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ASSIGNMENT
Choose one of the activities or activity sets outlined in this module:
- Science skills and School Self Evaluation
- Online resources and tools
- Hands-on classroom themed activities
How would you use the activity in your classroom? Or What further steps might you take towards a STEM focused SSE?
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 one other participant’s post. -
To take further steps towards a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation, I would begin by examining how consistently science and STEM skills are currently developed across the school. The initial focus could be on the children’s ability to question, predict, investigate, measure, record and communicate their findings.
As part of the “gather evidence” stage, teachers could complete a short audit of current practice, resources and confidence levels. Pupil voice would also be important. A simple questionnaire or focus group could explore which science activities children enjoy, how often they work collaboratively and whether they feel they have opportunities to design their own investigations.
From this evidence, we could identify one achievable area for improvement, such as increasing the use of inquiry-based learning in every classroom. A practical target might be for each class to complete and digitally record one STEM investigation per term. Children could document their work using photographs, videos, voice recordings or digital learning journals on Seesaw or Book Creator. This would make the learning visible and provide useful evidence of progression.
Teachers could share successful activities and resources at staff meetings, while older and younger classes could work together on a whole-school STEM challenge. At the end of the agreed period, we could review pupils’ work, gather feedback and evaluate whether their confidence and scientific skills had improved. I feel that keeping the focus specific, collaborative and manageable would help STEM become an embedded part of teaching and learning rather than an occasional stand-alone activity.
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I will use the hands-on classroom themed activity as younger children prefer to be active. Although I have covered what clothes to wear in hot/cold weather, I never thought to use the pupil’s coats. I will link it to the animals in the cold climate topic by checking what animals have to allow them to survive in extremely cold weather. Once they have thought of animals’ coats or blubber, I will ask them to examine their coats in groups. They can investigate what is similar and what is different. They may then design a coat that they think is best for very cold weather.
I also like how the investigation using ice cubes melting introduces the concept of fair testing – one being in the sunlight, one being in the shade. This is simpler than what I usually do as I put four ice-hands with different food colourant on the four table groups. One is closer to the radiator, one closer to the door, one in the sunlight and one in the shade. On reflection, although the pupils usually get there in the end, this is probably too complicated for infants to figure out what makes a fair test! They just like guessing which hand is going to melt first and why.
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I really like your idea of using the children’s own coats to investigate how animals survive in cold climates. It makes the activity very practical and relatable for younger pupils. I also agree that keeping the fair test simple is important for infants. The two ice cubes in different locations would make it much easier for them to understand what a fair test means.
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I chose the Hands-on Classroom Themed Activities because I think children learn best when they are actively involved. As I’ll be teaching Second Class, I would use these activities to make science fun and encourage the children to ask questions and work together.
One activity I would use is a bridge-building challenge using paper, card and recycled materials. First, I would ask the children what they think will make the strongest bridge. They would then work in small groups to design and build their bridges before testing them to see how much weight they could hold. After that, they could make changes to improve their designs and test them again.
During the activity, the children would be using lots of science skills such as predicting, observing, testing and talking about what happened. They could take photos of their work and record their results with simple drawings or on the tablets.
This activity would also support a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation. We could collect photos of the children’s work, their results and their reflections to see how they are developing their science skills. As a school, we could then plan to include more hands-on STEM activities across the different class levels.
I think activities like this help children enjoy science because they are learning by doing. They also encourage teamwork, problem-solving and creativity, while making science more meaningful and enjoyable.
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I have little “STEM” boxes in my classroom (colourful photo storage boxes I got on Amazon) they contain lego, marbles, lollipop sticks, matchsticks, small jenga blocks; small plus plus blocks etc. They are just so handy to put out on tables for any activity described above and you can laminate and attach “STEM Challenges” to them too such as building bridges etc
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I really like the idea of the bridge-building challenge. I think the children would really enjoy getting to build and test their own bridges, especially when they get the chance to make changes and see if they can improve them. I also like how it brings so many different skills together without the children necessarily realising they are learning science! Using the tablets to take photos and record their results is a great idea too. It would be a really fun, hands-on activity that encourages teamwork, creativity and problem-solving while making science enjoyable.
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Hands On Lesson Plan: Modelling Our Connected Community
The pupils will have already finished ESERO Lesson 5 and built their own little houses out of recycled paper and cardboard. This project uses these little homes to help from the greater Carrigaline area.
I will split the class into 4/5 groups. Each group will look at a key local area and arrange their model houses around it. Bearing in mind the age group of my 2nd class (about 8 yrs old), I would use the following ideas as flexibly as possible to cater to children with various learning differences and styles and needs!
Group 1 Our School,- looking at green energy and community learning.
Group 2 The Playground & Drake’s Pool Tidal Pond, – looking at nature, playtime, and water.
Group 3 Carrigaline Library & Dunnes Stores Hub, – looking at the shared car park, community data, and shopping.
Group 4 Owenabue River & Estuary, – looking at how our water flows out to Crosshaven Harbour.
Group 5 Local Amenities – looking at landmarks like the church or local hotel.Step 1: The groups build their landmarks using clay/play dough and place their ESERO houses nearby. We will have a chat about whether each landmark is a “necessity” (things we really need, like a school or grocery store) or a “commodity” (things that make life fun, like a playground or a hotel).
Step 2: Children do a ‘Friday Box Bridge Challenge’. Using cardboard, straws, and lolly sticks etc from home, they will engineer working bridges to physically connect the different neighbourhoods across the river.
Step 3: We add some Future Tech to upgrade the town. The kids will use shiny foil wrappers for solar panels on the school roof, bottle caps for electric vehicle charging stations in the Dunnes/Library car park, and toothpicks to design delivery drones, or whatever they come up with themselves…
Step 4: Looking at Weather, Tides, and Space. We will talk about how the changing seasons affect what the community needs and why our lives and activities in the community change according to weather events/ seasonal shifts as influenced by space. We will also look at how the playground tidal pool connects to the river and changes with the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon.
STEM Integration
For Science, we will look at solar energy, water flowing to the sea, and how the moon’s phases control our local tides.
For Technology & Engineering, the kids get to test out bridge structures and plan out future ideas like EV charging grids and drone flight paths.
For Maths, we will practice estimating travel times between different places and survey the class to gather data on weekly library and shopping trips.S.S.E. links
Lessons would be mapped to SSE domains for example:
Learner Outcomes (e.g. problem-solving, collaborative learning)
Teaching & Learning (e.g. active methodologies, use of questioning)
Learner Experiences (e.g. engagement, relevance to real life)I would also suggest a whole school approach to these lessons, following a similar style of work…
2nd class focus on Carrigaline (our village)
3rd class focus on Cork County
4th class focus on Munster
5th class focus on Ireland
6th class focus on Europe -
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I would adapt the ‘Animals in the Cold’ unit for Second Class pupils by deepening their inquiry into animal adaptations and environmental science. We would launch the lesson using Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman to prompt discussion about polar habitats, temperatures, and survival challenges at the Poles. To develop predicting, and observing skills, pupils will conduct a ‘greasy skin’ investigation. Children will predict what happens when water touches bare skin versus skin coated with Vaseline. Working in pairs, they will drip water onto both hands, observing how water beads off the barrier to understand how blubber and natural oils insulate polar bears and penguins. We will explore camouflage by investigating how animal colourations act as survival mechanisms. Pupils will conclude by writing and illustrating a short science report summarising how extreme cold adaptations work.
