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The activity I have chosen to discuss is “Rocket Mice”. I think this is such a fun and engaging way to get children involved in their learning, while also giving them the opportunity to use their imagination and get creative. I would begin by showing the children a video of a real rocket launching from Earth. I would question them and ask them what they think makes a rocket move. I would explain that rockets move because air and gases are pushed in one direction, which creates a force that pushes the rocket in the opposite direction. Each child will then get the opportunity to make and design their own “Rocket Mouse”. Once the “Rocket Mice” are ready, using the milk cartons as our launching system, children will get ready to launch their rockets into space! Before each launch, I would ask the children to make a prediction about how far they think their “Rocket Mouse” will travel. We could then observe what happens and compare the results. This would encourage them to develop skills in predicting, observing, measuring and making conclusions while having lots of fun.
Hi Teresa, I really like how you made the Rockets activity very hands-on and interactive for the children. I think starting with a picture of a rocket and asking questions about what the children already know is a great way to get them interested in the topic. Reading Roaring Rockets also sounds like a fun way to introduce the theme and encourage their imagination.
I think the “What clothes to wear” activity is perfectly suited for a junior class. This activity is something that I think all children would find interesting as not only does it relate to their everyday lives, but it gives them an opportunity to take part in hands – on learning and gets them really involved in their own learning. It is definitely a fun and memorable learning experience. For this activity, I would begin by sitting the class in a circle with a large dressing-up box in the middle. I would tell them that we are going on different adventures and that we need to think carefully about what clothes we should wear for each one. I would invite a few children to choose clothes from the dressing-up box that they think would be suitable. I would then ask them why they picked those clothes and encourage the rest of the class to agree or disagree and explain their ideas. Next, I would change the scenario to all four seasons. Children will be invited to choose suitable clothing depending on the chosen season. Once again, I would then ask them why they picked those clothes and encourage the rest of the class to agree or disagree and explain their ideas.
Hi Denise, this sounds like a really lovely idea. It’s a great way to connect STEM to something the children experience every day. I also like the idea of designing their own coat as it would give them a chance to be creative while using what they learned. The waterproof investigation sounds like great fun too!
I have chosen to use the “Design a Martian” investigation with my class. I think this investigation would suit a junior class very well. I would begin the lesson by introducing the topic of Aliens to the class through the use of “Aliens love Underpants” as a stimulus. I would then invite the children to take part in a whole class discussion based on Aliens – “What might they look like?” “Where might they live?” “How do they communicate with one another?” etc. This would allow children to use their imagination, share their ideas and listen to what their classmates think. After the whole class discussion, children would get the opportunity to design their own alien using a range of materials including paper, crayons, paint or playdough. They would decide how many eyes, arms or legs their alien has and choose its colours. When they are finished, I would give each child the opportunity to present their alien to the class and do a Q and A based on their creation.
Hi Geraldine, I think this idea is fab! I think the children would really enjoy creating their own constellations and making up stories about them. The stargazing diary is a great way to get them involved outside the classroom too. It sounds like a really fun activity that would keep them curious and interested in space!
Hi Éadaoin, I really like this activity! I think the children would have great fun experimenting with the torches and seeing how the shadows change. I also like how they get to make predictions first and then test their ideas. It’s a simple activity but it gives them a good chance to explore, ask questions and learn through hands-on tasks.
This activity will be based on teaching the planets. I would begin this activity by having a whole class discussion in a circle, assessing all or any prior knowledge children may have about the planets. Children will get the opportunity to share their knowledge, thoughts and ideas with their peers. Next, I would play the song “The Family of the Sun” to inform children the name of the planets as well as their key characteristics. After the song, I would put pictures of the planets on the board and ask the children what they can remember. We could work together to put the planets in the correct order from the Sun. The children could then work in small groups to make their own planet pictures using crayons, paint or playdough. To consolidate their learning, the children could match planet pictures to their names, order the planets, and play a simple “Guess the Planet” game using clues. We could finish by singing the song again and seeing how many planets they can remember without looking at the pictures.
My lesson would be suitable for an infant class. This lesson would be based on the inquiry question “What happens to shadows in space?”. I would start by showing the children pictures of the Sun, Earth and astronauts and ask them what they think makes a shadow. We could talk about where they have seen shadows before and make some predictions. Then in small groups the children could use a torch as the “Sun” and different objects as “planets”. They could move the objects closer to and further away from the torch and see what happens to the shadows. The children could draw what they notice and talk about their results with the class. I think this would work well in an infants classroom because it is very hands-on and gives the children a chance to explore and ask questions themselves.
Hi Brendan, I really like this idea. The ice cube experiment sounds like a fun, hands-on way to get the children thinking like scientists. I also like how they can make predictions, test them and then see if their ideas were right. It sounds like it would keep them really engaged. I must try this in my own classroom at some stage!