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What a brilliant way to spark curiosity and hands-on discovery across the whole school! The dancing raisins experiment is such a fun, visual way to introduce STEM thinking and scientific questioning. I love how it engages all age groups!
After completing this module, I’ve decided to create a class plan to celebrate Space Week with a focus on inclusive, inquiry-based learning. Our theme will be “Exploring Our Solar System”, and the week will include a variety of cross-curricular activities designed to meet the needs of all learners.
We will begin the week with an engaging video from ESA Kids and a KWL chart to activate curiosity. Pupils will then take part in rotating space-themed stations, including:
Design your own planet (Art & Geography)
Build a rocket from recycled materials (STEM)
Create a moon phase model using Oreos (Science)
Space story writing (Literacy, using sentence starters and Book Creator for accessibility)
To support Universal Design for Learning (UDL), I will offer visual supports, audio instructions, hands-on materials, and the option to express learning through drawing, writing, or voice recordings. Online safety will be addressed through a digital citizenship mini-lesson before pupils explore interactive space games or research tools.
At the end of the week, pupils will present one thing they learned using a method of their choice—this could be a poster, a digital book, or even a recorded explanation. We will also gather pupil voice to reflect on what activities they enjoyed most, feeding into our school’s ongoing STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation.
Space Week offers a fun and meaningful context to spark imagination, promote inclusivity, and build 21st-century skills across the curriculum.
This is a fantastic example of integrating digital tools with imaginative inquiry. Using ESA Kids to inspire STEM thinking and spark questions is a brilliant way to promote exploration, creativity, and meaningful reflection.
I’ve chosen to focus on the Hands-on Classroom Themed Activities section of this module, as I believe practical, engaging learning experiences are key to fostering curiosity and understanding in STEM. One activity I would love to implement is a STEM challenge linked to a seasonal theme,for example, building a rain shelter for a toy animal using a variety of materials during a spring weather topic. This kind of task develops problem-solving, planning, and collaboration skills in a playful, low-pressure way.
Children work in small groups to design, build, and test their shelters, and then reflect on what worked and what didn’t. To ensure inclusion, I would offer a range of materials, allow for visual and verbal planning, and use sentence starters or visual supports for reflection. This promotes participation from all learners, including those with language or fine motor difficulties.
Activities like these would form a strong foundation for a STEM-focused School Self Evaluation (SSE) by allowing teachers to track engagement, skill development, and cross-curricular links. As a next step, I’d consider using pupil voice surveys and teacher reflection logs to help evaluate the effectiveness of our STEM teaching and identify areas for improvement. Involving SNAs, SETs, and families in this process would also support a more inclusive and community-based approach.
This is a really well structured and engaging lesson! I love how you begin with inquiry and imagination, then guide the children through hands-on, visual, and storytelling activities. Using the KWL chart to track understanding and combining art, science, and digital resources really supports diverse learners. A truly inclusive and inspiring approach to learning about stars!
The Space and Aliens activity set is an excellent way to combine science, literacy, and creativity in an engaging and inclusive way. I would begin by showing a short animated video or picture book about an alien landing on Earth. This would spark curiosity and activate imagination. I’d then pose the inquiry question: “What would an alien need to survive on Earth?” or “What might their planet be like?”
Pupils would then brainstorm in groups and create their own alien characters, deciding on key details like where they live, how they communicate, what they eat, and what their planet looks like. To ensure inclusion, pupils could draw, use voice recordings, or write simple descriptions with sentence starters. We would then use Book Creator or Seesaw for pupils to present their aliens in digital format—allowing for multiple means of expression.
This activity encourages oral language, collaboration, imagination, and digital storytelling, all while subtly building scientific thinking around life in space. It’s ideal for supporting diverse learners and allows every child to contribute in a way that suits their strengths.
Hi Kim, I absolutely love the idea of the toddler touch book! This would work so well as a sensory tool for learning in my autism class.
Using the Sun and Shadows Activity in the Classroom
For this module, I’ve chosen to focus on the “Sun and Shadows” activity set. I love this topic because it allows children to explore real-world science in a simple, hands-on way that’s accessible for all learners. To begin, I would start with an outdoor exploration session where children observe their shadows at different times of the day. They would record their observations using drawings or digital photos, then compare the changes they see.