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I really like the idea of using The Snowman to introduce the topic as it would be a familiar and engaging starting point for the children. The greasy skin investigation sounds like a great hands-on activity too, as the children can make predictions and see the results for themselves. I also like that you have included a short science report at the end, as it gives the children a chance to explain what they have learned.
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Developing Science Skills and Enhancing School Self-Evaluation with a STEM Focus:
Our school already has well-established whole-school curricular plans. With the introduction of the new Primary Curriculum Framework and its stronger emphasis on STEM, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on our current SESE provision and look at how we can build on the excellent work already happening across the school.
I’d begin by gathering feedback from the whole school community. Staff could meet in class level groups to discuss what’s working well and where they feel we could develop further. I’d also like to hear the children’s views through simple surveys, discussions or creative activities, while parents could share their feedback using a short Google Form.
Once we’ve gathered everyone’s ideas, a small committee could review the feedback and agree on one or two achievable priorities. For example, we might develop a whole-school progression plan for STEM skills, organise an annual STEM Week and create shared STEM resource boxes that teachers can easily access. I’d also encourage teachers to share successful lessons and ideas during staff meetings and via Aladdin. Where needed, we could organise CPD to help build confidence in teaching STEM.
We’d review our progress regularly at In-School Leadership meetings, staff meetings and keep planning and resources on our shared google drive so they’re easy for everyone to access.
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Teacher Reflection – Module 4
I look forward to using the ESA/UNAWE online resources in my classroom, as I was not aware of these sites before completing this course. The Marvin and Milo cartoons and experiments are something I will definitely explore further. They are fun, simple, and very child‑friendly, and I know my class would enjoy them while learning real science concepts.
For my own teaching, I would use the Animals in the Cold lesson. It fits well with the work we usually do after Christmas on habitats and seasonal changes. I would start by discussing animals in our own environment and how they keep warm in winter. I like introducing topics through books, so I would use Little Penguin and The Polar Bear and the Snow Cloud, along with the pictures provided in the resource pack.
Videos of the North Pole would help the children compare weather there with winter in Ireland. Using pictures to discuss how animals stay warm — thicker coats, extra fat, feathers, and grease — supports good questioning and observation. The Vaseline experiment is a simple way to show how waterproofing works. We would link this back to how humans add extra layers when we are cold. Follow‑up art activities could include making penguins or polar bears.
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ESERO has some excellent downloadable resourcesThe activity I would use from these would be ‘Where do you live?’. I would use this with junior classes. I like this activity as it involves modelling and the development of fine motor skills and creativity. As an introduction for this activity I would use the story ‘The Three Little Pigs’. This is a story the children would already be familiar with and it allows for discussion around different types of houses. I would extend this discussion to include what a house should provide. Through a Think, Pair, Share activity I would allow the children to generate their own ideas.
Leading on from the discussion of the houses in the Three Little Pigs, I would have a whole class discussion on the type of houses the children live in. Then, making use of the downloadable worksheet which shows different house types the children could circle the house that is closest to the one they live in and use coloring pencils to match the color of their house. The children can then use this worksheet as a reference to make a model of their house using play dough or modelling clay.
Once the children have completed their models, they can be grouped together to create a village display. This display can then be used as a source of discussion around what else is needed in a village, for example, school, shops, doctor, park, etc. -
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Lesson- Animals in the cold (2nd class)
I would begin the lesson by showing images of animals such as polar bears and penguins and asking the children to identify how they have adapted to survive in cold environments. Through questioning and discussion, I would encourage them to explain how features such as thick fur, blubber, waterproof feathers and body shape help these animals live in icy conditions. Rather than providing answers, I would guide the children to make predictions and justify their thinking using evidence from the images.
Next, I would ask the children to work in pairs to investigate another habitat and research an animal that lives there. They would identify its physical or adaptations and record their findings using labelled drawings or a simple fact file. To make it more simple, I might try and use an animal which they are already familiar with such as a camel. Depending on the class level, I might also use this as a buddy activity lesson where an older child partners up with a younger child to aid them in learning about the different animals. Throughout the lesson, I would use open-ended questions to encourage enquiry and self-discovery. To conclude, the children would share their findings with the class and reflect on the different ways animals have adapted to survive in a range of environments, recognising that all adaptations help meet the needs of their habitat.
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Junior Infants could explore the theme of cold weather through engaging, hands-on activities that encourage language development, scientific thinking, and play-based learning. Children can participate in activities such as sorting pictures of clothing into “cold weather” and “hot weather” categories, dress paper dolls in suitable winter clothing, and create cotton wool snow scenes. We use the Rainbow Oral Language programme in our school for Junior Classes and there are lovely posters on the Arctic/Antarctic which could provide a really good starting point to discuss cold weather and appropriate clothing for it.
The children could investigate animals that live in cold places, such as penguins and polar bears, by matching animals to their habitats and discussing how they stay warm. Sensory play with ice, snow-themed small world play, and role-play in a “winter clothing shop” could further develop vocabulary and oral language. Fine motor skills could be supported through cutting, sticking, threading scarves, and winter-themed playdough activities.
These activities support the School Self-Evaluation process by promoting active, collaborative learning and developing pupils’ oral language, observation, and problem-solving skills. It is quite straightforward to gather evidence of learning through observation, questioning, children’s work samples, and photographs of practical activities. A science journal (either whole class or individual) could be a good way to keep all observations and samples together. This information could be used to reflect on teaching approaches, monitor pupil engagement, and inform future planning for Science across the whole school, ensuring continuous improvement in learning experiences for all children.-
Louise, I like the idea of a science journal as a way to keep all observations and samples together. It allows the children to record their observations, think about what they have learned, encourage curiosity and remember their learning. I know that children in my class have always enjoyed showing their journals to their parents which only reinforces their learning.
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I choose the theme of ‘Where do you live?’. While teaching in Junior Infants over the past few years, the children have really loved engaging with this theme/topic. I base it all around the story of the three little pigs. We begin a discussion on where we live, what type of accommodation, with who etc. I read the story of the three little pigs and we sequence the story to gain more of an understanding of each step. The children love it. They know each house is made out of different materials. To allow for more STEM opportunities, I bring in hands on materials for each type of house. It allows for active, hands on learning and integration of arts and crafts, allowing the children to be creative. They use straw, lollipop stick and foam bricks. It’s a really lovely and effective lesson where many different houses are created by each child.
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I really like your use of the Fairy Tale, I might take this a step further and turn that Three Little Pigs activity into a proper engineering challenge by having the kids test their houses against a “Big Bad Wolf” hairdryer! I’d use this lesson to show staff how easily STEM can be integrated, tracking pupil engagement to hit our hands-on inquiry SSE targets.
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<u>Animals in Cold Climates</u>
I would introduce the lesson with a brainstorm about how humans manage to stay warm when they go outside in cold weather. We would make a list on the board. Then I would pose the question – What do animals do in cold climates? They cannot put on clothes or boots. How do they stay warm and survive?
I will introduce the word ADAPTATION and explain it simply.
