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Hi Oonagh! I really like your idea of using Aliens in Underpants Save the World as an introduction. This is a fun and engaging way to capture the children’s attention. It always works so well in my senior infants class. They just love stories. I also like that you would allow the children to share their own ideas and make predictions before showing them how to create the rocket. This gives them an opportunity to think like scientists and encourages curiosity. The extension activities are also a great addition, particularly changing the balloon size and amount of air, as the children can see how different variables affect the rocket’s movement.
The activity which I would love to run in my classroom is the dancing raisin activity. I have used a similar lesson in the past to teach the force of sound vibrations using raisins and a speaker. I would love to use this lesson in conjunction with the dancing raisins gas and liquid lesson so that children can discover a range of forces acting on the raisins.
To begin the lesson and spark curiosity, the children will discover a mysterious letter from the class puppet Murph. The puppet will explain that he has heard about “dancing raisins” but cannot understand how raisins can move without being touched. The puppet will ask the children to become scientists and investigate the mystery. This will create curiosity and give the children a clear purpose for the activity.
The children will discuss what they think might happen and make predictions about what will happen when a raisin is placed in fizzy drink compared with still water. Children will think, pair and share and also record their predictions in their science journals. They will then work in small groups to carry out the investigation themselves. Each group will place raisins into both liquids and carefully observe what happens, looking closely at the bubbles and the movement of the raisins. They will discuss their observations and record their findings through drawings or simple sentences in their science journals.
During the investigation, I will encourage children to think about what they can see by asking questions such as, “What do you notice?”, “Why do you think the raisin is moving?” and “What is different about the fizzy drink?” Afterwards, the children will share their findings with the class. I can then introduce the simple idea that the fizzy drink contains carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles. The bubbles attach to the raisins and help them rise. When the bubbles reach the surface and disappear, the raisins sink again, making them appear to “dance.”
There is lots of opportunity here for cross-curricular links. Children could write a letter back to the puppet Murph explaining their findings. For Art, children could create drawings of the investigation, showing the raisins rising and sinking. For Maths, children could count the bubbles or raisins and compare their observations, while oral language could be developed as children discuss their predictions and findings within their groups.
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.
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.
Hi Dolores,
I really enjoyed reading your post. I think this would be a lovely activity for infants, especially using Aliens Love Underpants to capture their attention and encourage discussion. I really like the think-pair-square approach as it gives every child an opportunity to share their ideas. The role-play activity sounds like great fun too, and I love the idea of finishing with the children creating their own aliens using clay.
The activity set would use with my first class would be stars. I would introduce this topic with a gripping activity to immediately capture the children’s attention. I would use our class puppet, Murph, who could arrive in the classroom carrying a small box filled with star-shaped objects and explain that he has been looking up at the night sky but has lots of questions about the stars. I would ask the children to become “Space Detectives” and help Murph find out more. This would encourage the children to share what they already know and come up with questions of their own.
I would then use station teaching to allow the children to investigate different facts about stars. The stations could include photographs, short information passages, videos on iPads and activities where the children match facts or images. This would allow them to explore the topic in different ways and work collaboratively.
Following the station work, I would bring the class together for some whole-class teaching on constellations. We could look at familiar constellations and discuss how people have created pictures and stories from groups of stars. The children could then design their own constellation and explain what they think it represents.
To finish the activity, I would have the children make a star lantern. This would provide a creative, hands-on way to consolidate their learning. They could decorate their lantern with stars or their own constellation and then use it to create a “night sky” display in the classroom.
I think this activity would provide great opportunities for integration across Science, Art, Literacy and ICT. The children could record new facts in their Science journals, write a short story about their constellation and use photographs or videos to document their learning. This combination of inquiry, collaboration and creativity would make the learning about stars meaningful and memorable for the children.
Hi Dolores,
I really enjoyed reading your post. I love how you have made the lesson so hands-on and engaging, particularly using the balloons to represent the planets and the games to reinforce their learning. I also really like the idea of the children creating their own planet at the end, as it gives them an opportunity to be creative while applying what they have learned. Recording the activity through photographs for their scrapbooks is a lovely way to capture their learning too.
