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I really liked these lessons too Anne. I like the way you have it structured. I have Senior Infants and I think you could adapt it for them by doing it as a whole class and focusing on the concept rather than the process.
Liston’s paper was most interesting. I particularly liked the definition by Vasque, Comer & Sneider as to what is STEM Education as I feel that sometimes the word is bandied about as somewhat of a ‘buzz’ word/phrase without actually thought of what it actually is. I was also blown away with Vasque’s concept of the T as ‘Technology is anything that is made by a human and used to solve a problem’. I would have, as many would, associate technology with the digital world.
I would use aspects of the ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World lesson with my Senior Infant class. We explore a lot about Space during our Integrated Learning through Play topic ‘Space Travel Agent’ and also when learning about the Winter & Summer Solstices during our Ethical Education.
For Senior Infants, I would begin with the Animals in the Night section. using the photographs of the diurnal and nocturnal animals as a springboard into the lesson. I would teach the Day/Night Song covered in a previous slide. I would use the orange and cocktail sticks to explore Day and Night in the World. We would continue to watch Paxi & Day/Night and Seasons https://youtu.be/TagG32gwiBo (link to SESE/Ethical for solstice) and finally make a sundial using a flowerpot and stick. This scheme/plan could easily be split into two or more lessons.
Consolidate your experiences and action plans in the course by creating a class plan to engage with Space Week.
In my own context, if I don’t use it for Space Week, I envisage it being used in the week before the class engages fully in the Integrated Learning through Play block ‘Space Travel Agent’ The Space Week Plan can be used at class level or can be rolled out across the school, if desired. It is intended that the children get an overview of many aspects of Space
MONDAY – The Planets
The Planets song – 8 Planets of the Solar System Song https://youtu.be/mQrlgH97v94 (Link to Music)
The planets – Journey through the Solar System (ESERO 1) https://esero.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/01_The-planets.pdf (link to PE)TUESDAY – The Moon
Video of first moon landing (link to History)
Craters on the surface of the moon – experiment with objects being dropped on flour
Meet Our Neighbours: Moon http://www.space-awareness.org/en/activities/1408/meet-our-neighbours-moon/ (Link to Art)
Multicultural Moon Stories https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/MoonStoriesASP2019.pdf (Link to Ethical Education)WEDNESDAY – The Sun/Shadows
Book – The Sun is my Favourite Star by Frank Asch (link to English)
Where is the Shadow? (ESERO 29) includes drawing outline of shadows at different times of the day (Link to Art – Drawing – form) and/or
Sundial with upturned flower pot and bamboo stick – measure at various times (link to History)THURSDAY – Rockets
Marvin & Milo – Whole class Balloon Rocket (note: have sting and straw prepped). Add variations https://spark.iop.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/19%20-%20Marvin%20and%20Milo%20-%20Balloon%20Rocket%202019_0.pdf and/or
Marvin & Milo – Alka Seltzer Rocket /https://spark.iop.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/09%20-%20Marvin%20and%20Milo%20-%20Alka-Seltzer%20Rocket%202019.pdf Chemical rocket launch using old film containers or vitamin/seltzer containersFRIDAY – Aliens
Dancing raisins https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/dancing_raisins.pdf
Blow up balloon using vinegar & baking soda – Balloon Blow up Demonstration to show children how carbon dioxide can be created and then used to blow up a balloon.
Hands on Experiments! – Explosions – The children will work in teams to try and create the perfect glittery explosion mixture. The children will start by adding baking soda. Then the children can decide which colour of food dye and glitter they would like. The children will then add liquid dish soap to the mixture, being careful not to stir it too much and create bubbles. Finally each team will have a chance to test which mixture works the best by adding vinegar to it. The result! A colourful Bubble explosion! This can be done in an empty plastic container.
Note: taken from BCO Fizzing & Foaming documentGreat idea Saoirse to bring in the maths (distance) with it. We will be looking for more and more ways to do this with the implementation of the PMC.
Hi Laura,
We do Polar Exploration as one of the Integrated Learning through Play themes. I had forgotten about doing the animals in ice this year so thanks for the reminder.
We also made ‘fake snow’ which was a lovely science-based activity too.
What further steps might you take towards a STEM focused SSE?
While we generally have robust Whole School Curricular Plans, with the introduction of the new curriculum framework, in particular the move to group subjects under the heading STEM, our school has identified that SESE overall needs an overhaul to ensure cohesive practice in which all children have ample opportunity to develop the maths and science skills they will require in the Ireland, and the world, of the future. At the crux of the SESE programme is STEM. Furthermore, it is particularly topical with the introduction of the Primary Maths Curriculum which has been described as an ‘inch wide but a mile deep’.
Having identified SESE/STEM as its focus, the school will first gather evidence from the school community. The staff feedback will be obtained during a staff meeting where people will work in their class levels to discuss what is working well and what needs improvement. The children will be consulted, some by focus group and some feedback forms. These may include responding through the visual arts, in particular for the younger children. Parents will be consulted using a Google forms survey.
The results of all of the feedback will be analysed by a team of interested parties and judgements will be made, with the LAOS document steering the priority areas. At this point, one or two key, practical actions will be agreed upon and communicated with the school community. Together, we will work on implementing these while monitoring at regular intervals by taking photos of the progress and filing them in a shared drive folder. It will appear on every staff meeting agenda to ensure SESE & STEM remain key foci and its success will be monitored and reviewed at regular intervals.