We will focus on the following – Thick Winter Coats, Blubber, Smart Behaviours
Thick Winter Coats: I will get the children to think about this in relation to household pets initially – Do you have a cat/dog that is furrier/fluffier during the winter and sheds their hair in the summer? Then we will explore a number of cold climate animals – Polar bears and Arctic Foxes
Blubber: I will explain what blubber is and we will explore a number of animals that have blubber – whales, seals, penguins. We could also do the Blubber Glove experiment which involves coating a rubber glove in vaseline (lard) and submerging your hand in icy water whilst wearing it, then comparing this to putting your hand into the water without the protection. This would help the children understand how blubber works.
Smart Behaviours: Again we will brainstorm what type of behaviours animals in cold climates might have. We will focus on exploring – Moving and Huddling, Migration, Hibernation.
There is so much to explore here, I envisage it will result in follow up lessons focusing on Migration and Hibernation in particular.
Project – Children will work together in pairs to research and do a simple project on an Arctic Animal of their choice. The will use the IPads and the class library to research and they will present their project to the class.
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Module 4 Aminals in the Cold
I’d start off by getting the kids gathered on the rug and throwing up a few pictures of polar bears and penguins on the board. I’ll ask them what they put on when it’s freezing outside—they always shout out “big coats!” and “woolly hats!” I’ll use that to explain that animals don’t have shops for clothes, so nature gives them built-in waterproof fur and feathers to stay warm and dry.
<p data-path-to-node=”1″>Next, I’d send them back to their tables for the experiment. To stop them getting restless, I’ll have an SNA or helper at each table with Vaseline and water droppers. I’ll put a tiny dab of Vaseline on the back of each child’s hand to mimic animal oil, leaving their other hand bare.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”2″>Then, I’ll drop a bit of water on both hands and let them compare. They’ll love seeing the water soak into the clean hand while it just beads up and slides off the greasy one. To finish up, I’ll bring them back together to chat about how that oil stops icy water from touching the animal’s skin, and then let them draw their own waterproof penguin!</p>
Moving forward towards a STEM focused SSE, I’d gather baseline data by getting feedback from the staff on their STEM confidence and surveying the pupils on their interest in science. Next, I’d focus our SSE target on hands-on inquiry, align skills across all year groups, and register us for a Curious Minds Award to keep the momentum going.Link to Mind Map
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Online Resources and Tools
Using Stellarium as a Space Resource: Stellarium is a brilliant resource for bringing space into the primary classroom in a fun and interactive way. One of the biggest advantages for my school is that it can be downloaded and used offline, which is really helpful when our internet connection is unreliable. I would begin by introducing the children to the software and showing them how it recreates the night sky from any location and at any time of the year. Together, we could identify well-known constellations such as the Plough, locate planets like Jupiter, and observe how the stars appear to move across the sky. The children could work in pairs or small groups to compare the night sky in different seasons, spot patterns, and make predictions about what they might see at different times of the year. Using Stellarium alongside practical classroom activities would make space more meaningful, encourage curiosity, and help the children develop a stronger understanding of our solar system and the wider universe.
To further a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation, I would encourage the children to ask questions, make observations, and record their findings in STEM journals. Their work could be displayed in the classroom and referred back to throughout the year as we explore other STEM topics, helping them make connections across the curriculum. I could also gather evidence of learning through photographs, pupil discussions, and short reflection activities to help evaluate the impact of these lessons and identify areas for further development.
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I decided to choose the hands-on classroom themed activities because I think younger children learn best when they are busy and involved in what they are doing. One lesson I would use with my Junior Infant class would be based around the Ice Age. I think its a topic that most children would find really interesting because they usually love learning about mammoths and other animals that lived a long time ago.
To start the lesson, I would show a few pictures of what the Earth looked like during the Ice Age and have a chat about why it was so hard for animals to survive. We would talk about things like how cold it was, how difficult it would of been to find food and why some animals couldnt survive in those conditions and create a simple KWL chart to check back in on.After that, I’d bring the class outside and hide picture cards of different animals around the yard. The children would work in small groups to find them and decide if they think the animal could survive during the Ice Age, explaining their reasons to the rest of the class.
To finish the lesson, I’d add a simple STEM challenge. I’d tell the children that the animals need to get across an icy river to find food before winter gets worse. Using lollipop sticks, paper straws, cardboard and tape, each group would work together to build a bridge that was strong enough for the toy animals to cross. Once everyone had finished, we would test each bridge and see which ones worked the best. I think this would be a really fun way to finish the lesson because it gets the children thinking, working together and solving problems while still linking back to the Ice Age topic. Ive done the bridge builing one before and the kids always love it.
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I agree that younger children learn better with hands on activities. I have 1st class for the second time this year and they loved being active! Great idea doing a lesson about the Ice Age, I feel like the children would love learning about this. It is also so easy to integrate it into other subjects such as art, drama, english, pe etc.
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I would pick the hands-on classroom themed activities. As I am teaching first class in September, I feel that this would work really well as it keeps them more excited about the lesson. I find that children are more interested and engaged when they get the opportunity to actually explore and try things for themselves rather than just listening to an explanation.
One activity I could do with my class is “Which material makes the best umbrella?” I would give the children different materials such as paper, kitchen roll, tinfoil, plastic and fabric. I would first ask them which material they think would be best at keeping water out and allow them to make a prediction. They could then work in small groups to test each material using a small amount of water and observe what happens. Afterwards, we could discuss which material worked best and whether their predictions were correct. I think this would be a simple but effective STEM activity as the children would be predicting, testing, observing and discussing their results. -
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The Activity set that I have chosen to discuss is ‘hands-on classroom themed activities’. The activity I particularly enjoyed from this module was the activity based around children’s coats. I think this activity could be changed and adapted in a variety of different ways to allow children to explore what would make a good insulator for example or maybe another example could be what materials could be used to make the coat waterproof. This is an excelled hands on STEM activities exploring materials and uses of materials and figuring out what would work best. This activity would also contribute towards our whole school self evaluation plan as we aim to promote and improve STEM activities in our classroom. The children would have to gather evidence/ ideas as to what result they need. Perhaps this coat might be designed and then actually made for teddy and they can all show off their designs.
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I really like this idea, especially how you could adapt the activity to explore different materials and their properties. Making the coat for a teddy would make it even more engaging and meaningful for the children. It’s a great hands-on STEM activity that encourages creativity, problem-solving and teamwork, while also linking nicely with your school’s STEM goals.
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The ESERO lesson that really interested me was Lesson 5: Where Do You Live?. I would start the lesson by reading A Place Called Home by Kate Baker, which I have used for years. It is a great book for showing children how people live in different parts of the world, with examples such as snow-covered wooden houses in Greenland, mud huts in Africa and Mongolian yurts. It would be a lovely way to get the children thinking about how climate and culture can influence the homes people live in.
We would then talk about the different types of homes we have here in Ireland and use a think-pair-share activity to allow the children to talk about their own homes. Using the ESERO worksheet, they could identify which type of home is most similar to theirs.
To make the lesson more hands-on, I would give the children small Jenga blocks or building blocks and let them build a model of their home. We could then put all the houses together to create a village or community. This would lead into a discussion about what else a community needs, such as schools, shops, parks and other amenities.
Finally, we could bring it back to the children’s own local area and look at the different amenities in our village. I think this would be a really engaging way for children to understand the idea of homes, communities and what people need to live well.