Shadows
I would introduce this activity using our class puppet, Murph, as I think using a familiar character would immediately capture the children’s attention and make the investigation feel meaningful to them. I could bring Murph outside and explain that he has noticed a strange dark shape following him everywhere he goes! I would ask the children, “What do you think it is? Where has it come from? Do you think we can make it change?” This would provide an engaging starting point for the children to share their ideas, make predictions and ask questions about shadows.
We would then begin our investigation by exploring Murph’s shadow. Working in small groups, the children could observe how the position of the Sun affects the size and direction of a shadow. We could take Murph outside at different points throughout the day and use chalk to draw around his shadow on the school yard. Each time, the children could record the time and observe whether the shadow has moved, become longer or become shorter. This would provide a very hands-on way for the children to see how shadows change throughout the day.
I would also incorporate ICT into the investigation. The children could use tablets to take photographs of Murph and his shadow at different times of the day. These photographs could then be used to create a simple digital sequence showing how the shadow changed. The children could compare the photographs and discuss what they noticed.
There would also be a strong opportunity to integrate Literacy into the activity. Following the investigation, the children could write a short report about “Murph’s Shadow Experience”, describing what happened to his shadow throughout the day and what they discovered. They could use their photographs, measurements and observations to support their writing. This would give the children a real purpose for writing and allow them to communicate their scientific findings through Literacy.
At the end of the investigation, we would regroup and revisit our original questions and predictions. The children could discuss their findings and explain why they think Murph’s shadow changed throughout the day. I think this activity provides excellent opportunities for inquiry-based learning, as the children are actively observing, questioning, predicting and gathering evidence for themselves.
I feel that the integration of Science, Maths, Literacy and ICT in this activity is particularly valuable and is highly reflective of the new Primary Curriculum Framework, which promotes meaningful connections across subject areas. Rather than learning about shadows in isolation, the children would be applying their learning in different contexts while developing their questioning, communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, the activity would allow them to develop their understanding through an enjoyable, hands-on experience.
Hi Treasa, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think your “Guess the Planet” activity is a great example of inquiry-based learning, as the children are encouraged to investigate, ask questions and use their own reasoning rather than simply being given the answer. I particularly like how the children would have to explain why they chose a particular planet, as this gives them an opportunity to develop their communication skills and justify their thinking. I also think working in small groups would make the activity very engaging for Second Class, while encouraging collaboration and listening to different ideas. The mystery element would definitely keep the children interested and curious!
Inquiry-Based Learning Activity: Space – Stars
I would begin the lesson with an engaging introduction to the topic of stars. I would show the children a selection of images of stars and the night sky, followed by a short video about stars. I could also use teacher-in-role by dressing up or acting as an astronaut who has returned from space and needs the children’s help to find out more about stars. This would create an exciting context for the inquiry and encourage the children to become “Space Explorers.”
Following the introduction, we would brainstorm what the children already know about stars and what they would like to find out. The children could record their ideas and questions in their Science journals. Questions might include: What are stars? Why do stars shine? How far away are stars? Are all stars the same? Why can we see stars at night?
The children would then move into station-based activities where they could investigate stars using a range of different teaching materials. The stations would include images of stars and the night sky, short written passages containing age-appropriate information, videos on iPads, and matching games. This would allow the children to explore the topic in different ways and encourage them to work independently and collaboratively. The variety of resources would also cater for different learning styles and allow the children to develop their questioning and observation skills.
After completing the station work, we would regroup as a whole class and return to the questions recorded in our Science journals. We would discuss what we have discovered and identify which questions have been answered. If there are still questions that we cannot answer, the children could work in pairs to use the iPads to research their questions. They could then record their findings in their Science journals and share their answers with the class.
Integration: The children could create their own constellation pictures using black paper, paint and star stickers. They could design a pattern of stars, give their constellation a name and explain what their stars represent. This could be integrated with Art, oral language and literacy, as the children could create a short story about their constellation or describe it to their classmates. Their drawings, questions and discoveries could also be recorded throughout the activity in their Science journals, providing a record of their learning and encouraging them to reflect on how their ideas changed throughout the inquiry.
Hi Niamh! That’s a lovely space fact. I taught senior infants last year and my class were fascinated by astronauts- so many wonderful extension activities you could do using this theme also. In art we made astronaut helmets. Senior infants is a wonderful age group…enjoy it 🙂