wonderful! It might be useful to consider using sand for this over flour in my experience it is much easier to clean up. Something to consider when dropping stones, for yourself – All objects fall at the same rate.
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Hi Elaine,
This sounds wonderful! It might be useful to consider using sand for this over flour in my experience it is much easier to clean up. Something to consider when dropping stones, for yourself – All objects fall at the same rate.
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Hi Elaine,
This sounds wonderful! It might be useful to consider using sand for this over flour in my experience it is much easier to clean up. Something to consider when dropping stones, for yourself – All objects fall at the same rate.
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I choose to reflect on the Stars lesson activity as outlined in the ESERO activity specifically lesson 13. My specific learning outcomes would be for the children to know a star gives off light and that one can only see stars at night. they would become familiar with the fact that the Sun is a star which children often find surprising and there are lots and lots of stars. We would practice counting a number of star and writing and reading the number of stars.
I would begin the lesson by questioning the children to ascertain what they already know about stars. I would dim the lights and pull the blinds to show them a picture of a starry night questioning about the picture, what do you see?, have you ever seen stars? etc.. I would introduce some key facts and read a story about stars.
Linkage with other subjects can easily be done for example Maths , counting stars, if I have 7 stars and get 2 more how many have I? , Visual Arts by creating a starry sky night painting as outlined in ESERO lesson 13. Music star song etc.
I would conclude the lesson by doing a circle time asking , what is a star?, when do we see stars?and asking each child to write one thing they learnt about stars.
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Hi Louise,
This sounds fab! It could be cool to mention that stars can be different colours.
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The activity set: Space and Aliens
I think this topic would engage the learners immediately and as a teacher would really enjoy all the fun and imaginative ways you can explore the topic with the kids. I have used a drama activity in the past as a stimulus for this particular theme. The children get into groups and you get them to each come up with a vocal sound (They have great fun making squeaky sounds/ deep sounds, ) They stand up at the front of the class in a line and when I touch them on the head they make their sound onw after the other) we try to spell the sound on the board. The children have a great laugh with this and then I tell them this is the name of their alien. They write the name of the alien on the top of a big piece of paper and the group begins to draw the alien how many eyes / legs ect/ what food it likes to eat/ what planet it lives on ect. I will add to this lesson now about acting out the alien they have created. The children write wonderful creative stories around their alien and present to the class. I like to think that their knowledge of space from doing this course and carrying out the lessons will enhance their understanding of space and I would hope to see elements of that in their writing in future lessons. -
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This is how I would teach Stars to an infant group over the course of a week. First of all I would begin with a discussion about day and night and ask the children to talk about what they see in the sky. The story How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers would be a good story for the topic and we would discuss how you can only see stars at night because the sun Is much brighter. We might do the experiment on day and night here using torches and the globe. In the next lesson we would look at pictures of stars and constellations and learn about stars being balls of hot gas that are very far away. We may design our own constellations here on black paper and using glitter. We would use the song Twinkle Twinkle little star to finalise each lesson and link in with the music curriculum. We would create a class word wall on all the words we know to do with space and stars and create a class mural showing the moon and stars. I think children love the topic of Space and it is a lovely topic that lends itself to hands on playful learning with the younger ages.
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For my Second Class, I would choose the Constellations activity from the Universe in a Box resources. I think this is an engaging way to introduce children to the night sky while developing their scientific thinking and creativity. I would begin by showing images of well-known constellations, such as The Plough, and asking the pupils if they can spot any patterns or shapes. We would discuss how people long ago used constellations to tell stories and navigate.
Working in pairs, the children would create their own constellations using star templates or stickers. They would connect the stars, give their constellation a name and create a short story to explain how it came to be. This activity encourages pupils to observe patterns, use spatial language and communicate their ideas while integrating Science, Art and Literacy.
I feel this activity would be highly engaging because it allows children to investigate, question and create rather than simply learning facts. By sharing their constellations with the class and reflecting on what they have learned, pupils would develop curiosity, confidence and a greater appreciation of space and STEM learning.
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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I would link the lesson with Music and Art.
To introduce the lesson I would play a countdown from 10… 3… 2… 1… Blast Off! And have the children jump up like rockets.
We would discuss what the night sky is like and explain that space is very big, very dark and that it is outside of our world.
I would place a large circle of paper on the floor and tell the children that we are space explorers who have just discovered a new planet.
I will explain that aliens are living creatures, just like us, but from a different planet and that they may look different but they still need to eat and play etc.
Each child will have access to playdough, pipecleaners, match sticks, feathers and goggly eyes. They will be encourage to make their own friendly alien that lives on this new planet that we have discovered on our rocket ship through space.
They will be encouraged to give their Alien an interesting, simple CVC name.-
I really like this idea. I think the countdown and rocket launch is a great way to get the children excited from the start. The playdough and craft materials would really encourage their creativity, and I like how naming their alien adds a fun literacy link. It sounds like an engaging lesson that children would really enjoy.