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I would choose the hands-on classroom-themed activities, particularly a “Save the Egg” STEM challenge. I think this would be an engaging activity for children as it provides them with a real problem to solve. The challenge would be for pupils to design and build a protective container that would prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from a set height. I would begin by discussing what happens when an object falls and why some materials might provide better protection than others. In groups, pupils would be given a selection of materials such as paper, cardboard, straws, cotton wool, tape and recycled materials. They would first make a prediction and draw a design for their container. They would then build their design and test it by dropping the egg from a safe height. The groups could examine the results and discuss what worked well and what could be improved. This activity would develop a range of STEM skills, including problem-solving, predicting, designing, testing, evaluating, communication and teamwork. It would also encourage pupils to understand that scientists and engineers often need to try different solutions before finding the most effective one. I would use this activity as an opportunity to encourage children to explain their thinking and learn from both successful and unsuccessful attempts.
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I will be teaching junior and senior infants this coming year and have chosen to look at the hands-on classroom themed activities. young children learn better when they are actively engaged and participating. I want my science lessons to be fun and engaging. I want the student to be inquisitive but also work together together to answer some of these questions.
I would like to look at the topic of cold weather, something we are used to here in Ireland! This theme allows for cross- curricular integration. I would start by discussing the items of clothes we wear during hot and cold weather. I would bring in the seasons and discuss whether we wear some clothes in more than one season. Children would then sort the clothes into hot and cold categories. Using our own dress up box, children can dress someone in an outfit for hot and cold weather. We will compare the outfits. For oral language development, children will describe the outfits. During art, children can create their own outfit using materials in the class. Using the Rain, wind and storm activity to finish up. Linking to Geography, we would look at animals habitats and what animals live in a hot or cold habitat. Linking to Gaeilge we would look at An Aimsir agus Éadaí. Using playdough, children would work on their fine motor skills by creating items of clothing.
All these activities involve the SSE process as children are being active learners, tehy are working collaboratively whilst also developing skills such as observation, predicting and problem-solving. I like to use a scrap book in infants to showcase their work and learning for SESE. This includes samples of their own work, pictures during experiments and STEM activities.
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I would also chose the hand on activities. Children love when they can get involved with the experiment. I love that these activities are easy to set up and can lead to other teaching opportunities.
Activities: Where do we live?
I would have the children bring in photos of their house /or to bring in some history pictures of houses from their local village and what the house were like than. the children can compare what’s the same and what is different.
After having this discussion i would get material that match what we were talking about. the children can build the past and present village.
You can continue to weather and how might clothes that was worn for each weather. You can also include the past and present clothes to show them the same and different the clothes were.
I also liked the ice experiment. I did do it in the winter when we had the snow and how it melted in different outside, in the sun and the shade. I never would have thought to do it on a sunny day to see how in the sun and shade and see the effect on the ice.
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There are so many good lessons and resources mentioned in this module and I was not aware of any of these before this course. ESERO has some excellent downloadable resources as do UNAWE.
I would teach a hands on themes lesson based Animals in the Cold. This would tie in with our schools plans which look at the explorer Tom Crean in the Antarctic. I would first ask the children what we do to keep warm in the winter and what animals in Ireland do (hibernation) warm woolly coats etc.
I would then show the children some arctic and Antarctic animals and ask them to suggest how they stay warm.
I myself have been to the Antarctic, and can show children images of me and the various animals I saw there. I can show them the think heavy layered coat that we all had to wear. We will discuss Blubber and feathers and how they might keep the animals warm.
Following these discussions we will do the butter/blubber experiment with ice , butter and feather. Using sandwich bags children can put their hand into the icy water. One sandwich bag will be coated in butter and one with feathers and children can observe and predict for themselves if they notice a difference between the water temperature.
Further learning could include:
1 Trying some other materials, like wool , cotton, leather, fleece, paper, or aluminum foil. Which ones do you expect to keep you warm/ be good insulators? Do your test results agree with your predictions?
2 Now that children know some good thermal insulators, can they design a survival suit for a scientist working in the Arctic, or a mountain climber exploring Mount Everest? Once done with the design, look up what people living or working in extreme cold conditions wear.
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I would use the Weather activity set with my First Class because it links really well with topics we already cover during the year. I think the children would enjoy learning about weather through practical activities instead of just talking about it. I especially like the “Investigating Children’s Coats” activity because it gets the children thinking about which materials are best and why. They could make predictions, test different materials and talk about their results together.
I would also use the “What Clothes to Wear” activity as it is something the children can relate to in their own lives. They could sort clothes for different types of weather and explain their choices. This would also help develop their speaking skills and vocabulary.
I think these activities would keep the children interested because they are hands-on and encourage them to ask questions. It would also help them develop important science skills like observing, predicting and recording results in a simple way. Overall, I think this would be a fun topic that links science with everyday life and would work well alongside maths, art and oral language lessons. -
I would use some of the online resources from this module to make our space lessons a bit more interesting. I think websites like Stellarium would be a great way to show the children what the night sky looks like and help them spot stars and constellations. It would make the lesson more interactive than just looking at pictures in a book.
I also like the idea of using the ESA Kids website because it has lots of videos and activities that are suitable for young children. I think these would help explain some of the harder ideas in a simple way. After using the online resources, I would get the children to draw something they learned or complete a simple investigation in groups.
Using these websites would help keep the children engaged and give them another way to learn about science. I also think it would build their confidence using technology in the classroom. Overall, I would definitely use these resources again because they are easy to access, enjoyable and support hands-on learning instead of just reading from a textbook -
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I would choose the hands-on classroom themed activities because I think they are very suitable for Junior Infants. Young children learn best when they can explore, investigate and learn through play. I would use a space-themed STEM activity where the children design and build their own rockets using recycled materials such as cardboard tubes, paper, boxes, straws and blocks.
Before beginning, I would read a space-themed story to the children to introduce the topic. A useful resource would be NASA’s “Hooray for SLS!”, which is designed for young children aged 3–8 and introduces them to rockets and space exploration. I could also show a short, age-appropriate video of a real rocket launch, such as the Artemis II launch, so the children could see what a real rocket looks like and how it launches.
I would then ask questions such as, “What do you think a rocket needs?”, “Which materials could we use?” and “How could we make our rocket stronger?” The children could work together to plan, build and improve their designs. I would encourage them to test their ideas and explain what they discovered.
I would take photographs and record some of the children’s comments during the activity and share these on Seesaw. This would provide families with a digital record of the children’s learning. I could also use the children’s questions and observations to plan further STEM activities. NASA also provides hands-on space activities and resources that could be adapted for young learners.
I feel that using real-life resources alongside practical activities would make STEM more meaningful for the children and encourage them to become curious, confident and enthusiastic young learners.
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I would like to try the activity from Esero called ‘Hot and Cold’. I think this would be a fun one to do with the class. It is a very active, hands on lesson which I think is very important. I like the idea of starting the lesson with the children deciding if the statements are true or false. This makes the children really start thinking before you get into the main lessons. I feel the children know the basics – the sun is hot, it is only visible during the day, etc, but I don’t think many have really thought about why! This lessons leads them to really building on prior knowledge, while being active and moving around. I think they would really enjoy the ice cube activity.
