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I think using stories to introduce topics in infant classroom is a great way to grasp their interest in the topic. I will be using the book Daddy on the Moon in my class.
Space week is a great idea to bring integrated learning, STEM and collaboration to a school. Space is such a fun and interesting concept that all classes from infants to sixth class would like to engage in activities.
Some ideas from doing this course for space week would be
• Would it float in space? – activities
• Art – this could be a collaboration activity with older classes (for example Lots of stars)
• Linking up with literacy – reading books based on space – for example The Way Back Home
• The class could have a dress up day
• Design a rocket idea – the whole school could form teams and create rockets in groups.
• The children could could participate in a space quiz
• Participate in STEM workshops
• Create Space week posters
• Invite a visitor (an individual working in physics department in the university or an engineer working in aerospace) to speak to the students
• Best Alien competition
• Using Space week website
At the end of the week the children could have a showcase of all their work in the hall of the school.
A example of what space week could look like in the classroom could be
Monday – Space week launch and create posters
Tuesday – Space art and a visit from a person working in space
Wednesday- Participating in STEM activities- creating a rocket
Thursday – Best Alien competition
Friday Space week Quiz and showcase of their workOne online tool which I found interesting and will be using in my classroom this year is the Universe Awareness website. This website has many resources that are suitable for many class levels however I like how it has resources suitable for younger classes.
I think the lesson plans are a fantastic resource and they are very easy to access. I will be using lessons such as “As the World Turns”, “Creating Eclipses in the Classroom” and “Deadly Moons”.
There are also other great resources such as videos, posters and presentations on various topics that will be a great addition to lessons in the class.
It also promotes hands on learning and gives ideas about what other countries and school are doing. I think this is a great online teaching tool and one I will be bringing into my STEM teaching this year.
Additionally other online resources such as Marvin and Milo, Stellarium and Astronomy Picture of the Day.I think using a book is a great way to start a lesson, especially in the younger classes. There are so many great books about space so this is an idea I will be using in my classroom.
Stars- Lots and Lots of Stars
I really like the lessons Lots and Lots of Stars. I think this is another great lesson that incorporates many different subjects. I think it is a great lesson for integrated learning in an infant classroom.
I think I would start this lesson off as a whole class discussing the difference between day and night. After the class would brainstorm stars and what they know about stars. The children will then guess how many stars there are. The children could also watch the video One Billion Stars to grasp just how many stars are in the world.
After I would set up some stations where the children can rotate and complete different activities such as Starry Night artwork, counting stars and exploring images of different of stars.
The lesson would finish with a walking gallery where the children can walk around and look at the work of the other students in the classroomI think the use of the claendar to track the moon is a very good idea. It brings real life into the lessons for the children. I also love the idea of using torches as it allows the children to explore the various shapes of the moon in a very fun way.
One activity which I would like to explore and try in my classroom is The man on the Moon from The Moon activity set.
I think this activity is a fun activity that can also incorporate other subjects such as literacy. Visual arts and mathematics.
This lesson is a very hands-on activity that helps children both learn about the moon and shapes. The man on the moon lesson is a great way to get the children’s creative side flowing. They can investigate different images about the moon, create their own moon and even create their own poem about the man on the moon. This lesson would be a great way to incorporate integrated learning about space into the classroom.
I also really like the idea of the children creating their own pictures on the moon. It allows the children to investigate various images of the moon in a fun and creative way.I think the inquiry based prompt questions is a very interesting and one that would most spark an interest in a class. I like how the children are takinf ownership of learning and also teaching each other. This is an activity I could do with an older class. It would be a great way to collaborate with other classes.
My name is Ashling and I am teaching Senior Infants. A space fact I find interesting is that a person’s footprints on the moon can last for millions of years.
The inquiry-based lesson which I would like to bring to my classroom is “What Does Gravity do?”.
Lesson Introduction: I would introduce this lesson with an everyday problem to the children for example “If I drop this marble, will it float in the air?
Class brainstorms what they know about gravity, pushing and pulling.
Experiment: In pairs the children investigate how things fall (quickly, slowly from side to side). The children make predictions before beginning the experiment. In pairs one child stands on a chair and lets objects fall, the other students observes how the object has fallen. The children they record how the objects have fallen.
Class discussion: The children discuss the experiment. Did the objects fall just as they thought? Did any objects surprise them? Discuss the scientific term gravity with the students and that everything we throw up in the air will come back down.I think this is a very good research question. It is practical and realistic to the lives of the children. It also shows that we can help the environment in our own way and not cause worry or anxiety about climate change. I also love the idea of involving the whole school community in your project.
The research question I have chosen is one that can be used for a younger class as I am teaching a younger class. I feel the question for Senior Infants would need to be practical and simple for it to be effective.
Research Question: How much does it rain in Galway city over 2 months?
I think this would be a very practical question as children are always aware of the weather and the impact it may have on activities and outings. Also I think comparing the two months possibly in two different seasons would be interesting.
I think it would be a good research question as the children would be interested in it, it would open questions and learning about other topics such as the seasons and measurements. It is a very interactive investigation as the children could design and make a container to collect the water. Additionally, the children would have to examine and record the results everyday.
Once the children have collected all the data it could be a great way to start conversation about rainfall in the city. Which month has more/less rain rainfall. Which month would it be beneficial to organise outing and activities.I also teach the younger classes and I think it is a great lesson that can be adapted for the various class levels and an opportunity for collaboration with other class levels. It is a verys interactive lesson and therefore would suit any class level. It is also a lesson that helps students to explore the topic of earth, weather and salelites in a fun way.
I really liked the Nose up High lesson, and I also think the children in my class would really enjoy it too. It is a very practical and hands-on lesson to explore the concept of satellites s and their purpose.
Activity 1: Activity one is a great way to introduce subjects such as the space station and some of the things that happen up there. Additionally, by looking at actual photos taken by astronauts would give the students a realistic view of Earth from space and satellites. I think I would use the photos to generate a whole class discussion about the photos taken from space.
Activity 2: This is a great activity and one that easily be adapted depending on your class level. I teacher the younger classes therefore I would use this a group work project. I would as groups to match up the photos from the satellite and earth.
Activity 3: This activity gives the students/groups to present their finding to the class and compare the opinions of the other groups. The groups can use new vocabulary to give reasons for matching the photos and others can in turn use new vocabulary learned to agree or disagree.