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For my 1st and 2nd class I would use the Activity set of Space and Aliens. To start the lesson, I would ask the children if they think aliens might exist and explain that nobody knows for sure. We would have a short discussion about what different planets are like and how an alien might need special features to live there. This would encourage the children to use their imaginations while thinking about different environments. Next, I would give each child some modelling clay and art materials to design their own friendly alien. They could decide how many eyes, arms, or legs it has and think about any special features that help it survive on its planet. Once they have finished, the children could give their alien a name and tell the class a few facts about it, such as where it lives and what it likes to do. To finish, we would have an “Alien Gallery” where everyone shares their creations.
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Hi Louise,
This is wonderful. It could be interesting to consider what creatures who live in extreme environments on earth are like for some inspiration. https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/14-creatures-that-live-in-volcanoes-6-330510/
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For my class of Junior and Senior Infants I would begin the lesson by singing the nursery rhyme, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I would ask the children if they think there is only one star in the sky like the song suggests. I would use this use to begin a discussion on the number of stars in the sky. I really liked the idea of incorporating an art lesson into this science lesson to help the children understand the amount of stars that exist. I would hopefully be able to take the children outside and allow them to create their splatter paintings. I would have a class discussion on the results and how many stars are there (too many to count).
I really liked the idea of children creating their own constellation. I would use this activity for a follow-up lesson. I would show them a number of constellations and we would discuss what they look like. The children would then get creative and design their own ones. I think they would really like this lesson.
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I would use the space and aliens activity in my Junior Infants classroom because the children love to learn about this topic. It is fun and engaging and encourages the children to use their imagination. I would begin by talking about space and showing simple pictures of planets, stars and rockets. Then I would ask the children what they think an alien might look like and where it might live. Each child would draw and colour their own alien and share one or two facts about it with the class. This activity would help develop their oral language skills and creativity. It is also good for the children to listen to others and share their ideas. After this I would read a story to them about aliens and use this to start any follow on lessons. Overall, I think the children would enjoy this lesson and I would display their pictures in the classroom.
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For my junior infant class I would use the topic of stars through discussion, storytelling, art, and music. I would begin with a class discussion using a picture of the night sky, where the children are encouraged to talk about what they can see and share any experiences of looking at the stars. I would explain that stars are very far away and shine brightly in the night sky. The main activity would involve each child creating their own starry night picture using dark paper and art materials such as yellow crayons, paint, or star stickers, while also practising counting and describing their stars. My lesson would be supported by singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with actions to encourage movement and engagement, followed by reading a star-themed story, such as How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers, to develop language and imagination. We would recap with children discussing what they have learned, identifying that stars are seen in the night sky and describing them as bright or twinkly.
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1st class lesson- Stars.
Learning outcomes: to understand the sun is a star, to understand constellations, to understand there are lots and lots of stars, to know that you can see stars at night. Prompt: paired work: each pair gets a flat bowl of water and we pour some glitter into the bowl. Children will dip their finger some oil and then they will put their finger into the glitter water. They will see what constellations & patterns they can make with the stars.
Tell the children they are becoming Space Detectives with a special mission to solve a mystery: How many stars are in our Solar System? Hide pictures of small stars and a big picture of the Sun around the classroom. Invite the children to search for all the stars. Once they have found them, gather together and sort them into two groups: “Our Solar System” and “Far Away in Space.” Ask the children which picture belongs in our Solar System. Explain that the Sun is the only star in our Solar System, while all the other stars are much farther away. Finish the lesson by playing a movement game: when you hold up the Sun, children stretch up tall and shine brightly; when you hold up a star, they twinkle by wiggling their fingers. End by asking, “How many stars are in our Solar System?” and encourage the class to answer together, “One—the Sun!”
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Hi Aideen,
This is lovely. A great way to explain that stars are actually quite far away from one another, for your own interest this reminded me of the Boötes void!
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Lesson: Stars and Constellations
Stimulus: How to Catch a Star – Oliver Jeffers
Talk and Discussion: The Constellations – Video of the different Constellations
Link with our trip to Birr Castle Observatory
Resources: Classroom binoculars and rotating star projector.
I would use the Esero resources for this topic – I especially liked the resource that was shown in this module where the Plough was represented using join the dots ‘This used to be a saucepan – now its a _____’ This is a great way to encourage the children to be creative and make their own visualisations and communicate their own interpretations of the constellations.
We could also use playdough and string to create alternative star formations in small groups.
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Activity Set- Space and Aliens
Class Level- Junior/ Senior InfantsI would base the lesson on ESERO 19 – Special Life.