Finishing the lesson with the ‘When it is hot’ game is a lovely conclusion to a very fun lesson. -
I would begin the lesson for infants by showing a short PowerPoint presentation featuring animals that live in cold environments, such as polar bears, penguins, seals, arctic foxes, and walruses. The presentation would include colourful images and simple prompts to encourage discussion. I would ask the children what they notice about each animal and where they think it lives. We would talk about how these animals live in very cold places and discuss simple adaptations such as a polar bear’s thick fur or a penguin’s feathers that help keep them warm.
The children would then take part in a sorting activity. Working in small groups, they would sort pictures of animals into two categories: animals that live in cold places and animals that live in warm places. We would discuss their choices and encourage them to explain their thinking. Following this, the children would complete a simple colouring and drawing activity. They could colour a polar bear or penguin and add features that help the animal survive in the cold, such as fur, feathers, ice, and snow.
To conclude the lesson, we would share our work. The children would identify one cold-weather animal and describe one feature that helps it survive. Through discussion, observation, and hands-on activities, the children would develop an awareness that different animals are suited to different environments and that animals have special features that help them survive in their habitats.
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I really enjoyed reading your reflection and agree that practical STEM activities can make learning much more meaningful for pupils. I particularly liked your point about giving children opportunities to work collaboratively. I think allowing pupils to test ideas, make mistakes and improve their work is an important part of developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It would also be interesting to use photographs or pupil reflections as evidence of learning and as part of the school’s SSE process.
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Hi Una,
I really like this idea, especially the sorting activity, as it gives the children a chance to discuss their choices rather than just being given the answers. The PowerPoint would also be a great visual introduction for infants. I like how you have combined discussion, hands-on learning and art, while still keeping the science focus clear and age appropriate 🙂
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I would choose the start hands-on classroom themed activities from this module as I feel that practical, engaging activities are an effective way to develop children’s interest in STEM. I would use these activities in my classroom to encourage pupils to explore, investigate and solve problems rather than simply learning scientific facts. For example, I could provide pupils with a STEM challenge where they have to design and build a structure using a limited number of materials. Pupils could work in small groups, discuss their ideas, test their designs and make improvements based on what they discover.
I think this type of activity supports an inquiry-based approach to learning and allows children to develop important skills such as predicting, observing, measuring, communicating and evaluating. It also provides opportunities for collaboration and creativity, while allowing pupils with different strengths to contribute. As a teacher, I would use questioning throughout the activity to encourage pupils to explain their thinking and reflect on their learning.
I would also document the pupils’ work through photographs, drawings and reflections. These could be used as evidence of STEM learning and could contribute to School Self-Evaluation (SSE) by helping the school identify strengths and areas for development in STEM education.</p> -
I would use the hands-on classroom activities with my class as I think young children learn best when they can actually do something and explore it for themselves. I would choose an activity based around space, such as making a simple rocket or exploring how things move. I would start by asking the children what they think will happen and allow them to make some predictions before we begin.
The children could work in small groups and use different materials to make and test their ideas. I would encourage them to talk about what they are doing and make changes if something does not work the first time. We could take photographs of the different stages and look back at them afterwards.
I think these activities would help develop important STEM skills such as questioning, predicting, testing, observing and problem-solving. They would also give the children opportunities to work together and share their ideas. I would keep photographs and examples of their work as a record of their learning. This could also be useful for SSE as evidence of STEM and inquiry-based learning happening in the classroom. -
Hands-On Classroom Activities – The Arctic
Prior to these activities, the children will have completed several lessons exploring the Arctic region, including the animals that live there, their habitats and the weather conditions. A classroom display board with laminated pictures and simple information about the topic will provide a visual reference.
The activities can be completed during play as stations or as morning carousel/table-top activities.
Play Dough Station
Children will use play dough and laminated mats to create Arctic-themed objects and animals, such as polar bears, walrus teeth, icebergs, snowballs, snowflakes, polar bear dens and footprints. The mats are available from Twinkl. This activity supports fine-motor development, creativity and vocabulary.
Small World Station
Small trays from Dealz/Mr Price can be used to give each child their own space. The trays will contain artificial snow, small white beads and a laminated Arctic scene. Children can use miniature Arctic animals to create their own habitats and engage in imaginative play. The animals can be sourced from Amazon.
Construction Station
Using wooden blocks and small Arctic animal figures, children can create their own Arctic scenes, including polar bear dens, animal habitats, the ocean and icebergs. This encourages creativity, problem-solving and spatial awareness.
Role-Play Station – Arctic Explorers
An area of the classroom will be transformed into an Arctic environment where children can pretend to be explorers. Props such as staffs and torches can be provided.
The area can include:
• White felt/material for snow
• Blue material for the ocean
• White-painted tinfoil for snowballs
• White-wrapped boxes for icebergs
• Teddies representing Arctic animals
Children can explore the environment, search for animals and use vocabulary from previous lessons, such as Arctic, iceberg, habitat, polar bear, walrus, seal, snow and explorer. -
I would choose the hands on activities from this lesson. I think that hands on activities engage the children more easily and keep them interested for longer. The children will also be more likely to remember and get something out of the lesson if they have actually participated in it.
I would do the effects of heat and cold on ice cubes lesson. I think that the children would love predicting if the ice cube will melt or not and would love to see the activity in action.
I would start the lesson with the red and blue paper idea and end it when we come back in to the classroom and having the children go to the areas that align with the senarios the teacher gives them.
I would also link it with sese lessons on hot and cold and art lessons on texture and clothing.
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I chose the “Investigating Children’s Coats” activity from the weather activity set. I think this would be a useful hands-on STEM activity because it connects science to something familiar and relevant to children’s everyday lives. I would begin by asking the children what makes a good coat for different types of weather. We would look at a range of coats and discuss their materials, thickness, waterproof qualities and ability to keep us warm.
I would then encourage the children to make predictions about which materials would provide the best insulation. Working in groups, they could carry out a simple investigation using containers of warm water and different materials to represent the coats. They could observe and record temperature changes and discuss their results. This would develop important STEM skills such as predicting, observing, measuring, recording data and drawing conclusions.
As part of a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation, I would use evidence from the activity, including photographs, children’s observations, predictions and completed investigations. This could help identify how effectively children are developing scientific thinking and problem-solving skills across the school. It would also support future planning and encourage more opportunities for practical, inquiry-based STEM learning. -
I would choose the Where Do You Live? activity because I think it would be a fun way to introduce Science to First Class and get the children thinking about the world around them. I would start by chatting with the children about where they live and what they see around them, such as houses, trees, roads, parks and animals. We could then look at different places and talk about what is the same and what is different.
To make it more hands-on and creative, I would give the children different recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes, paper, lolly sticks, wool and paper cups. In small groups, they could work together to build their own model of a place to live. They could decide what they wanted their area to look like and add houses, trees, roads, animals and anything else they thought would fit. I think the children would really enjoy getting creative and working together.
While they are building, I would encourage them to ask questions, make predictions and explain why they have included certain things. At the end, each group could show their model to the class and talk about what they made.
I think this would be a great activity for developing Science skills such as observing, questioning, comparing and communicating. It would also encourage teamwork and creativity and make Science more enjoyable and hands-on for the children.
