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Hi Louise, I love using Oliver Jeffers books, especially in an infant setting! It’s great that he has a couple of options of books that would work well as a stimulus for STEM lessons. I also really like your idea about a paper rocket investigation too, it sounds like a great introduction to making predictions and comparing results with peers.
Space Week activities suitable for 2nd Class:
Monday – The Moon: The week would begin by exploring the phases of the Moon. The children would examine photographs of the Moon and discuss what they notice before learning why the Moon appears to change shape throughout the month. They would then create the eight Moon phases using biscuits (such as Oreos) or paper circles and place them in the correct order. The lesson would conclude with a discussion about when they have seen the Moon during the day or at night.
Digital Resource Opportunities:
– Stellarium to observe the Moon’s current phase and compare it with children’s own models.
– A short educational video from ESA Kids
Tuesday – Space and the Planets: The children would be introduced to the eight planets of our Solar System through songs, visuals and discussion. Working in small groups, each group would investigate one planet using fact cards before creating a colourful poster including key facts and illustrations. Groups would present their findings to the class, helping to create a collaborative Solar System display.
Digital Resource Opportunities:
– Tablets could be used to explore the planets through Stellarium, NASA Eyes, or National Geographic Kids.
– Children could create digital fact files using Book Creator or Canva for Education.
Wednesday – Rocket STEM Challenge: The children would be challenged to design and build a paper rocket that can travel the greatest distance. Working collaboratively, they would predict which designs might work best before testing their rockets and measuring how far they travel. After testing, the class would discuss the results and identify features that made certain rockets more successful.
Digital Resource Opportunities:
– Tablets could be used to record rocket launches in slow motion so children can observe and evaluate their designs.
– Results could be entered into a simple spreadsheet to create a class graph, while photographs of each team’s rocket could be uploaded to Seesaw or Class Dojo as part of a digital STEM journal.
Thursday – Life as an Astronaut: The children would learn about life aboard the International Space Station by exploring how astronauts eat, sleep, exercise and carry out everyday tasks in space. Following class discussion, they would write and illustrate a diary entry imagining they are spending their first day in space.
Digital Resource Opportunities:
– Children could watch short clips from ESA showing astronauts living and working in space.
– Create a diary entry digitally using Book Creator or Google Doc.
Friday – Plan a Space Mission: To finish the week, the children would work in groups to plan their own space mission. They would choose a destination such as the Moon or Mars, decide what equipment they would need, and explain the purpose of their mission. Each group would create a poster or model before presenting their ideas to the class, encouraging teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.
Digital Resource Opportunities:
– Use Canva for Education, Google Slides, or Book Creator to design a digital mission poster.
– Use Stellarium to locate their chosen destination.
– Kahoot!, Quizizz, or Blooket space-themed review quiz at the end of the week.
Hi Geraldine,
This all sounds great, I really like the idea of a class digitally recording one STEM investigation per term. This is manageable for all involved and will give the children and teacher a great chance to reflect on learning and teaching.
Online Resources and Tools
Using Stellarium as a Space Resource: Stellarium is a brilliant resource for bringing space into the primary classroom in a fun and interactive way. One of the biggest advantages for my school is that it can be downloaded and used offline, which is really helpful when our internet connection is unreliable. I would begin by introducing the children to the software and showing them how it recreates the night sky from any location and at any time of the year. Together, we could identify well-known constellations such as the Plough, locate planets like Jupiter, and observe how the stars appear to move across the sky. The children could work in pairs or small groups to compare the night sky in different seasons, spot patterns, and make predictions about what they might see at different times of the year. Using Stellarium alongside practical classroom activities would make space more meaningful, encourage curiosity, and help the children develop a stronger understanding of our solar system and the wider universe.
To further a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation, I would encourage the children to ask questions, make observations, and record their findings in STEM journals. Their work could be displayed in the classroom and referred back to throughout the year as we explore other STEM topics, helping them make connections across the curriculum. I could also gather evidence of learning through photographs, pupil discussions, and short reflection activities to help evaluate the impact of these lessons and identify areas for further development.
Hi Donal,
I really like the idea of doing a gallery walk with the children after they have finished making their Martians, with time for their peers to also ask questions about their work too. It sounds like a great way for the children to do some self-reflection on their own work, and give reasons why they made their Martian the way that they did.