Introduction-
I would begin the lesson by asking the children to close their eyes. Imagine they are visiting a planet from the solar system. Imagine they are explorers what would they like to show people about earth. What things, places, sounds. I would then given the children a template of binoculars and ask them to draw what they want to show about earth in the lens of binoculars.Development-
Explain that we are going to listen to a story called ‘ There’s an Alien in Our Book’ by Tom Fletcher. Before beginning we will discuss the title. What is an alien? I will encourage the children to close to visualise what an alien might look like. In there copy they will draw what they think an alien might look like. After completing the drawing together we will listen to the story. During the story we will pause. I will ask the children to create a friend for the alien. I will encourage the children to use tangrams to create the alien. This in turn will incorporate maths to the lesson. I will ask the children what shapes they used, to count how many shapes they used? We will then conclude the story.
Conclusion-
I will ask the children what do they think the alien in the story or aliens in general find special about earth. I would do a hot seating activity, imagine you’re the alien in the book. What did you find special/like about earth. What would we like about their planet.
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Hi Laura, thanks for sharing those lovely ideas especially that lovely book I had never heard of it but one that I will be adding to my library.
I am having issues typing in the reply box to the tutor so I am hoping this will work as it will not let me type when I hit reply and it also wont let me copy and paste direct from Word into the assignment reply box. I was able to reply to your message so I have just copied and paste my word doc here.
This is my lesson plan for Junior Infants based on Space & AliensTheme: Space – Aliens and Imaginary Planets
Duration: 2-3 30min lessonsPrior Learning
Children have already explored:* The eight planets in the Solar System.
* The size of each planet and where they are in relation to the sun.
* Which planets are hot, cold, rocky or made of gas.Learning objectives-
WALT-
* Use what we know about planets to imagine new ones.
* Ask questions and share our ideas.
* Create an alien or a new planet using our imaginationAfter the lesson can the children:
* Share what they know about planets.
* Ask questions about aliens and space.
* Design an alien or a new planet and describe where it would sit in our solar system
* Explain their ideas to the class.Inquiry-Based Learning- Gather the children on the carpet and ask:
* Do you think aliens are real?
* If there were aliens, where might they live?
* Could an alien live on Mercury? Why or why not?
* Which planet would be the best home for an alien?
* If you could invent a brand-new planet, what would it be like?Record children’s ideas on a large sheet of paper.
Emphasise that scientists have not found any aliens so we are going to use our imaginations while thinking about what we already know about planets.
Revise the planets using picture cards.
Ask questions such as:
* Which planet is the hottest?
* Which planet is the biggest?
* Which planet is very cold?
* Which planet has rings?Then ask: If you were an alien, would you like to live on one of these planets, or would you create your own?”
Option 1: Alien Passport
Children invent an alien and complete a simple passport. The passport would include teh following the children could present their alien to the class.
* My alien’s name is…
* My planet is…
* My favourite food is…
* My alien looks like…
* My alien can…
* Draw a picture.
Option 2: Design a New PlanetChildren create their own planet, including details like-
Is it hot or cold?
Where is it in the solar system relative to the other planets?
What colour is it?
What grows there?
Who lives there?
Draw and decorate the planet.
( I have used the Quiver app before and the children can colour in the circle and when you use the app it makes their creation 3d and jump off the page.)Aistear Integration
Role Play – Space Travel AgencyChildren:
* Become astronauts.
* Visit each other’s planets.
* Show their passports.
* Explain what their planet is like.Teacher prompts:
* Tell me about your planet.
* What do your aliens eat?
* How do visitors travel there?Construction
Challenge:
Can you build your alien’s home using blocks or recycled materials?Small World- use Space figures, rockets, planets( different size and coloured balls) and loose parts and the children create stories about visiting each other’s planets.
Children sit in a circle and share:
* What is your planet called?
* Why would an alien like living there?
* What is one interesting thing about your alien?Finish by asking:
If scientists discovered your planet one day, what would they find there?
This encourages children to combine scientific understanding (hot/cold planets, habitats, size) with creativity and imagination.
Observe whether children can:
* Recall facts about the planets.
* Use prior knowledge to justify their ideas (e.g. My alien lives on an icy planet because it likes the cold, it is far from the sun)
* Ask questions and contribute to discussions.
* Explain their creations using appropriate space vocabulary.This lesson builds on the children’s existing knowledge of the Solar System while encouraging inquiry, imagination, and problem-solving. Rather than asking, “What do aliens look like?”, it invites them to think more deeply: “What kind of planet would an alien need to survive?” This helps them apply what they have already learned about different planetary environments in a creative and meaningful way.
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Hi Jennifer,
This is fab, it might be cool to consider what creatures living in extreme environments on earth look like as inspiration for aliens! You are also introducing the children to the concepts of exoplanets here, so this resource might be useful! In my experience passports can be a stressful one for children even doing the same thing without using that word can be good!
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I would use the activity set ‘A Special Life’ in the classroom as I feel it provides ample opportunity to explore with the students and integrate into a variety of subjects like Art and Drama. Building on the understanding that Earth provides us the necessities of life – air, water, sunlight, we would establish that as far as we know there is no life on other planets.
