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I agree Cathal, the infants would absolutely love this experiment, Creating a rocket and using their imaginations to design them .
Activity set : Where do you live?
In introducing this topic we would discuss our houses and the type of houses we live in and why they are built using the materials. We would do a KWL chart. We would also discuss other buildings we have in our locality and how they differ from our houses.
I really like the idea of the children building a model of their houses and comparing. I would use ESRO activity card as a resource.
With the older classes, we would look at houses from other countries and how they are adapted to cope with climate and other factors associated with that country ie culture, materials used. I would the extend this to modelling homes from other countries and compare and contrast the models.
It would also be nice to map out a route in our local village or town and describe the types of building along the way.
Hi Deirdre, I have used the story A stroll through the seasons and it would be a lovely way of to conclude a lesson on the Seasons.
Activity set: Stars
Usbourne have a lovely book called Night sky Things to spot. We would use this as inspiration for our activity on Stars and star constellations.
Firstly we would open with a discussion on stars and make a KWL chart. I teach 5th class so find these charts are really helpful and focus our learning.
During a maths session we would learn the language we need for shape and space and patterns so that we are able to describe our shapes and patterns and the properities they have.
Students should be able to use everyday language to discuss size, position, and direction, as well as interpret and create simple maps and scale drawings .
During our Art lesson we would do the Seeing the Star activity. I really love this activity especially for 5th class as they would be able to punch the holes themselves. It is a brilliant visual of what the plough would look like and also using maths to measure the distance each star is away from space.
Hi Sean ,love the idea of making pin holes in a piece of card and shining torch through it to make the constellations.
Activity set: the Sun and Shadows
The Bear Shadow Activity. I just love this idea of discovering shadows with the junior end using the book The Moon Bear by Frank Ash as inspiration.
By having a discussion on Light and Shadows and finding out what they know already, this would make a perfect starting point to this lesson.
Next we would read the book The Moon Bear. On each page we would hightlight where the sun is and where the shadow is so that they get the concept that the sun is the behind the object that is making the shadow.
Using props like a plastic bear, trees, a piece of green card and a torch we can recreate scenes from the story. We can also make the shadows longer and smaller by changing the position of the torch.
By bringing the children outside on a sunny day , they can discover and make shadows using their own bodies.
An inquiry-based activity I would use in my 5th class classroom is a “What if we lived on the moon?”. Using fact based comprehension pieces for inspiration and look at videos about the moon and astronauts, we would create projects about what it would look like to live on the moon:
“What would daily life be like on the moon compared to on earth?”, “What would we eat?”
“Where would we sleep and would we sleep?”
‘’What would be the pros and cons of living on the moon? ‘’
This would spark curiosity and lead into a group-based inquiry where children draw, write, build models, or ask their own questions.
Inquiry-based learning is particularly powerful at all ages because it encourages language development, collaboration, and critical thinking. We all know that children are naturally curious, and giving them the opportunity to lead their own discovery would help them build confidence. I really love this resource and I think that the children in my class would love to discovery more about space.
HI Michaela, I love the idea of an eco map. I have never seen this in use in any classroom and will definitely be doing it with my class. Thank you for sharing
Sustainability is very evident in my local area. We’ve seen more community-led initiatives such as beach clean-ups, community gardens and an annual Harvest festival that promotes locally sourced produce. Recycling, biodiversity, and reducing single-use plastics has become more and more important, with many local shops encouraging customers to bring their own containers or bags.
In the classroom, activities like local area walks to identify eco-friendly initiatives, school litter committees and simple recycling or composting projects will make sustainability feel real and relevant. I’d also invite students to design their own posters, upcycling crafts, or “green pledges”—to help them take ownership of sustainable actions.
In our school first classes take part in the Litter Pickers programme every year which links in really well with the local Tidy Towns committee. Our local County Council provides the classes with a pack, including litter pickers, gloves, refuse sacks etc It’s a brilliant way to promote awareness of the local environment and community and the children really enjoy participating in it.
2nd to 5th class form the green school committee and they meet regularly to come up with ideas of making our school more sustainable. This allows the children to take control and put their ideas into action..
Children need to be taught that seafood helps their cognitive development and that Omega-3 fatty acids support concentration, memory, and learning. I remember as a child been told that fish is good for your brain but never really understanding where seafood came from. Seafood can also help good bone health and that seafood is essential for their overall growth and wellbeing, both physically and mentally.
The “Nutrition of Seafood” module and corresponding resources offers a crucial opportunity to educate students about healthy eating and sustainable food choices.
It’s a great topic for health and science lessons but it also allows for discussions about sustainability, global food systems, and even culture. Students could look into where their seafood comes from, what nutrients it provides, and how different cultures prepare it. By connecting nutrition with real-world issues and personal choices, we can help students make more informed decisions about their own health and the planet now and for the future.
We should be making more advantage of this remarkable resource as an island with such great conditions that are perfect for aquaculture.Food tasting and simple cooking ideas for great ways for the kids to understand the nutritional value of seafood. It would be very engaging for the class.
