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Using the idea of Rocket mice in an infant classroom.
Using the song ‘Zoom, zoom, zoom’ as a starting point to our topic of Space / moon trip. Ask the children how they went to the moon in the song and also any other ideas of how one could travel to the moon. Explain to the children that they are going to make their own Rocket ship. Ask for ideas of how they could do this. Explain then what you are going to do and materials needed for the rocket mice also explaining that what goes up must come down. Each child will be given the opportunity to design and decorate their own Rocket mouse using paper, feathers, googly eyes, string before attaching it onto the top of the bottle. Ask them what they think will happen when they squeeze the bottle before allowing them to squeeze it. Then they can try for themselves and see what happens! As an extension activity they could time each other to see how long it takes for the mice to go / come down.Hi Sinead, some really good and creative ideas for Space week. Lots of room to integrate and extend the theme of Space. Thank you!
Space themed lesson – as a starting point reading the story of ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ or ‘The Super Smelly Alien’. A sensory activity afterwards to make their own play-doh or moon sand. Create their own space station in their groups providing them with black paper and tinfoil. Numeracy ideas could be to record the number of launches, blast off and space missions that have taken place. They could also count the number of aliens they meet and number of days that they have been in space. Literacy could be incorporated by writing or drawing a flight plan, a launching checklist or control panel instructions. Visual arts can be incorporated using a directed drawing video on aliens from you tube or making their own alien spaceships using paper plates and a small clear container. For PE, they could make up their own alien dance – respond to music and move like an alien.
Hi Saoirse,
Some really good ideas there – thank you!
Milo and Marvin definitely suited to the younger age groups which isn’t always easy to find.
Lots of ideas and scope to integrate with other subject areas.Lesson on Stars for infant level.
I would use the book ‘Can you see the stars tonight?’as a starting point and introduction of the topic on stars. We would discuss what we see in the sky at night – the moon and the stars.
Using the ‘ar’ sound as a starting point find words that rhyme with star / what word can you find in star?
Explain that a group of stars is called a constellation and these groups are given different names depending on their shape or pattern. Using peg boards, provide the children with images of some constellations that they have to try and copy. Alternatively, they can recreate the pictures using black sugar paper and cotton buds/pipe cleaners.
Discuss the difference between night and day. Using two hoopla hoops in the centre of the room – one for day and one for night. Provide the children with pictures which they then must decide are for the day / night hoop. As an extension piece, some pictures could be used in both brushing your teeth so the hoops may have to overlap.
Using nursery rhymes to consolidate their knowledge on stars ‘twinkle, twinkle’, ‘star light, star bright’.Hi Michelle,
this sounds like a fantastic lesson, it’s so creative and inclusive to all ages. Really good ideas to engage the students and also allows for integration to lots of subject areas.
The Planets – in infant level .
I would begin by asking the children if they know the names of any of the planets and the colour associated with each planet. I would then introduce the planets to the children in order of size, going from largest to smallest or vice versa. I use a mnemonic to help them remember the order of the planets – one being ‘my very educated easy method just speeds up naming planets’. I would then get them to draw the different planets using circles/rings around the sun. An alternative sensory activity is to use play dough (correct colours and sizes needed) and instead of colouring in the planets around the sun they can place the balls of play dough to represent the solar system.
An idea to finish off the activity is by singing the song ‘The Solar System’ to reinforce what was taught that day.The children love this activity and it is a great one to use to introduce infants to the idea of shadows with the added joy of being able to use chalk in the yard!
Hi Michelle,
Brian Cox has a real way with words and has some fascinating videos and clips based on space.
My space fun fact for the day is that sunset on Mars appears blue!
I will be teaching senior infants in September and one lesson that I find always gets their interest and imagination going is floating and sinking. They love predicting and then the opportunity to test items out for themselves. They often compare the floating items to themselves floating in the swimming pool! There is also scope then for the conversation to lead into water and different materials that might be waterproof or not which could be a lesson for another day!