I would then show children some videos of aliens, cartoons, images that people have imagined and think how this has been fascinating to humans for so long in the past and will be in years to come. Then we would launch into the lesson and give the students the time to draw and imagine their alien. I would give the children time to do this and ask them to consider things like – do they have different eyes to us, eat in a different way, have different ways of being.As a slight change to the acting out part of the lesson, instead of students only guessing, I would build on this by ‘hot seating’ the students and have their classmates question ‘the alien’. Questions that ask what their planet is like to live on, do they live in homes, do they have families, where do they get their food from and what they do for fun will be explored to allow children not only use Drama but also develop Oral Language and active listening skills.
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Hi Una,
This sounds wonderful! I love the hot seat idea. It can be cool to consider creatures living in and around extreme environments on earth – like volcanos!
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Activity Set-Special Life + Space and Aliens
i think younger pupils an be frightened and scared when you mention Aliens so I would softly introduce the topic with the book “You can’t eat a princess” by Gillian Rogerson and Sarah McIntyre. I love this book and from experience younger pupils have thoroughly enjoyed it as the illustrations put them at ease. It’s the Princesses birthday but the king is abducted by aliens do the princess zooms off in the Royal Rocket to track him down. The illustrations of aliens are appropriate for Infants, some aliens having 1,2,3 4 or 5 eyes. It ties in nicely with space Week Activity in the Mars Resource Book- Special Life/life in space- What would a Martian look like. I think having read the book first the pupils will have more ideas, their imagination will be ignited. They will be highly motivated to create a 3-D model of their alien and could sort them afterwards perhaps by colour or number of eyes integrating Science with maths.
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That is an excellent book suggestion ‘You can’t eat a princess@ thank you for sharing. I love the other suggestion below also ‘Aliens stole my underpants’ the children in my class love this. Storybooks are such a powerful way to engage children and also to take any nerves away from the topic of aliens!!!
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Hi Siobhan,
This is a very good point sometimes aliens do frighten younger children. Paxi can soften this!
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If I were using the Space and Aliens activity in my classroom, I would start by encouraging the children to think about what they already know about space. I would ask open-ended questions such as, “What might we find in space?” or “Do you think there could be life on other planets?” This would help spark curiosity while giving every child the opportunity to contribute their own ideas and experiences.
After our discussion, I would read an engaging picture book about space exploration or imaginary aliens to capture the children’s interest and introduce new words related to the topic. Following the story, the children would create their own alien using a variety of art materials such as coloured paper, recycled items, paint, or modelling clay. They would then share their alien with the class, explaining where it lives, what it eats, and any unique powers or characteristics it has.
To build on the activity, I would introduce a hands on STEM task where children work together to design and construct a spaceship for their alien using construction toys or recycled materials. -
Activity Set – Stars
If I were to use this activity in my classroom, I would begin by using the story and video to spark the children’s curiosity about stars and the night sky. Rather than starting with facts, I would encourage the children to share what they already know and what they wonder about stars. Recording their questions would help guide the lesson and give them ownership of the learning.
Throughout the lesson, I would encourage the children to make predictions, observe carefully and explain their thinking. I would use open-ended questions such as, “Why do you think stars look so small?” or “Why can we only see stars at night?” instead of immediately providing answers. This would encourage children to think scientifically, justify their ideas and build on one another’s responses.
To extend the inquiry, I really like the “Draw Your Own Constellation“ activity. After learning about real constellations, I would encourage the children to create their own by joining the stars into a pattern and giving it a name and story. This allows them to use their imagination while reinforcing the idea that people have used the stars to tell stories for thousands of years. The activity also creates excellent opportunities to integrate oral language and creative writing, as pupils could present and explain their constellation to the class.
Overall, I feel this lesson promotes curiosity, creativity and inquiry-based learning. Rather than simply learning facts about stars, children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate ideas and communicate their thinking, making the learning both meaningful and memorable.
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Hi Dean,
This is fantastic! Getting the children to speculate often makes them more engaged in the actual answers! This might be a useful resource, as well as stellarium!
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I really loved looking at the universe in a book booklet. I think my children would enjoy the activities from this very much. I actually found the topics myself very interesting and engaging.
The activity set I would look at here is stars and in particular looking at constellations. Lesson 5.4 Constellation shapes. I would introduce at first using a stimulus that is meaningful to the children , using the nursery rhyme twinkle twinkle with movement and also reading one of the books we enjoy from our library, ‘How to catch a star’ by Oliver Jeffers.
I would then use one of the videos linked to engage the children in this topic, questioning throughout. After learning the different facts about constellation facts the children can create constellation shapes using the stars, plastic straws of different lengths and playdough. Get the children to draw a constellation from night sky at home. Can they see any shapes in the constellations? An extension activity in art after this would be to make a star lantern to project their own constellations on the wall.
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Hi Kate Anne, I agree. The Universe in a Book Booklet is a great resource for teaching Space. It has a lot of really good practical ideas that the children at the junior infant level will really enjoy doing. The nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle is a great idea to add into your lesson here. It is a good way of holding interest and linking to the constellation. It is a familiar song too so they will enjoy revisiting it and linking it to their new learning. The video is another engaging way of furthering their knowledge of the topic.
