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Hi Deirdre, this is a really detailed and thought out lesson! I love how all the lessons link and are related to one another. I will 100% be using some of these ideas with my class in September!
I would choose the ‘Dancing Raisins’ activity as I think it would be a fun and simple experiment to do with my First Class children. I think the children would be really interested to see raisins ‘dancing’ up and down in a fizzy drink. I would begin by showing the children the raisins and asking them what they think will happen when they are placed in the water and fizzy drink. They could make their own predictions before we start the experiment. I would first place some raisins into a jar of water and then into a jar of freshly opened fizzy drink. The children could observe what happens and talk about the differences they notice. I would ask questions such as why they think the raisins are sinking and then rising to the top. I would explain that bubbles of carbon dioxide stick to the raisins and make them rise to the surface. I think this would be a great hands-on activity as it encourages the children to observe, ask questions and make predictions.
I agree that younger children learn better with hands on activities. I have 1st class for the second time this year and they loved being active! Great idea doing a lesson about the Ice Age, I feel like the children would love learning about this. It is also so easy to integrate it into other subjects such as art, drama, english, pe etc.
I would pick the hands-on classroom themed activities. As I am teaching first class in September, I feel that this would work really well as it keeps them more excited about the lesson. I find that children are more interested and engaged when they get the opportunity to actually explore and try things for themselves rather than just listening to an explanation.
One activity I could do with my class is “Which material makes the best umbrella?” I would give the children different materials such as paper, kitchen roll, tinfoil, plastic and fabric. I would first ask them which material they think would be best at keeping water out and allow them to make a prediction. They could then work in small groups to test each material using a small amount of water and observe what happens. Afterwards, we could discuss which material worked best and whether their predictions were correct. I think this would be a simple but effective STEM activity as the children would be predicting, testing, observing and discussing their results.This sounds like a lovely lesson! Its great to get a book recommendation as well and I feel like the children really engage with picture books.
I would choose the Space and Aliens activity set. I think this would be a really fun activity to do with my First Class children as they would be interested in the idea of aliens and what life might be like on another planet. I would start by asking the children if they think there could be life on other planets and what they think an alien might look like. The children could then work in small groups to create their own alien. They could decide what planet their alien lives on, what it looks like, what it eats and how it survives. They could draw their alien and write some simple facts about it. The children could then present their aliens to the rest of the class. I think this activity would encourage the children to use their imagination while also getting them to think about space and the conditions needed for life. It would also give them opportunities to ask questions, share ideas and work together. I could take photos of their aliens and use them as a digital record of the activity.
This is a great idea! I feel like its such a simple yet fun activity that the children will love. I will be 100% trying this in my first class this coming school year!
I would choose the The Planets activity. I think space is a topic that would really interest the children, so I would start by asking them what they already know about the planets and which planet they would most like to visit. I would then let them explore the different planets using pictures, videos and some simple information. The children could work in small groups to look at one planet and find out some interesting facts about it. They could then create a drawing or a simple digital presentation to share what they found out with the rest of the class. I think this would work really well with my First Class children as they would be able to explore the topic and learn from each other. It would also give them the opportunity to ask questions and share their ideas. I could take photos of their work or use their digital presentations to show what they had learned. I think this would be a fun and engaging way to introduce the children to the planets and get them interested in learning more about space.
Hi Saoirse, I love this idea of creating different shapes with shadows! Its such a simple yet fun activity that will really keep the children engaged. I am teaching 1st class in September and I know that they will love this as I will be definitely robbing this idea!
Hi, my name is Caoimhe and I will be teaching 1st class in September for the second year in a row! My favourite space fact is that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. Venus takes about 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis, but it only takes about 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun.
For an inquiry-based activity, I would ask my pupils to investigate why we have day and night. I would begin by asking them what they think causes day and night and allow them to share their ideas. Using a globe and a torch, pupils could explore what happens when the Earth rotates. They could make predictions, ask questions and discuss what they observe.
Hi Emma, I love the idea of including pictures of something you have experienced yourself in your lesson. This will help the children to connect it to real life as their teacher has experienced it rather than just looking at a random picture. I also like the idea of walking around their local area to identify places that could become a dark sky area as it is fun, active and exciting.
I have chosen to reflect on how I could implement a version of ‘Design Your Own Dark Sky Place’ in my classroom. As a First Class teacher in Dublin 24, I think this would be a great project for my pupils. Many children in my class live in built-up areas and may not have the opportunity to experience truly dark skies, so this project would encourage them to think about the importance of protecting the night sky and creating spaces that are friendly for both people and wildlife. We would begin by discussing what makes a good dark sky place and asking the children what they notice when they look at the sky at night. We could explore ideas such as reducing unnecessary lighting, using lights responsibly and creating safe spaces for nocturnal animals. The children could then work together to design their own ideal dark sky area through drawings or paintings. They could include stars, the moon, plants, animals and features that would help protect darkness.
Hi Evin, I like the idea of using a KWL chart to elicit prior knowledge. This will help give a rough idea on what needs to be taught! I also love the idea of a nature walk!
I have chosen to reflect on how I would engage my learners to explore biodiversity in my local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
Living in Dublin 24, I am based in a busy and built-up area with housing estates, roads, buildings and many sources of artificial light. Although it is an urban environment, there is still a wide range of biodiversity around us, including birds, insects, plants and other wildlife. Before learning more about light pollution, I had not fully considered the impact that artificial light can have on animals, particularly nocturnal species such as bats, moths and other insects that rely on darkness to feed, move and reproduce. As a First Class teacher, I would encourage my pupils to become ‘nature detectives’ and explore the biodiversity in their own school environment. We could take part in outdoor walks around the school grounds to observe and record different plants, insects and birds. The children could create simple biodiversity charts or drawings to show what they have discovered. To explore the effects of light pollution, I would introduce the idea of nocturnal animals and discuss how their lives may be affected by bright lights at night. We could investigate ways to make our school environment more wildlife-friendly, such as reducing unnecessary lighting and creating areas where animals can live.