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Steps towards a STEM focused SSE, was something that really interested me in this module as it is the area in the new curriculum that my school is planning to focus on next. I think it was really helpful to realise that the elements play such an important role in the STEM curriculum rather than just the strands as that would be something our school planning often used to concentrate on. I think first of all most important thing is too gather evidence in a manner that doesn’t overwhelm staff and children as if it is too intensive people might not engage. A short survey for the staff members and gather information from the pupils through the student council.
Moving on from the gathering evidence stage, an area of improvement needs to be identified perhaps using more hands on activities or inquiry based learning. The implementation is often where SSE can fail in our school as we concentrate on too big a concept or try to do too much too quickly. So I think perhaps a targeted year groups could put in place the STEM focus such as more hands on activities and then the children and teachers report back after a set time and then present to the staff in a staff meeting. The focus needs to be on collaboration and continued improvement rather than doing a hands on activity once and saying that is SSE completed.
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I would choose the learning experience “Where do you live?” as I feel that it can become a hands-on learning activity and provides other open-ended learning opportunities. This activity covers all areas of STEM and also other curricular areas such as literacy and the arts. To begin, the children would discuss their homes and what is near their homes in the local area. We would use Googlemaps street view to view some different homes and talk about the different elements. There’s always great excitement and engagement when the children see buildings they recognise on the whiteboard! The children would begin planning the construction of their homes by designing it on paper and thinking about what materials they would use for different parts of their home. They would be provided with a range of materials such as cereal boxes, tin foil, felt, paper, lollipop sticks, match sticks, paper cups, straws, pipe cleaners and wool. The children would be encouraged to handle and investigate some of the materials before choosing what they would use. I would guide them by asking “Which materials are strong?, Which are flexible?, Which are easy to bend?, Which are good for making walls? and Which could be used for supports?”. Afterwards, the children would put all their houses together to make a our village. They would discuss what other amenities are needed in the area such as shops, playgrounds, churches, community centres and pitches. Overtime, the children could built additional structures to add to the village. For example, when making a playground the children could explore various ways of making swings and slide slides. Through an open-ended design and construction challenge such as this one, the children develop STEM skills by investigating material properties, applying scientific understanding of forces and stability, using mathematical concepts such as measurement and shape, and following an engineering design process to plan, build, test, evaluate and improve their model home.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>
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As a post-holder for STE, this is an area I would really like to focus on as part of our SSE process.
I think the curriculum is becoming very over-whelming and while Space Week, Science Week etc are great events I feel they can often be seen as an additional burden by class teachers.
I would love to embed the activities we would engage in on these Event Weeks into our regular day-to-day teaching of stem subjects. The skills acquired by children in doing science and maths are equally transferable across other areas of the curriculum and therefore I would love to see more consolidation or integration of the subjects across my school.
I think when I return to school I will need to look at the gaps that currently exist in the teaching and learning of STEM in my school, and from this establish a team to begin the SSE cycle for STEM. Undoubtedly the teachers in my school are working very, very hard but I just wonder are we getting bang for our buck when it comes to our efforts in teaching STEM and the only way we will know this is by putting STEM as our focus for SSE this academic year.-
I really agree with you Elaine, it can become overwhelming at times in schools where there is such a focus on literacy and numeracy, teaching the curriculum and then school events each week. Often times I even find myself that STEM activities can fall to the bottom of the list. It would be great to have these implemented into everyday activities and integrated across subjects rather than once off lessons.
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The Hot and Cold lesson would engage junior infants through simple, hands-on exploration of the Sun’s heat. I would begin with discussion and questioning to activate prior knowledge, encouraging children to predict and explain their ideas. The ice cube investigation would develop observation and scientific thinking as children compare what happens in sunlight and shade. Taking the class outdoors would provide meaningful, real-life learning and help children experience temperature differences firsthand. The hot and cold corner game would reinforce understanding through movement, drama, and active participation while developing listening skills. Overall, the lesson promotes curiosity, prediction, observation, communication, and early scientific understanding in an enjoyable way.
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I agree that this lesson is a great way to introduce junior infants to scientific exploration. The combination of discussion, prediction, and hands-on activities makes learning both meaningful and enjoyable. I particularly like the use of the outdoors and the hot and cold corner game, as these give children the opportunity to learn through real-life experiences, movement, and play. These activities would also help develop their communication and observation skills while encouraging curiosity about the world around them.
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I would use the Animals in the Cold activity set in my classroom to help students explore how weather and temperature affect living things. This activity would fit well within a STEM-focused science lesson because students can observe, ask questions, make predictions, collect information, and explain their findings. I would begin by showing students pictures of different animals that live in cold environments and asking them how they think each animal survives. Students could then investigate features such as fur, feathers, blubber, body size, and behaviour.
To extend the activity, students could work in small groups to design a simple model or “coat” that helps an ice cube stay cold or melt more slowly. They would test different materials, record their results, and compare which design provided the best insulation. This would introduce engineering design and scientific inquiry while connecting directly to the idea of how animals stay warm in cold climates.
Further steps could include having students research a local animal and compare its adaptations with those of an Arctic animal. They could create a digital presentation, poster, or short video to share their findings. This activity encourages curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication, which are all important STEM skills.
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I would choose the online resource and tools activity focusing on Marvin and Milo and adapt it for Junior Infants. I think Marvin and Milo would be a fun way to introduce the kids to simple STEM concepts through stories, experiments and hands on learning.
I’d begin by introducing marvin and milo to the kids and showing them a short activity or experiment. Before starting I’d ask them what they think might happen and encourage them to make predictions. Because they are Junior Infants, the activity would be very simple and focus on observation and questioning or describing what they can see.
I would also allow them to work in small groups and record their learning through drawings. This would support oral language, early scientific skills and collaboration. I like that Marvin and Milo can make STEM learning feel like play but aL so encourages children to be curious, ask questions and explore. I would use the resource regularly throughout the year to build their confidence and interest in STEM from an early age.
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I chose the activity “Investigating Children’s Coats” as I think it would be a practical and enjoyable science activity for my class. It would give the children an opportunity to investigate something that is part of their everyday lives while developing important science skills.
I would begin by asking the children which coats they think would keep them warmest and why. They could make predictions before carrying out the investigation. We could then look at different coats and materials and discuss their properties. The children could work in small groups, making observations, taking measurements and recording their results.
I particularly like this activity because it encourages the children to find things out for themselves rather than simply being given the answer. They would have to think about whether the test was fair and use the results to decide which material worked best. We could discuss whether their predictions were correct and why.
The activity also provides opportunities for maths through measuring and recording results, as well as literacy through discussion and explaining their findings. It could also lead into a STEM activity where the children design a coat suitable for keeping someone warm and explain the materials they would choose. Overall, I feel this activity would encourage curiosity, teamwork and problem-solving while developing the children’s understanding of science.
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I would use a hands on science activity with the very young children that I work with as I firmly believe that when they are actively involved they are learning through exploring, experimenting, asking questions and discovering things for themselves. A lesson that we have done in the past and which is always a hit is learning all about ice. I would start by having a short discussion on what the children already know about ice, asking questions is it hot\cold, could we make our own ice? During a very cold snap last year we all went outside , each child had a small container and they poured water into them. When we went out the following morning the children couldn’t believe that their water had frozen . We brought all the containers back in and then broke into smaller groups to discuss how we could melt the ice, is there anything in our room that we could use? They shared lots of ideas , we used warm water, left some containers near the radiator etc , photographing their input and writing down their observations which we used for a classroom display during science week.