Activity Set: Stars
One activity that really stood out to me was “Stars, Seeing Stars! Looking at the Plough in Two Different Ways.” I think it would be a lovely way to introduce the topic of Stars to a class because it encourages children to become curious about the world around them. I like that it combines science with storytelling and shows that different cultures have their own interpretations of the same group of stars, making the learning much more meaningful.
I would begin by discussing what the children already know about the night sky before sharing different stories about the Plough from Ireland and other parts of the world. The children could then use an app like Stellarium to locate the Plough and record their observations. I also like the idea of extending the activity at home by encouraging children to explore the night sky with their families.
I think it would be lovely to display the children’s star maps, drawings and observations around the classroom. Not only does this celebrate their work, but it also gives us something to refer back to later in the year when learning about space or other STEM topics, helping children make connections across their learning.
Hi Louise, I really like the activity you suggest about making a hut for Teddy so he is hiding from the sun, and staying in the shade. A really fun way to integrate construction into the activity.
For this assignment, I have chosen the “What Makes Shadows?” enquiry-based activity. I believe this lesson would be very engaging for a mainstream 1st Class as it encourages children to investigate and discover how shadows are formed through hands-on exploration.
To start the lesson, I would do a simple demonstration using a torch to create a shadow. I would then ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think makes a shadow?”, “Can every object make a shadow?” and “Why do some shadows look darker than others?”. These questions would encourage the children to share their ideas and make predictions before beginning the investigation.
The children would work in small groups using torches and a variety of everyday materials, (like cardboard, clear plastic, coloured cellophane, fabric and baking paper). They would investigate which materials create dark shadows, faint shadows or no shadow at all. Throughout the activity, the children would observe, discuss and compare their findings before sharing them with the class.
This activity supports enquiry-based learning by allowing children to investigate, predict, test and draw conclusions from their own observations. Through exploration, they develop an understanding that light travels in straight lines and that opaque, translucent and transparent materials interact with light in different ways. The lesson also encourages collaboration, communication and scientific language as children explain their thinking and compare results.
The activity provides excellent opportunities for cross-curricular integration. Literacy can be incorporated by encouraging pupils to record simple observations, label drawings or complete a short sentence about what they discovered. Digital learning can also be embedded by allowing children to document their investigations using classroom tablets or Chromebooks.
Some possible digital resources that the children could use to record and reflect on their learning include:
– A digital science journal on Seesaw, where pupils upload photos of their investigation and record a simple reflection such as “I learned that cardboard makes a dark shadow because it blocks the light.”
– A whole-class collage or slideshow of photographs documenting each stage of the enquiry process.
– An online chart or class display created (using Book Creator, Google Slides or Canva for Education) where the children can compare and contrast their results as a class.
Hi Margaret,
This sounds like a really thought-provoking topic to explore with a class. It can easily be adjusted to suit the level/class the children are at too, which is great.
I have chosen an enquiry-based activity that investigates waterproof materials. I would be most suitable for Junior or Senior Infants. This activity is engaging, hands-on and encourages children to think like scientists while making predictions, carrying out a fair test and discussing their findings.
Trigger: I would introduce the lesson by showing the children a teddy bear wearing a raincoat and another teddy without one. I would tell the class that Teddy wants to play outside, but it has started to rain. I would also show a short video or picture of children wearing raincoats on a rainy day.
Wondering: I would encourage discussion by asking questions such as: Why do we wear raincoats? What makes some materials waterproof? Which materials do you think will keep Teddy dry? How could we find out?
Starter Question: As a class we would then focus on one question – which material will keep Teddy dry in the rain?
Predicting: The children would examine a selection of materials (plastic, paper, fabric, foil, tissue, cotton, etc.) and predict which one they think would be the best at keeping Teddy dry. They would record their predictions by drawing or placing a picture beside their chosen material.
Conducting the Investigation: Working in small groups, the children would wrap small pieces of tissue or paper (representing Teddy) in the different materials. Using droppers or a spray bottle, they would carefully add water to each material and observe whether the tissue inside stayed dry or became wet. The children would compare the results for each material.
Interpreting Results: The class would discuss what happened during the investigation. Together, we would identify which materials were waterproof and which absorbed water. We would compare the results with the children’s original predictions and discuss why some materials worked better than others.
Extension: The children could design and decorate a raincoat for Teddy using the waterproof material they found worked best. They could also complete a simple drawing and sentence, such as “I found out that plastic keeps Teddy dry because it is waterproof.”
I am having issues linking my mind map, I will email it along with my learning record.