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Hi Kate Anne,
This sounds lovely. It might be interesting to discuss star colours as well.
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The “Martian Landscape” investigation from the Discover Primary Science Space Week Workbook looks like a great lesson I could use for my First Class. I think it would be engaging and would provide many opportunities for discussion, creativity, and scientific observation.
I would begin the lesson by showing the children a photograph of the Martian landscape. This would encourage them to observe carefully and share their ideas about what they notice. I would then show them a photograph of Earth, allowing the class to compare and contrast the two landscapes. The children could identify differences in colour, surface features, and the presence or absence of water and vegetation, helping them to develop an understanding of the physical characteristics of Mars.
To reinforce their learning, I would introduce the song “Mars”, which is a fun and memorable way to help young children recall the key features of the planet found at this link. Junior classes always respond enthusiastically to music, and the song would support vocabulary development while maintaining their interest.
The children would then use clay to create a model of the surface of Mars. As they work, I would encourage them to talk about the features they are including, such as craters, mountains, and valleys, and explain why they have chosen to add them.
Once the clay models had dried, the children would paint them the distinctive reddish colour of Mars. This final step would reinforce their observations.
This lesson encourages children to observe, compare, discuss, and create while developing their understanding of the similarities and differences between the physical features of Earth and Mars.
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Hi Mary,
This sounds wonderful! It would definitely be worth looking at mars on google earth pro and having a look at the software that allows you to operate a virtual rover on its surface!
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<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Children will learn that space is made up of stars and planets, discover that some planets are far away from our Solar System (called exoplanets), and use their imagination to create a friendly alien.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Intro-</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Show the children pictures of planets and stars and explain that we live on a planet called Earth. Earth is part of our Solar System. There are lots of other planets far away around different stars. These are called exoplanets. An exoplanet is simply a planet that is outside our own Solar System. They are so far away that we cannot visit them. Questions to ask to elicit meaningful conversation: Have you ever looked at the stars in the night sky? Did you know some stars have their own planets too? What do you think those faraway planets might be like? Do you think other beings could live there?</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Activity-</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Discuss stars, planets and exoplanets. Invite children to imagine a friendly alien that might live on a make-believe exoplanet. They can draw their alien and the planet where it lives, thinking about its colours, plants or weather. Children can show their aliens and planets to each other and describe what their alien of planet are like.</p>-
Hi Kathryn,
These are some brilliant questions. One friendly alien that you could introduce them to (perhaps after they have created their own!) is the ESA mascot, especially if you are discussing exoplanets!
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For this module I have picked the Lot’s and Lot’s of starts activity from Esero as the one I would like to try next year with Juniors and Seniors. The lesson starts with a discussion prompted by putting 5 marbles in a jar, then the number of marbles equal to the number of children in the class, and then filling a container and eventually asking children how many containers of marbles they think they would need to equal the number of stars. This is very aligned with the New Maths Curriculum, even purely as a mathematical activity. The teacher then explains to the children that there are so many stars that we need computers to do the counting for us. The discussion continues with questions e.g. Have you seen stars? When have you seen them? Is the sun a star? etc. Through this discussion children will learn that the sun is a star that like other stars emits light and why we see stars at night time, barring cloud cover, and why we don’t see them in daytime.
The second part of the lesson is an art activity where students make a Starry Sky painting using a splatter technique and options for how you might do the splattering are included in the lesson plan. The fact that students can choose the colours for their stars helps the teacher to highlight that real stars come in many colours.
Next, children discuss their Starry Sky pictures, recapping on what they have learned through this.
The last activity is a maths worksheet with drawings of stars, giving the children the opportunity to practise drawing, counting and reading and writing numerals.
There were many lovely suggestions in the forums about using music, art and poetry to enhance a lesson like this, including using Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting to integrate the learning even further. I like the lesson because it is achievable, doesn’t need complex resources and already has integration and linkage built in, which is very important as teachers have so much to cover, and the questions and activities would guarantee that students are engaged and would add to their understanding in the lesson. As well as the math aspect, students will learn that there are lots of stars, the sun is a star, stars emit light, you only see them at night and why. That is a lot of learning packed into one lesson. -
• Activity Set: Space and Aliens
I would begin by reading from books such as
• The Way back Home by Oliver Jeffers
• Don’t Feed the Aliens! by Mark Sperring
These are a great way to begin a discussion with my First and Second class about aliens and get them thinking about what they might be like. We would discuss life on Earth and what allows us to survive and whether an Alien habitat on another planet might need these or if they would be different and maybe adapt to hotter or colder conditions.
The children could design an Alien passport for if they want to visit Earth what they might need. Then they could do a drama on what way you could communicate with an alien for the first time and how you would get over the language barrier.