This melting ice activity is an excellent STEM lesson as the children are exploring science, technology, engineering and maths through fun hands on play.
Science: children learn about ice, hot/cold, changes from solid to liquid.
Technology: Children can use various tools from around the classroom i.e droppers, spray bottles to see if that will help to help the ice melt faster.
Engineering: They can think of ways to make the ice melt faster/ slower, can you freeze the water again and test out their ideas.
Maths: comparing, predicting.
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I would use the “Investigating Children’s Coats” activity with Senior Infant class as it provides a practical and meaningful way for children to explore how we protect ourselves from different types of weather. I think this activity would work particularly well because children are familiar with wearing different coats and can relate the investigation to their own everyday experiences, and compare their own coats.
I would begin by looking at a selection of coats with the children and discussing why we wear different types of coats. I would encourage them to make predictions about which coat would be best for keeping someone warm or dry and explain their reasoning. The children could then investigate the coats by looking at their materials, thickness, fastenings and other features. We could also carry out a simple investigation to see which materials are waterproof, recording our findings together.
This activity would develop important STEM skills including questioning, predicting, observing, comparing and communicating. It would also provide opportunities for Maths through sorting and classifying the coats and for Oral Language through discussion and explaining their ideas.
I would extend the activity by asking the children to design the ideal coat for a particular type of weather. This would encourage creativity and problem-solving while allowing the children to apply what they had learned. Overall, I feel this activity would make STEM learning meaningful, hands-on and connected to the children’s everyday lives.-
Hi Denise! I really enjoyed reading your post. I think this is a great example of making STEM meaningful by connecting it to something the children experience every day. I particularly like the idea of investigating which materials are waterproof, as it gives the children a chance to make predictions and test their ideas for themselves. The extension activity of designing their ideal coat is also a lovely way to bring creativity and problem-solving into the lesson.
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Hi Denise, this sounds like a really lovely idea. It’s a great way to connect STEM to something the children experience every day. I also like the idea of designing their own coat as it would give them a chance to be creative while using what they learned. The waterproof investigation sounds like great fun too!
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Using Hands-on STEM Activities in Second Class
I would choose the Hands-on Classroom Themed Activities because I think children learn best when they are given opportunities to explore, investigate and learn by doing. In Second Class, I would use hands-on STEM activities to encourage pupils to work together, ask questions, make predictions and find solutions to simple problems.
For example, I could give groups of pupils a challenge to design and build a bridge using materials such as lolly sticks, paper, cardboard or Lego. Before starting, the children would discuss what makes a bridge strong and predict which design might work best. They would then work in groups to create their bridge, test it and make changes if necessary.
I would encourage pupils to talk about what worked well and what they would change. This would develop important science skills such as observing, predicting, investigating and communicating. It would also link Science with Maths, Engineering and Digital Learning.
As part of STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation, I would record pupils’ work through photographs, short videos and examples of their designs. I could use these records to reflect on how well pupils are developing STEM skills and to identify areas for further development. -
Hands-on classroom themed activity: Where do you live?
To begin this lesson I would start by showing pictures of different types of houses from all around the world. I would ask the children after each picture does it resemble their house and if not what is different about it. We would then have a classroom discussion about the different types of homes and things we find in our homes.
From here, I would give out a worksheet. On one half the children would draw the outside of their house and what it looks like. On the other half would be a template of a house and the children would divide the house into different rooms and they can draw or cut and stick different appliances, furniture etc that they have in their home.
Next, using Lego the children would build a small model of their home. They will add doors, windows, roof, chimneys etc. If they live in an apartment they can build the apartment block. Once everyone is finished they will put all their finished pieces together to create a small community. We will then discuss what is missing from the area such as shops, schools, churches, roundabouts, parks, playgrounds etc. They can then work together to make these things and add them to their community.
I believe this lesson is brilliant to develop their STEM skills as it incorporates lots of hands-on activities such as drawing, construction, critical thinking etc. In terms of SSE, we would display the Lego built local community in the school lobby for all the school and visitors to see. It might encourage other classes to do something similar or motivate them to take an interest in STEM subjects.
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I would choose the “Where Do You Live?” activity as I think it would provide a really engaging, hands-on STEM experience for young children. I would begin by using our class puppet, Murph, to introduce the topic. Murph could arrive with a suitcase and explain that he has been travelling around the world and has seen lots of different types of homes, but he is wondering why homes look so different in different places. This would immediately encourage the children to ask questions and share what they already know.
I would use storybooks about homes from different parts of the world to introduce children to a variety of houses and living environments. We could look at photographs and discuss what the homes are made from, what they look like and why people might choose to live in them. I would then use station teaching to allow the children to investigate different homes. Stations could include photographs, short videos, information cards and matching activities where children match homes to different countries or environments.
I would also make links between homes and climate. We could discuss why some homes need to be built differently depending on the weather. For example, houses in very cold places need to keep heat in, while homes in hot climates may be designed to keep people cool. This would encourage children to think about how people use design and materials to solve problems.
The main hands-on element would be for the children to design and build their own homes. Working in small groups, they could use materials such as Jenga blocks, clay, cardboard, lolly sticks and construction materials to create a model home. I would give them a simple challenge, such as designing a home for a particular climate, and encourage them to think about which materials and features would work best. They could test their designs and make changes if necessary.
To extend the activity, the children could draw a plan of their home before building it and then explain their finished design to the class. Photographs could be taken throughout the process and used as a digital record of their learning.
I think this activity would provide excellent opportunities for STEM, Literacy, Geography, Art and oral language. It encourages children to question, investigate, design, build, test and improve their ideas. I also think it reflects the aims of a STEM-focused approach by giving children a real-world problem to solve through creativity, collaboration and hands-on learning.
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I would choose the online resources and tools, particularly Stellarium, as I think this would be really engaging to use with 6th Class. The module highlights Stellarium alongside resources such as Milo and Marvin and ESA Kids as digital tools that can support the teaching of Space. I would introduce Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard first and allow the pupils to explore what the night sky looks like from our location. I think pupils would really enjoy identifying different stars and constellations and seeing how the sky changes depending on the date and time. After some whole-class exploration, I would allow pupils to use their Chromebooks in pairs to investigate a particular star or constellation. Each pair could record some interesting facts about what they find and then share their findings with the class. I would encourage pupils to ask questions throughout the activity and use these questions to guide further investigation. I particularly like this activity because it combines Science and digital learning in a meaningful way. It would give pupils more independence and allow them to explore Space in a way that would be difficult to recreate using a textbook alone. It would also encourage curiosity, questioning and communication, which are important science skills highlighted throughout the module 🙂
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Please find the lesson shown on video attached to the slides in the lesson. This is certainly one that would be helpful in 2nd-4th classes .
Curious Minds lesson plan on Air Resistance suitable for 3rd class
Lesson introduction : start the lesson my showing the children a piece of paper . Pose the question: What will happen if I let go of the paper in the air?
Record resultsDivide the children up into groups of three.
Supply each group with the same target- they must convert the paper into propellers like seen on a helicopter. The aim is to slow down the drop to the ground and get it to stay in the air for as long as possible.The children design the blades in any way they wish using the card and paper clips provided .
