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This module has reminded me, and perhaps more importantly inspired me, to revisit experiments that I have used successfully in my classroom for many years, such as balloon rockets, fizzy rockets, and dancing raisins. While these activities have always been enjoyable for the children, I now realise the importance of placing much greater emphasis on the engagement phase, as outlined in the Curious Minds and ESERO Framework for Inquiry.
One aspect of the module that particularly inspired me was the use of storybooks such as Aliens Love Underpants and The Way Back Home. These texts provide excellent cross-curricular links with English while also creating a sense of fun, curiosity, and excitement before the scientific investigation even begins. They encourage children to ask questions, make predictions, and become emotionally invested in the learning.
In the future, I plan to use this inquiry framework as the starting point for these investigations rather than focusing solely on the science activity itself. I want to ensure that my lessons have a stronger STEM focus, allowing children to develop problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills alongside their scientific understanding. This approach demonstrates that there is far more to be gained from these lessons than simply covering the science curriculum. They become meaningful learning experiences that integrate several curriculum areas while fostering creativity and curiosity. Ultimately, I believe this will make better use of my planning time, create richer learning opportunities, and bring even greater enjoyment for both the children and myself.
I really liked your approach to this lesson. It integrates many subjects and has strong cross-curricular links. It can imagine the children being very engaged and interested throughout. They also have wonderful winter animal creations to bring home and hopefully continue their conversations and learning there.
To further develop a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation (SSE), I would take steps to reflect on and strengthen STEM teaching and learning within my Third Class classroom while contributing to whole-school improvement. I would use the six-step SSE process to identify our current strengths, gather evidence of pupils’ learning, set realistic targets for improvement, implement new approaches, and review their impact. This process would help ensure that STEM is embedded across the curriculum, promotes equality of access to high-quality science education, and builds on the effective practices already taking place within our school.
In my own classroom, I would like to place a greater emphasis on integrating STEM across the curriculum rather than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as isolated subjects. I would also follow view STEM and its relationship to the Arts. The new STEM specification recognises that children are naturally curious, creative and eager to investigate the world around them. I would like to provide more opportunities for project-based and inquiry-based learning where pupils solve real-world problems using mathematical thinking alongside scientific investigation, engineering design and technology.
I also aim to place greater emphasis on the learning process rather than the final product. Encouraging pupils to ask questions, test ideas, reflect on mistakes and persevere through challenges will help develop key competencies such as critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, resilience and problem-solving skills. These are essential skills for both school and life beyond the classroom.
As part of the SSE process, I would make greater use of supports such as the UNAWE guidance documents to evaluate younger children’s STEM learning, as well as resources from Curious Minds and ESERO to provide engaging, real-world STEM contexts. I would also seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues to plan cross-curricular STEM activities that connect with children’s interests and everyday experiences. By continuing to reflect on my practice and embedding STEM across learning, I hope to foster greater curiosity, agency and confidence in my pupils while contributing to our school’s ongoing STEM development.
Having taught the topic of constellations several times over the years, I found the Curious Minds – Making the Plough activity to be a refreshing and engaging approach that I am eager to use in my own classroom. It clearly demonstrates the integration of STEM and the Arts, reinforcing the value of cross-curricular learning that was highlighted in an earlier module.
I particularly liked the process of measuring the wool and pulling it through to create the constellation. It was an ingenious way of developing pupils’ understanding of length through a meaningful, hands-on activity rather than through traditional worksheets or textbook exercises. As teachers, it can be challenging to find new and motivating ways to teach mathematical concepts such as measurement, and this activity provides an excellent example of how practical tasks can deepen understanding while maintaining high levels of engagement.
I would use the ESERO Framework to structure my lesson, encouraging pupils to predict, investigate, create and reflect throughout the activity. The framework would also support my evaluation of the lesson, allowing me to identify what worked well and how I could build on pupils’ learning in future lessons. Overall, I believe this activity would promote curiosity, creativity and collaboration while helping pupils make meaningful connections between science, mathematics and the arts.
I have to agree with all the points made here. I was also reminded of Julia Donaldson’s story The Smeds and the Smoos. This activity further reinforced for me the benefits of integrating STEM and the Arts. Both areas enrich one another and provide children with opportunities to engage more deeply with the topic, develop their critical thinking skills, and make meaningful cross-curricular connections. I believe this integrated approach creates richer learning experiences and encourages curiosity, creativity, and deeper understanding.
This sounds like a really fun, engaging and worthwhile lesson. I know my own pupils over the year would love this lesson and that the promise of Oreos would be a real hit! Love the cross curricular links too.
I would use the following activity from Universe in a box as part of a science lesson on the shape of the Earth. I chose this activity because it reminds me of a question I had as a child. I remember wondering how ships did not fall off the edge of the Earth, and I think many children still have similar curiosities. Using this activity gives pupils the opportunity to explore the concept for themselves in a hopefully memorable and engaging way.
I would plan the lesson using the ESERO framework of Engage, Investigate and Take the Next Steps. To engage the class, I would begin by asking the children whether they think the Earth is flat or round and what evidence they have to support their ideas. I would encourage discussion and allow all opinions to be shared without immediately revealing the answer. I would then ask the children to make a simple origami boat, which adds a practical, hands-on element and helps to capture their interest. If it was a younger group I would encourage them to bring in a toy boy from home or use one from the classroom activities.
During the investigation, I would first place the boat and a toy figure on a flat table to represent a flat Earth. As the boat moves away, the children would observe that it simply appears to get smaller. I would then repeat the activity using a globe to represent the spherical Earth. This time, the children would notice that the boat gradually disappears from the bottom up, giving the appearance that it is “sinking” below the horizon. I would encourage the children to describe what they observe in their own words and discuss why this happens. If the children found this hard to see using small items, I would use a large beach ball and a larger toy boat.
To conclude the lesson, I would ask the children to reflect on what they discovered and compare their observations with their original ideas. As a follow-up activity, We would look at and investigate other evidence that shows the Earth is spherical, such as photographs taken from space or videos of ships disappearing over the horizon.
Based on Claire’s Space Fact, I decided to plan an inquiry-based lesson on density, floating, and sinking because I thought her fact was really interesting. I also think it’s the kind of fact that children would enjoy and remember, especially if it was introduced in a fun way.
I would use the ESERO Framework for Inquiry to teach a lesson on floating and sinking with a space theme to a 1st/2nd class. I think starting with the question, “Do you think a planet could float on water?” would really grab the children’s attention. I imagine most of them would say no because they would think that something as big as a planet has to sink. This would be a great way to get them thinking, asking questions, and making their own predictions.
The children would start by sharing their ideas before testing different classroom objects to see which ones float and which ones sink. They could work in small groups and record what they notice. Instead of giving them the answers straight away, I would encourage them to talk about why they think some objects float while others sink and listen to each other’s ideas.
As the lesson goes on, I would introduce the idea of density in a simple way, explaining that it isn’t the size of an object that decides whether it floats or sinks, but how dense it is.
To finish the lesson, I would tell the children that Saturn is the only planet in our solar system with an average density lower than water. Even though it could never actually happen because there isn’t an ocean big enough, Saturn would float if there was a giant bath large enough to hold it. I think that’s the kind of fun fact children would remember and chat about long after the lesson, while also helping them understand the idea of density.