The children could create finger puppet aliens and talk to each other with them and then do a painting of an alien and these could be displayed around the classroom with pictures of the children in astronaut costumes beside them.-
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Hi Máiréad, I really enjoyed reading your ideas. I especially like how you use a story as a stimulus to spark the children’s curiosity before beginning the activity. I also love using a story or poem to introduce a lesson or activity, as I find it captures children’s imaginations and encourages rich discussion and questioning from the start. Your idea of creating alien passports and exploring communication through drama is so creative and provides lovely opportunities for oral language, play and inquiry-based learning.
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Theme: The Stars.
This is a topic I would of been unsure of teaching before. However, I feel with the resources from this course I will be better equipped to teach the topic of the stars in future.
I would begin by posing some questions to elicit discussion and promote thinking among the children. For example: What can you see in the sky during the day and at night? Have you ever looked at the stars? Can anyone count the stars?
I would follow this with an exploration activity using paper and torches. The children use a paper puncher to punch holes in the paper. They then shine the torch through the holes and we would discuss how this resembles the billions of stars in the sky.
We would then look at constellations and explore how people used constellations long ago. One of our reading books we use for guided reading talks about how different cultures used constellations long ago. We would read about this and then design our own constellations. The children could then create stories about their own constellations. We would then recap and assess what we’ve learnt recording our learning in pairs and sharing it with the class.
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## Using “Lots and Lots of Stars” with 2nd Class
I would use the **”Lots and Lots of Stars”** lesson to introduce pupils to the fascinating topic of stars through inquiry-based learning. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about stars and encourage them to estimate how many stars they think are in the night sky. This would stimulate curiosity and discussion before introducing the concept that there are far more stars than we can imagine.
The class would then explore images of the night sky and participate in practical activities, such as creating a starry sky using black paper and white paint or counting stars in pictures. These hands-on activities help pupils develop observation, estimating, and recording skills while making abstract scientific concepts more accessible.
Throughout the lesson, I would encourage pupils to ask questions, share predictions, and explain their thinking. My role would be to guide learning through open-ended questioning rather than simply providing answers. To conclude, pupils would reflect on one new fact they learned about stars and create a drawing or short written response. This lesson integrates science with art and oral language while promoting curiosity, collaboration, critical thinking, and a lifelong interest in astronomy.
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Hi Annemarie,
This sounds wonderful, It might be cool to show them some of the Gaia images and animations.
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I would use the Activity Set: Stars in my 1st class because children are often fascinated by the night sky and have lots of questions about what they see. I would begin by creating a “wonder wall” where the children could share what they already know about stars and write down questions they would like to explore. This would allow me to see their ideas and use their curiosity to guide the learning.
For the activity, I would have the children create their own constellations using black paper, chalk, and star stickers. They could design a pattern of stars and create a story or character to go along with their constellation. We could then look at some real constellations and discuss how people long ago used stars to create pictures and stories. The children could also use a simple digital star map or interactive resource to explore what the night sky looks like.
I think this activity would be a great way to combine science, creativity and storytelling. It encourages children to ask questions, use their imagination and understand that stars are not just small points of light but part of a much bigger universe. It also develops skills such as communication, creativity and teamwork. I would record the children’s constellation designs and explanations digitally to create a class display of their learning.
Overall, I think the stars activity set would be a fun and meaningful experience for 1st Class pupils because it allows them to explore space in a creative and hands-on way while building their confidence as young scientists.
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Thinking about the Special Life activity and how I would adapt this for a lesson with my Senior Infants class. I would begin with the ‘What is Special?’ chat and ask some open-ended questions to spark conversation and give the children the opportunity to brainstorm and share. Then I would ask the children to choose something special on Earth they would show a visitor from another planet. They could draw it and act out the interaction with a friend for the class to guess.
I would then share a poem about aliens to spark their imaginations, something like ‘I’d Like To Meet An Alien’ by Kenn Nesbit. This poem is full of descriptive language and doesn’t describe the aliens as anything definitive which I feel is perfect to inspire an open drawing activity. After the poem and a short brainstorm on what their alien might look like, they would design an alien suited to another planet, explaining its features to their table group. As I am in a Gaelscoil, I would use the poem to inspire a lot of descriptive Gaeilge words that I could teach the children before the drawing activity. This activity would support inquiry, creativity and oral language while helping children think like young scientists. It would also link well with drama and art, making the learning playful and meaningful for Senior Infants learners. I also liked the making a martian from play doh activity in the Mars section, I feel the Special Life lesson could be extended into a separate art lesson in which the children make their aliens out of clay or FIMO modelling clay.
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For this lesson I have chosen to focus on aliens as they would grab the attention of the children in my class. I would begin by reading the Marrog poem to the class. This is a wonderful hook to garner the attention of the children as it is full of descriptive language and lends itself very well to the description of a potential alien. We would focus on the language used to help us to design and pan our own creative aliens. This would lead to a discussion on what an alien might look like, what adaptions it might need to live on a different planet with different conditions. Would our alien need to adapt to sands blowing, no oxygen or extreme temperatures?