After ten minutes at the design stage the children drop the blades they have created from THE SAME HEIGHT so that it is fair test. To link with maths , the children time how long it takes the blades to reach the floor ( using a stop watch) Record the amount of seconds taken.Compare the design between the groups. Pose questions like – did the amount of paper clips used change the time ? Did the width of the “blades” change the time needed ? Did the length of the “blades” have an impact on time taken to reach the ground?
Day 2: repeat the above experiment in the SAME groups . What would you CHANGE to your experiment to extend the amount of time needed ?
Observation: Was it successful? Compare timings to previous lesson . ( make sure the test is fair and being dropped from same height as previous lesson)
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I would choose the **hands-on classroom themed activities** as I think children learn best when they are given the opportunity to explore and have fun while learning. I would use these activities to introduce topics such as stars, the Moon, planets and day and night in a way that is suitable for younger children.
For example, I could do a simple activity on constellations where the children create their own constellation using stars and then talk about what they think their pattern looks like. This would allow them to be creative while also developing their observation and questioning skills.
I would also encourage the children to ask questions and share what they already know about space. Their questions could then be used to lead into further activities or investigations. I think this would help to develop their natural curiosity and interest in STEM from an early age.
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I think the “What clothes to wear” activity is perfectly suited for a junior class. This activity is something that I think all children would find interesting as not only does it relate to their everyday lives, but it gives them an opportunity to take part in hands – on learning and gets them really involved in their own learning. It is definitely a fun and memorable learning experience. For this activity, I would begin by sitting the class in a circle with a large dressing-up box in the middle. I would tell them that we are going on different adventures and that we need to think carefully about what clothes we should wear for each one. I would invite a few children to choose clothes from the dressing-up box that they think would be suitable. I would then ask them why they picked those clothes and encourage the rest of the class to agree or disagree and explain their ideas. Next, I would change the scenario to all four seasons. Children will be invited to choose suitable clothing depending on the chosen season. Once again, I would then ask them why they picked those clothes and encourage the rest of the class to agree or disagree and explain their ideas.
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I would like to do What Clothes To Wear activity with my infants.The Discover Primary Science and Maths lesson plan Investingating Childrens Coats is very engaging for infant level and I think using childrens own coats will keep children highly motivated to engage with lesson.The suggestion for a pre-lesson on materials and associated vocabulary is great as a foundation for the lesson.It incorporates plenty of active hands on learning through games and scientific equipment such as magnifying glass.There is huge opportunity for oral language development through the Trigger Question as well as links to history ,geography and S.P.H.E.. The use of graphs and Caroll or Venn diagram can be easily incorporated into this lesson and using hoops and the children themselves to create the Venn diagram is brilliant.The follow up activity could be used as a pair/group activity especially if you have a mix of junior and senior infants.This lesson could be done alongside the theme of Éadaí during the year.
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For my second class the lesson which I’d chose to use is the ‘Hot and Cold’ hands on lesson. At the beginning I’d show the students two identical ice cubes and ask them which one is going to melt first? The one in sunshine or in the shade? And why?
I’d get the children to make predictions and record them giving reasons. Every five minutes the students could make observations and note which is melting quicker. We’d make sure to have both ice cubes in the same containers to promote fairness. When children see that the one in the sunshine has melted quicker we could have a discussion around why that has happened. I’d help introduce that sunshine gives us heat if the children were stuck.
We’d then engage in an ‘ice cube race’ where each child would place their ice cube in a place in the outdoor school environment and time how long it takes to melt. They would each take a photo of where they placed it and record why. We would have a whole class discussion afterwards to compare who’s melted fastest and why. This will consolidate the concept of the sun giving heat.
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For 2nd class, I would use hands-on activities to help the children understand how different materials keep us warm or cool and how animals adapt to their different climates. I would begin with a clothing investigation using the pupils’ own coats and various fabric samples.. The children could predict which materials would be best for cold or hot weather and record their findings. Next, we would connect this to how animals survive in extreme environments, showing pictures of polar bears, penguins, seals, and Arctic foxes to discuss what physical features act like their natural “coats.” I would still include the ‘blubber’ experiment using rubber gloves so the children can compare a thick layer of fat to the insulation provided by heavy winter jackets when placing their hands in cold water. Finally, we could sort both the clothing materials and different animals according to the climate they belong in, such as hot, cold, or temperate. These activities would encourage curiosity, prediction, observation, and teamwork while making the learning highly relevant and engaging for the children.
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>I enjoyed the series activities based around hot and cold in module 4. There are so many different activities that are appropriate to use with my senior infants in the coming academic year. I enjoy the use of a children’s coat to show how insulation and thermal protection works and comparing this with how animals for etc works in cold temperatures. I think that some of the ice cube experiments are very easy practical ways to demonstrate the concepts of hot and cold and to link it back to light and shadows from previous modules. We will place ice cubes in the shade and I the sun and predict and discuss what will happen to them. We will then check on their progress at set intervals and record through words or pictures what has happened. Tis could be repeated with the use of insulation to compare with the use of coats in winter time and contrasted with the findings if the first experiment.</p>
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Online resources & tools
I plan to use Stellarium as an interactive tool to support the Earth and Space strand of the Science curriculum. I will first demonstrate how to use Stellarium with the interactive whiteboard and as a group we will explore the stars, planets and constellations that are able to be seen with it. Students will then be able to explore on their own or in small groups using school iPads. To build ‘Working Scientifically’ skills, I will have pupils observe the current night sky, locate key constellations (such as the Plough or Orion), and predict how their positions will change over hours, months, or seasons. We can then fast-forward time within Stellarium to test their predictions directly. In small groups, children will take on the role of “space researchers.” They will use tablets to select a planet or constellation, track its movement across different times of the year, and take screenshots to annotate on their devices. They will then present their findings to the class, using the software to explain sky patterns, daylight variation, and seasonal shifts. -
That’s a really practical and fun idea! It’s also worth nothing that animals slow down their heart rates to help survive the cold while burning less energy. Fish and rabbits do this for example. For rabbits in winter especially the cost of periodic waking to feed is lessened this way.
I wonder could the children test this by jogging on the spot for 60 seconds, or do jumping jacks to get their hearts racing and blood pressure going before dipping hands in the water! Then they could repeat after calm long deep breaths, and try to slow their heart rates as much as possible – just to test for any difference in their temperature perceptions…
Thanks for your cerebrally stimulating idea 🙂
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This sounds like a very engaging and memorable activity for junior classes. The combination of the video, discussion and hands-on experiment would help make the idea of animal adaptation much easier for young children to understand. I particularly like how the children can experience the effect of insulation for themselves. Asking them to predict what will happen beforehand and describe how each hand feels afterwards would also develop their observation, communication and scientific thinking skills. It is a lovely way to integrate Science, Geography and STEM learning.
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I really like this idea. It links science with play, art and music, which makes the learning more meaningful and engaging for young children. The Vaseline experiment is a great hands-on activity and gives the children a chance to make predictions and see the results for themselves. I also like how you’ve planned to spread the learning over a few days, giving the children time to explore the topic in more depth. Tying it in with Christmas songs and activities is a lovely way to make the learning fun and relevant. It would keep the children interested while developing their understanding of how animals adapt to survive in cold environments.
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