Hi Ursula,
Tht link to the constellation song has just been added to my Space Travel Agent planning for next year – lovely simple air and gives a great sense of the constellations.
I also really like the idea of using the peg boards to create constellations – they could even cut string or straws to connect them.
The idea of naming a star is great and especially involving student voice and linking it to a poll in maths.
Activity Set: Space and Aliens
How would you use the activity in your classroom?
Both activities in this set really work to develop further two activities that we did in Senior Infants recently.
We completed a drama activity whereby children had to work in groups to act out a scene of the arrival of an alien but the only word they were able to use was ‘Alien’. Doing the ESERO lesson Special Life prior to this would equip them to further develop the scene in greater detail and create better linkage across the curriculum.
We also completed a similar activity to the spaceweek.ie Mars – Design a Martian activity. We read a story by Colin McNaughton titled ‘Here Comes the Alien’ and we used this a springboard to design an alien using play-doh and craft materials. I really like how the spaceweek.ie activity takes it a step further, connecting it to real-life (Mars) and across the curriculum (sorting and classifying in Maths). It creates a better structure on the activity and is definitely something I will use in tandem with it in the future.
Hi Jennifer,
That sounds like a great idea, realy develops a sense of the orbit. Another PE-related activity that my class enjoyed before was the ESERO Lesson #1 – The Planets Journey through the Solar System https://esero.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/01_The-planets.pdf
Firstly, I really enjoyed the idea of the polar bear and penguin role play. We do Polar Regions as a theme during Integrated Learning through Play. We do a lot about ‘Why polar bears don’t eat penguins?’ when starting off. I like that now, I can take it a step further and it will be a lovely precursor to the theme of Space Travel Agent.
The main activity that I will look at today is the moon. Often I focus more on the Moon Landing so with the activities in this set, I will be able to develop it further.
The Trigger
Video of moon landing.
Wondering & Exploring:
What is happening? Where are they? How did they get there? Why do you think they went there? What does the ground look like?
Using ‘Moon Stories from Around the World’ stories and images ( https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/MoonStoriesASP2019.pdf ), show pictures of the moon. What can you see now? What does the ground look like now? Explain the word ‘crater’. Do all of the craters look the same? How do you think these craters were formed? Why are some craters smaller/bigger than others? Discuss what might have hit the moon to create the craters.
Starter Question & Predicting:
What happens when moving objects hit the surface of the moon?
Conducting the Investigation:
Explain that we are going to use basins of sand, flour and rice to pretend to be the surface of the moon and we are going to drop objects on them to make our own craters. Discuss what objects would be best and why? Initially focus on spherical shaped objects. For further development, examine what happens when they’re not spherical.
Divide children into groups of 4/5 and give each group a choice of which ‘surface’ they are going to use. Ensure that at least one of each ‘surfaces’ is used. Using various sizes of spherical objects suggested, the children will drop these balls one at a time into each box and observe what happens to the sand/rice/flour.
Interpreting Data/Results:
Examine and discuss what happened to the ‘surfaces’ after the objects were dropped? What is the same about the craters? What is different about the craters? How was the biggest one made? What about the smallest one? Why were they different? Which ‘surface’ made shapes most like the moon? Why do you think this is? What happens if we use objects that aren’t spherical?
Applying Learning, Making Connections & Thoughtful Actions:
Based on what they have discussed, children continue to make their own surface of the moon, similar to the Meet Our Neighbours: Moon activity. Depending on the class, this activity could be done in pairs or small groups to encourage further peer discussion about the surface and how to represent it best/ Show and tell their moon to the class
Reflection:
Through higher order questioning, teacher observation and the creation of their moons, along with the group work, the teacher will assess the children’s development of the concept. To further encourage more questioning in relation to the moon, the children will watch Paxi & Our Moon
Hi everyone,
My name is Christine and I currently teach Senior Infants. We cover the theme of Space as our Integrated Learning through Play topic each year so this course is going to be immensely helpful. I am also looking forward to discovering how it can support the new Primary Maths Curriculum. One of my favourite space facts is that the sunset on Mars appears blue.
Another play theme that we cover in class is Polar Exploration. I would use the ESERO’s Animals in the Cold (#7) lesson plan to build an ‘inquiry-based activity’. Using the Curious Minds framework, the structure would look as follows:
Engage
Prompt:Do they know any films/cartoons about the North or South Pole?
Wondering: What do the children know about these places on Earth?
Exploring: The children find out how animals that live in cold places keep themselves warm.Investigate
Starter Question: What do people do when they feel cold? How do the penguin and the polar bear keep themselves warm?
Predicting: Explain that the penguin’s feathers and the polar bear’s fur are also covered in a layer of grease. Predict what happens because of this.
Conducting the Investigation: Rub Vaseline on one of each child’s hands. Now the children also have a greasy layer on their skin. Drip some water on this hand. What happens to the water?Take the Next Step
Applying learning: Come to the conclusion that the water rolls off the hand with the greasy layer.
Making connections: Come to the conclusion that the penguin and the polar bear have three ways to keep themselves warm: a thick coat of fur or feathers, a thick layer of fat under their skin, and a greasy layer on their fur or feathers.
Thoughtful actions: The animals have adapted to the conditions that they live in