The main body of the activity centres on using modelling clay and oddments such as pipe cleaners, pom poms, eyes and sticks to create our individual aliens. The children would then accompany their creation with a short descriptive writing piece that would describe their alien to their peers.
Discussion at the end of the activity would include a description of the alien and how it survives on it’s home planet.
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Hi Killian,
This sounds brilliant, it can be fun to use creatures living around extreme environments here as inspiration for alien life!
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Stars
Intro: I’d show children photographs of the night sky and a selection of well-known constellations. I’d ask questions like “What do you notice?”, “Can you spot any shapes?”, “Do you think everyone sees the same picture?” etc. This would encourage the children to observe carefully and share their own ideas.
Lesson:I’d give each child a black A4 sheet. Using white chalk & gold stickers they’d join the stars in any way they liked to create their own constellation. They’d then name their constellation and explain what they can see in it to their partner/group/class. I think this is a nice way to show them that people can interpret the same pattern of stars in different ways.
Conclusion: I’d have the children compare their constellations with some real constellations and discuss how people have been finding shapes and telling stories about the stars for thousands of years!
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I would use the Stars activity set in my classroom as an inquiry-based science lesson to encourage pupils to explore and ask questions about the night sky. I would begin by asking pupils what they already know about stars and what questions they have about them. This would help activate their prior knowledge and encourage curiosity.
Pupils could investigate questions such as “Are all stars the same?” and “Why do some stars appear brighter than others?” They could use images of different stars, videos, and digital tools to compare stars and learn about their size, colour, and distance from Earth. As a follow-up activity, pupils could create their own constellation by designing a star pattern and writing a short story or explanation about it.
This activity would support the development of scientific skills such as questioning, observing, researching, and communicating findings. It would also allow pupils to use their imagination while developing a deeper understanding of the universe. I think the topic of stars would be highly engaging for children as it encourages them to explore something they can see but may not fully understand. -
If I was teaching this topic, I would choose the Space and Aliens activity because I think it is a fun way to encourage children’s imagination while still helping them think scientifically. Space is something that naturally interests many children, and I think using the idea of aliens is a good starting point for getting them to ask questions and share their own ideas.
I would begin the lesson by asking the class whether they think life could exist somewhere else in space. I know there would probably be lots of different opinions, and I would reassure the children that there is no pressure to have the “right” answer. Instead, I would encourage them to explain why they think the way they do. After our discussion, I would ask the children to design their own alien and describe the type of planet it lives on. I would encourage them to think about things such as the planet’s temperature, gravity and environment before deciding what their alien would need to survive there.
I like this activity because every child can approach it differently. Some children might focus on drawing, while others might enjoy writing or talking about their ideas. During placement, I noticed that children often produce their best work when they are given some freedom instead of following one set example. I think this activity would give them that opportunity while still linking back to science.
To finish the lesson, I would ask the children to present their alien to a small group and explain why they made certain choices. I think listening to each other’s ideas would help the children realise that there can be many different ways of solving the same problem. If I were doing this lesson, I would display the finished aliens around the classroom as a reminder that science is not only about learning facts but also about asking questions, being creative and being willing to think about possibilities that we do not yet know the answers to.
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The lesson about stars would be created to provide an excellent balance of discussion, hands-on learning, numeracy, and creativity, making it a highly engaging lesson for children in 1st and 2nd class.
I would begin with the star counting discussion, using the containers and marbles to help children visualise large quantities. Young children often struggle to understand very large numbers, so comparing stars to increasing amounts of marbles would make the concept more meaningful and concrete. The questioning element would encourage children to share their prior knowledge and experiences of looking at the night sky, while also addressing misconceptions, such as whether the Sun is a star.
The starry sky art activity would be particularly effective in promoting creativity while reinforcing scientific concepts. Allowing children to choose their own colours and create splatter-painted stars would encourage individual expression and engagement. I believe this hands-on approach would help children remember that stars come in different colours and that there are vast numbers of stars in the universe. The activity would also support the development of fine motor skills and provide opportunities for cross-curricular learning through Visual Arts.
The show and tell session would give children the chance to explain their work and reflect on what they have learned. This would support oral language development and help consolidate key learning outcomes. Listening to their peers would also encourage collaboration and confidence in sharing ideas.
Overall, I feel this lesson would be highly successful in my classroom because it caters for different learning styles and keeps children actively involved throughout. The combination of questioning, practical investigation, art, and discussion would create a memorable learning experience while fostering curiosity about space and the wider universe. It would also provide an excellent foundation for further exploration of astronomy and Earth and Space topics in the primary science curriculum.
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I would use the activity set ‘Stars’ with my pupils because space is an exciting topic that can be explored through light, colour, touch, sound and movement. As I teach in a special school, I would adapt the activities to suit pupils with different physical, sensory, communication and cognitive needs.