Back in the classroom, we would recreate the sun-shadow model using a torch, globe, and figurine to demonstrate how the Earth’s movement causes shadows to shift. This inquiry-based learning approach helps children build their understanding through discovery, rather than direct instruction. To support inclusion, I’d provide sentence starters, visuals, and voice recording tools so pupils could explain their learning in various ways. This activity also naturally integrates digital tools, geography, and literacy, making it both meaningful and memorable.
Hi Criona, this is a fantastic idea for a lesson, infants would definitely thrive in such a fun activity!
Hi everyone!
My name is Alex and I teach in a DEIS 1 primary school in Cork City in an autism class. I have a big interest in making learning as engaging and inclusive as possible, especially when it comes to integrating science and digital tools.My favourite space fact is that a day on Venus is longer than its year!One inquiry-based activity I would use is: “Why does the moon change shape?” I would begin by showing a time-lapse video of the moon over a month. Then, I’d encourage pupils to share their own ideas and observations. This would lead into an exploration where pupils use Oreo cookies or foam cut-outs to model and investigate each moon phase. Pupils would work in pairs, using torches and balls to simulate the Earth, moon, and sun. They would record their findings in a digital journal using Seesaw or Book Creator, including drawings, photos of their models, and simple explanations.
This activity promotes curiosity, collaborative learning, and hands-on exploration, perfect for supporting a range of needs in my classroom. By integrating visuals, movement, and technology, I can offer multiple means of engagement and expression, allowing all children to access and enjoy the learning experience.Class Plan: Engaging with Space Week Using ESERO Resource “Engage – Rockets”
Day 1: – Introduction to Space Week and Rockets.
– Introduce Space Week and rocketry concepts through a video on the history of rockets.
– Discuss principles of rocketry, including thrust, gravity, drag, and lift.
– Introduce Newton’s Third Law.
– Students draw and label parts of a rocket.Day 2: Designing Rockets
– Recap rocket parts and principles.
– Students form groups to design rockets using ESERO templates.
– Groups present their designs and discuss potential effectiveness.
– Homework: Research famous rockets and space missions.Day 3: Building Rockets
– Students construct their rocket models with provided materials.
– Discuss safety procedures for handling and launching rockets.Day 4: Testing and Modifying Rockets
– Conduct indoor tests using air or water propulsion.
– Groups observe performance, discuss results, and make necessary modifications.Day 5: Rocket Launch Event
– Review safety and launch protocols.
– Conduct an outdoor rocket launch event, recording flight data.
– Discuss results and give awards for various categories (e.g., highest flight, best design).
– Reflect on the week’s activities with students writing or drawing their favourite part.This week engages students in hands-on learning, fostering teamwork, creativity, and understanding of scientific principles related to rocketry, culminating in an exciting launch event.
Hi Sinead, you have some fantastic ideas in your class plan.I really like how they have been integrated cross-curricularly. I have taken note of quite a few of these for my class.
Hi Sinead, your points are very interesting. In the last year our school has really prioritised STEM learning across the curriculum and the children absolutely love it. It’s great to see their STEM minds working in the infant classes too!
Using the ESERO “Animals in the Cold” Activity in the Classroom
Title: “How Do Animals Survive in the Cold?”
Introduction: Discuss Arctic and Antarctic regions, showing pictures or videos.
Introduce animal adaptations for cold environments (e.g., polar bears, penguins).Explain the blubber insulation experiment.
Hands-On Experiment:
1. Groups fill a plastic bag with shortening (blubber) and place another bag inside.
2. Students place their hand inside the double bag into ice water and observe insulation.
3. Record water and inside bag temperatures using thermometers.
Discussion and AnalysisDiscuss observations: how blubber affects temperature and its importance for survival. Explain insulation and heat retention.
Summarise the lesson and the importance of adaptations.
Students reflect by writing or drawing their favourite cold-weather animal and its adaptations.This hands-on activity enhances understanding of animal adaptations through experiential learning. To integrate it into a STEM-focused School Self Evaluation (SSE):
This approach fosters critical thinking, tech skills, and a holistic understanding of scientific concepts, preparing students for future STEM pursuits.
