Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
This sounds like a fun activity Abby, it is very engaging and would definitely spark their curiousity.
My lesson would be about rockets.
Children begin by exploring a selection of toy rockets, pictures, and simple models. They are encouraged to observe the rockets closely, discussing their shapes, sizes, colours, and parts. The class talks about what rockets do and how they travel into the sky, with the teacher recording the children’s ideas.
Next, each child designs and creates their own simple paper rocket using card, colouring materials, and straws or rolled paper. They predict which rocket they think will fly the furthest and explain their reasons.
The class then conducts the investigation by launching their rockets from the same starting point. Children observe how each rocket travels and compare the distances. They are encouraged to notice what happens when rockets are launched carefully and safely, discussing whether their predictions were correct.
As a next step, children think about how they could improve their rocket design. They might make the rocket longer, change the fins, or decorate it differently before testing it again. This helps them understand that changing one feature can affect how a rocket flies.
Finally, the class reflects on the investigation by sharing what they learned, what surprised them, and what they would do differently next time. Children celebrate their designs and developing scientific thinking skills together.I would look at the lesson -where do you live and take some ideas from Esero 5. The lesson would be as follows:
Junior Infants Lesson: Where Do You Live? (200 words)Begin by talking about homes. Ask the children, “What does your house look like?” Encourage them to share simple ideas such as its colour, roof, garden, or if they live in a house or an apartment.
Give each child a picture of different houses. Ask them to circle the one that looks most like their home and colour it to match.
Next, give each child some playdough or clay. Invite them to make a model of their own house, using the picture they chose to help them. Encourage careful shaping and building to develop fine motor skills.
Place all the houses together to create a class village. Sit around the village and look at it together. Ask, “What else does a village need?” Talk about places we use every day, such as a school, shop, bakery, park, roads, and fields.
Give children more playdough to make one thing that is missing from the village. Encourage everyone to choose something different.
Finish by exploring the completed village together. Discuss how homes, schools, shops, parks, and fields all help people live and work together. Explain that Earth is our special home, where people, animals, and plants can all live.
I would like to look at a lesson about stars. I would use a lesson such as
Lots and lots of stars! from Esero 13.I would begin by Sitting in a circle with the children. Show five marbles to make it a visual lesson. To begin the lesson I would ask who thinks there are more stars than these marbles? Count the marbles and put them in a transparent container. Explain that there are more than five stars. Are there more stars than there are children in the class? Count the number of children and put an equal number of marbles in the second transparent container. Explain that there are more stars than there are children in the class. Now fill the third transparent container right to the top with marbles. Do the children think that there are more stars than would fit in the third container? Explain that there are so many stars that we need computers to count how many there are.
As a follow on I would then gain their prior knowledge by asking the following questions: ‘Have you ever seen the stars? What did they look like? Were there a lot of them? Do stars give light?
Following from this I would show the discussion sheet of the starry sky and we would discuss it.
I would finish the lesson with a fun activity such as “make your own star lantern”This sounds like a great lesson Monica, very interactive and engaging for the children. It sounds most enjoyable and I’m sure it is a lesson that they will be speaking about for a long time afterwards
Activity set: the sun and shadows, I would engage my class in the following lessons:
The Sun: Lesson Activity: The Day and Night Sky
1. Place different pictures of the day and night sky on display and ask the children “what are the differences?” between the two. Questions: Describe the sky during the day. Describe the sky at night. What is the difference between day and night?
2. Ask them to list as many things they see in the sky at night (Moon, Stars) and during the day (Sun, Moon, Clouds). Get them to describe the sky using descriptive and comparative language for example light, dark, bright, shade etc. Discuss how we are never in total darkness because of the Moon and stars.
3. Ask them to draw pictures of a day and night sky. As children cannot see the stars by daytime due to the brightness of the light from the Sun, they incorrectly believe they are not present in the sky by day, make them aware of this fact.Activity: Shadows in the School Yard
1. Go outside on a sunny day. Questions: Why can we see today? Where did the light come from? The Sun. What do you think your shadows will look like? Why?
2. Then get them to stand in a line with their back to the direction of the Sun so that they can see the shape of the shadow that forms on the ground in front of them.
3. Get them to describe its shape and colour. Questions: Ask them why is it black or dark? So, what is a shadow?
4. Trace with chalk the shadows of some pupils in the class.
5. Ask them to describe its shape. What does your shadow look like? Is it the exact shape of the person? Why? When can you see your shadow best of all? Do you always have a shadow? How do you think Shadows are formed? Where is the light coming from?Activity set: the sun and shadows, I would engage my class in the following lessons:
The Sun: Lesson Activity: The Day and Night Sky
1. Place different pictures of the day and night sky on display and ask the children “what are the differences?” between the two. Questions: Describe the sky during the day. Describe the sky at night. What is the difference between day and night?
2. Ask them to list as many things they see in the sky at night (Moon, Stars) and during the day (Sun, Moon, Clouds). Get them to describe the sky using descriptive and comparative language for example light, dark, bright, shade etc. Discuss how we are never in total darkness because of the Moon and stars.
3. Ask them to draw pictures of a day and night sky. As children cannot see the stars by daytime due to the brightness of the light from the Sun, they incorrectly believe they are not present in the sky by day, make them aware of this fact.Activity: Shadows in the School Yard
1. Go outside on a sunny day. Questions: Why can we see today? Where did the light come from? The Sun. What do you think your shadows will look like? Why?
2. Then get them to stand in a line with their back to the direction of the Sun so that they can see the shape of the shadow that forms on the ground in front of them.
3. Get them to describe its shape and colour. Questions: Ask them why is it black or dark? So, what is a shadow?
4. Trace with chalk the shadows of some pupils in the class.
5. Ask them to describe its shape. What does your shadow look like? Is it the exact shape of the person? Why? When can you see your shadow best of all? Do you always have a shadow? How do you think Shadows are formed? Where is the light coming from?Hi Aisling, there are some super lessons in this module and an abundance of resources which I will most definitely be downloading to use during the year. I love the story “Moon stories around the world” and how it gives different views of the moon. This would no doubt prompt many class discussions and raise many questions. A great idea!
To implement an inquiry-based learning activity in my classroom I would look at the lessons: What Can We See in the Sky? Using the 4 step inquiry framework I would structure the lesson as follows.
1. Engage: Show pictures of the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets. Ask, “What do you already know about space?” Encourage children to share ideas and questions. Record their responses together orally and through drawings.
2. Investigate: Provide toy rockets, balls, torches, and picture books. Children explore the materials, compare objects, and discuss what they notice. Prompt them with simple questions like, “Which object shines?” or “Which one is biggest?”
3. Take the Next Step: Invite children to draw something they discovered about space. Together, create a class chart of new questions. Read a short story about space and revisit their ideas to find possible answers.
4. Reflect: Gather in a circle. Ask, “What did you learn today?” “What surprised you?” and “What would you like to discover next?” Celebrate every contribution, reinforcing that asking questions and exploring ideas helps us become young scientists togetherThis sounds like such a fun lesson Ciara and one that I’m sure the kids would absolutely love and talk about for a long time to come, very hands on and inclusive