I would begin by darkening the classroom and showing the pupils pictures of a starry night sky. I would ask simple questions such as, “Can you see the stars?”, “Are there lots of stars?” and “When do we see stars?” Pupils could respond by looking, pointing, using symbols, eye gaze, switches, gestures or vocalisations. We would use containers of objects to compare small and large amounts and to show that there are lots and lots of stars. The main learning points would be that stars give light, we usually see them at night, there are many stars, and the Sun is also a star.
For the art activity, each pupil would create a starry sky on dark paper. Pupils could use toothbrush splatter painting, sponges, finger painting, rollers or star-shaped stamps. Physical assistance or hand-over-hand support would be provided where needed. Pupils could also place large tactile star stickers on black card and connect them with wool or bright lines to create their own constellations. This would allow them to explore patterns, shapes and their imagination.
I would finish by using a torch or a simple star lantern to project star patterns onto the classroom wall. The pupils could observe the light, follow it with their eyes and choose their favourite pattern.
This activity would link Science with Mathematics, Art and Communication. Pupils would practise observing, predicting, counting, comparing amounts, recognising patterns and making choices. I believe the sensory and practical approach would make the difficult idea of stars more meaningful and accessible. It would also give every pupil a way to participate and experience success. -
Space and Aliens
To introduce the topic of space and aliens, I would begin by reading the story Aliens Love Underpants with the class. Before reading, I would encourage the children to share what they already know about space and ask them questions such as what they think an alien might look like and where they think aliens live. This would help to spark their curiosity and encourage discussion. During the story, I would pause at different points to ask prediction and comprehension questions, allowing the children to engage with the text and develop their listening and communication skills.
Following the story, we would discuss the different characters and events, focusing on the imaginative way the author presents aliens. The children would be encouraged to describe the aliens using a range of vocabulary and compare them with humans. This discussion would also provide opportunities to introduce simple space-related vocabulary, such as planets, stars, rockets, astronauts, and galaxies.
The main activity would involve the children creating their own alien artwork. They would be encouraged to use their imagination to decide what their alien looks like, including how many eyes, arms, or legs it has, as well as its colours and unique features. Once their artwork is complete, each child would have the opportunity to talk about their alien by giving it a name, describing the planet it comes from, and explaining what makes it special. This would encourage creativity while also developing oral language and confidence when speaking in front of others.
To extend the learning, the children could take part in imaginative role-play by pretending to travel through space on a mission to meet friendly aliens. They could work together to solve simple problems, explore new planets, and create stories about their adventures. This type of play encourages collaboration, communication, and imaginative thinking while reinforcing the theme introduced through the story.
Extension Activities:
Art: Design and decorate your own rocket.
Materials; toilet roll, tin foil, red felt paper, yellow & orange card for the fire coming out of the rocket. Black marker for windows. Scissors for cutting.
Maths: 2D & 3D shapes worksheets based on a Space theme.
Music: The Planets Song. Singing and performing. -
This lesson on Stars would use the ESESRO Space Week resources to introduce children to the wonders of the night sky through hands-on learning. The lesson would begin with the GAIA 1 billion + stars animation and child led conversation about what stars are, when we can see them, and how they appear to twinkle in the night sky.
Through hands-on exploration, pupils would investigate different star shapes and sizes using construction materials (STEAM), create star patterns with loose parts, and sort and count stars as part of mathematical activities. Using torches and star-shaped templates in a darkened classroom, children could explore how light helps us to see stars and investigate shadows and brightness. They would predict, observe, and discuss their findings.
My Infants could work collaboratively in small groups to create simple constellations using stickers, connecting lines, or peg boards, encouraging communication, problem-solving, and creativity. Outdoor learning opportunities include searching for star shapes in nature and creating large star patterns with natural materials. As with all successful Science lessons, this one would integrate the skills of fostering observation, questioning, investigation, and mathematical thinking while nurturing children’s natural curiosity about space through enjoyable, play-based, discovery learning. -
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I would use the Activity Set: Space and Aliens with my junior primary class as part of a one or two week thematic unit on space. I particularly like the activity where children design their own alien and describe its features. I would begin by reading a picture book based on space to introduce the topic and encourage discussion about what children think aliens might look like. We would then brainstorm descriptive words together and create a word bank on the board.
Next, each child would design their own alien using art materials and write or dictate a short description explaining its appearance, where it lives, what it eats, and how it travels. For children who need extra support, I would provide sentence starters such as, “My alien has…” and “It lives on…”. More confident writers could write a longer story about their alien’s adventures.
To extend the learning, students would work in small groups to create a habitat for their alien using recycled materials. They would present their creations to the class, explaining why their alien needs that particular environment to survive. This would develop oral language, teamwork, and creative thinking while also introducing basic scientific concepts about habitats and living things.
I like this activity because it integrated literacy, art, science, and oral language in a meaningful way. It encourages imagination while giving children opportunities to communicate their ideas, work collaboratively, and build confidence.
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