Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Leeanne,
you seem to have two types of rockets combined in this activity outline.
The paper rocket (https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/dpsm_paper_rocket.pdf) uses a straw to blow a paper rocket, but is fiddly to make for very young children. I’m not sure where you would attach a balloon to it.
It has a nose cone (by folding the top of the paper over) and fins.
A balloon rocket (as described in rocket launch from this module’s resources) is an inflated balloon on a string. If you don’t use the string, then it is the same as letting an inflated balloon free. This is how we introduce it in our workshops at BCO.
I’ve not tried to add a nose cone or fins to this type of rocket, since, as the balloon deflates, they would not be fixed securely.
Jennifer,
the Planning Guide has been designed to make it easy for teachers to connect their curricular objectives with the resources from Curious Minds, so I am glad to see that you feel you can use it to support the children’s learning.
The Framework for Inquiry also supports the development of science skills, both the ‘standard ones’ and the ‘design and make’ approach.
We’ve also found drawing a super method of engaging with very young children, although quantifying it can be tricky. It can definitely be used to track progress if different colours are used.
Kathy,
demonstrating the rocket mouse is such an essential part of inquiry learning. Having viewed the rocket mouse in action, the children will be able to apply their own understanding as they work in small groups to make their own and to improve on its launch and landing.
You can choose (or better yet, let the children choose) to look at vertical distance, or horizontal landing distance. Children can use non-standard measures, perhaps holding their hand to the height and then moving to a wall and placing a post it note to mark the height.
At Blackrock Castle, in our workshops, we start on the table, and as the children become more confident and the rocket mice go higher, we ask “I wonder where we could launch from that would give us a bit more space?” This encourages the children to move the launch to the floor, and fewer mice then hit the ceiling.
Niamh,
I think the ” very own night sky by displaying the creations on the wall.”
is a wonderful way to keep this activity on show.
Some constellations are much larger than others, some have more stars, some are made from brighter stars, some from dimmer, so there is plenty of opportunity for maths talk as the children make their own constellations.
When we take our StarDome out to schools or to large festivals like the Cork Science Carnival, we share constellation images and ask our visitors what shapes they see. Some are “recognisable picture or pattern,” many are not particularly clear. In particular, Leo does not look particularly lion-like. This could make an intriguing next step for the children to consider.
Orla,
the demonstration of the flowers changing colour is a great introduction to some key ideas of how plants take in water. In inquiry learning as we are using the term in this course, the children should be using their own science understanding to predict an outcome and then verify their science by carrying out an investigation activity.
When the children make predictions there needs to be some reason behind their predictions. If they have to guess, then the inquiry process isn’t being fully used. This means that some initial discussion and elaboration of idea needs to happen – this can be in the wonder and explore section of the Framework.
I’d modify this lovely activity to show an example of a flower changing colour, then allow the children to set up more flowers, with perhaps the split stems and different colours in the jars to see how their ideas of the water movement are correct.
Marcella,
as I have just commented to another teacher:
We often don’t think that the Sun moves that quickly, since it takes a whole daytime to go from the east to the west, but in the time it takes to draw two people’s shadows, the first person can’t fit back into their own shadow!
We did this in a summer course a few years ago, and it was remarkable to see the teachers who hadn’t tried this before react to their changed shadows.
In the Sun and Shadows toolkit you can see how this understanding can be used to make a sundial, and the video we created during lockdown shows Frances running outside to make a sundial in her garden.
Laura,
were they amazed at how far their shadows had moved?
We often don’t think that the Sun moves that quickly, since it takes a whole daytime to go from the east to the west, but in the time it takes to draw two people’s shadows, the first person can’t fit back into their own shadow!
We did this in a summer course a few years ago, and it was remarkable to see the teachers who hadn’t tried this before react to their changed shadows.
Laura,
I’d try to be very careful with the language around “The Earth moving” and distinguish between orbiting the Sun (which it does every year) and rotating on its own axis, which it does every day.
During one rotation, the Earth moves 1/365th of its orbit around the Sun. It is the rotation that gives us day and night. At the same time, we move a little bit around the Sun, which after a few months gives us a change in season.
This What if from the creator of XKCD has some really fun numbers in an answer to a ‘what if’ question that include the speed of the Earth’s surface.
and this video answers the ‘what if the Earth suddenly stopped spinning?’
https://youtu.be/gp5G1QG6cXc?si=IPQMueSPzTHJbqqP
Rachael,
to have actual rocket races I’d suggest that you use a balloon rockets that can have additional ‘rocket fuselage’ added to it. It is called ‘rocket launch’ in this module’s materials.
Children might make a rocket shape from junk art materials, but it would be unlikely to fly.
An older class could be challenged to create a heavy lifting rocket, using this guide from spaceweek.ie
https://www.spaceweek.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SpaceWeek_2023_HeavyLifters-1.pdf
Roisin,
this strikes me as a bit high-level for a junior class. Food chains appear as a curricular item for 3rd/4th class in Living Things/Plant and Animal Life and again in 5th and 6th class.
With support a younger class might look at seeds and what they need to start growing, or look at plant and how it responds to light (both curricular items for 1st/2nd class), but I think a full ecosystem would be better left to second level.
Aisling,
the Marvin and Milo cat and dog are an engaging pair of characters. I’m not sure where their connection to aliens has come from though.
We do get some schools contacting us thinking that we are in the Blackrock in Dublin, and have to tell them that we are in Cork. This is an issue particularly with our StarDome, since the distance to Dublin is just too much for us to get up and back in day.
Frances and I were in Dublin with the StarDome at Science Blast in 2023. Lots of fun, but long long days with a lot of young people.
Hi everyone,
I’m Danielle, I work with Frances, Jane and Niall at Blackrock Castle Observatory.
As you might be able to tell from my photo, I started out in the US, but have been living in Cork for years now.
I am very involved in Space Week and operate the Big Bertha telescope at Blackrock Castle, as well as my own personal telescope.Hi Lauryn,
I produce a Moon calendar each year for Blackrock Castle and Space Week.
Last year’s is here: (
Scroll down this page and you will find the next’s years when we publish it shortly
https://www.spaceweek.ie/for-organisers/for-teachers/
With this Moon calendar we decided to simplify the main phases of the Moon and include just some of the main events over the year.
The next one coming up is the partial lunar eclipse on September 18 (Partial Lunar Eclipse on 17–18 September 2024 – Where and When to See (timeanddate.com)