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I have to say I’m a big fan of all experiments that are related to fizzing! Therefore the activities in alien chemistry are right up my street. They have a bit of a wow factor and involve the pupils being able to participate easily in the scientific inquiry. Engagement occurs via questioning and wondering about carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks. Can you taste/smell/see/feel it? All of the experiments lend themselves readily to predictions. The dancing raisins allows the children to set up a fair test also. Once children can understand that carbon dioxide is a gas the rises this will help predictions for the other experiments- blowing up a balloon and explosions.
These experiments encourage teamwork and also because the explosions can continue by adding more baking soda or vinegar it allows pupils opportunity for further investigation- what would happen if….This reaction forms the basis of many experiments- lava lamp, lemon volcano, rockets, coke explosions all of which can build on the knowledge, observations and conclusions making the pupils predictions more accurate each time.Hi Gráinne,
I love your ideas for space week. You have a lot of great resources here especially the books and videos.
I think the hands on activity- investigating children’s coats is timeless and has many practical applications. I like it because it is relatable to the lives of the children and teaches them to understand that there are different types of coats for different purposes. this also gives children the opportunity to question whether the coats that they wear are appropriate or the current weather.
The Introduction to the lesson can involve pictures of different coats and matching them to a teddy/doll who is doing something specific- from doctor’s coats to suit jackets right up to rain coats and warm coats. This also introduces the idea that coats serve a purpose and as such the type of material used must be fit for purpose. Using feely bag of material- describe different materials.
Children can then assess their own coats- what colour/texture are they? Are they warm/waterproof? When could they be worn? What material are they made from? How can they be classified- do they have hoods, sleeves, pockets, length, material, fastenings, reflective strips etc.
Integrate maths- data collection to gather basic information about coats using pupils themselves wearing their coats to gather the data. Make a simple chart to record the data. Which group has more/less?
Conclude by asking pupils about which coats would be best for different weather/seasons- Which coat would be best to wear on a cold winter day? Which might I wear if it was a rainy spring day?
In the the next lesson expand on this to investigate making a water proof coat for teddy.Hi Veronica,
I also think that Stellarium is an excellent resource. What better way to make learning come alive than to literally be able to project the sky in the classroom. I love your idea to blend constellations and storytelling. There are many stories and legends about the constellations so getting the children to come up with their own is a great starting point for fuelling their creativity and imagination.
Carmel, I love your choice of story. It is a great introduction to your lesson and would really engage the pupils. Your art activity sounds amazing- I can imagine the creative spectacle it would generate.
I would use the special life activity with my class as it is perfectly pitched for infants and offers multiple opportunities for integration across the curriculum.
It would be perfect for Earth Day as the beginning of the lesson is a discussion about “What is Special about Earth? which links to SESE especially Geography and Science. As this is very abstract, I would show a video such as “EARTH DAY: 10 Facts about Our Planet. Kids Academy” or “On This Earth | Earth Day Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann” to help the kids generate ideas. Kids could then draw what they think is special about Earth (Visual arts) and act it out (Drama) for the other kids to guess what it is.
Next children would brainstorm features of humans and in a think, pair, share activity would discuss the question “If there were living beings on other planets- what might they look like?” Draw up a visual chart comparing human features to those an alien might have. This links with literacy.
Next pupils would make models of their aliens using modelling clay and fabric and fibre materials (visual art). They would present them to the class and then as a class we could categorise the aliens based on observable features such as colour and/or number/length of hands/feet/eyes/ears etc. (Numeracy)
HI Fiona,
I also really enjoyed this video and thought it was suitable for the infant classes. I loved how the spinning of the earth to create day and night was reinforced through both the spinning of the globe with the bears on either side and the spinning of the pupils themselves pretending their head was the earth and the bear as on their nose. I also like how the day and night activities were constantly referred to to show what the bear might be doing at that time. The game at the end looked like fun and good way to assess the children’s’ learning- they turn towards the sun (lamp) if its a daytime activity or away if it is a night-time activity.
I would use the spherical earth activity with my class. I would link the activity with history where the earth was previously believed to be flat. Pupils could have a discussion in group (think, pair, share) or design a concept map to challenge this belief based on their own experiences. Next I would use google earth to show the earth in space and together with other spherical objects to posit questions and elicit further information from the pupils. Pupils would make predictions about what would happen a how a boat would appear in the distance to prove the earth is round. Pupils can experiment putting objects far away to demonstrate that the earth is not flat as the objects only ever appear smaller.
Investigate by making the origami boat and sailing it along a flat surface vs a globe. What to the children observe? Why does the boat look like it is sinking? What conclusion can be drawn from this? This offers ample opportunity for predictions, observations, teamwork and discussion. The lesson could be finished with videos from YouTube showing ships going over the horizon to verify the investigation.
Hi Kate,
I also love this experiment. I like the idea of using spray bottles to test the materials used to make the coat. It offers plenty of opportunity as you say for prediction, discussion, problem solving and reflection. They can also apply their learning to their own coats making it applicable to their loved experiences.
Enquiry based activity.
How does the moon shine?
I love the template for enquiry based learning. I would engage kids with the discussion about the moon to elicit prior knowledge. I think concept cartoons are amazing for allowing kids to express their opinions on a give topic and begin a discussion. I would show a concept cartoon such as this one to formulate thoughts about whether or not the n=moon shines-https://x.com/millgate_books/status/1313503275463913473.
We would then examine photos of the moon in space- what colour is it? Is it shining? What is it made of?Investigate-
How do different objects change how light is reflected? Children make predictions based on the objects available. Which ones will reflect light? What colour/texture will reflect light best?
Using a torch and various materials shine the light onto the wall and put various objects in the path of the light to see how it reflects off objects onto the wall and how the reflection may be impacted by texture and colour. This can be done in groups. On a record sheet determine which objects reflected light best?Next step.
Apply learning to knowledge about the moon- colour, surface etc to formulate a conclusion. Consolidate learning via a YouTube video- How does the moon shine?Hi all,
My name is Anne and I teach in Cork City. I have always loved learning about space personally and found it fascinating when I was younger. I am looking forward to this course as a means to get the kids I teach excited about Space.
My favourite fact is that sunsets on Mars are blue as the sky colours on Mars are opposite of earth- pink during the day and blue at night.
This is the link to my Mind Map-https://miro.com/welcomeonboard/UXloeDFCOXhGcGhXeHRqSXVOcW9NZ3k2SU9zcDQyZ0NaSlJEdGZnd3IwSWZqd1YrdjhzSllNcHhURzBLY1pWRjFENXc3OVJFSWxMNjN0UU9zWFBmalNmV0l1MnQ4WS9adEs4c2VWK2tqZUNTMlMyZEMzMW8rOCt3T09Xb2tpaDNNakdSWkpBejJWRjJhRnhhb1UwcS9BPT0hdjE=?share_link_id=131697335851
