[David Gavin]

Module 5

Title: Exploring Rockets

Activity 1: Introduction to Rockets – Show pictures of rockets and discuss their purpose, engaging children with questions.

Activity 2: Rocket Picture Books – Read age-appropriate books about rockets, sparking discussions and imagination.

Activity 3: Rocket Construction – Provide supplies for children to create their own rockets using construction paper or cardboard tubes.

Activity 4: Rocket Building – Encourage children to use building blocks or cardboard tubes to build their own rockets for imaginative play.

Extension Activities: Show videos or online resources about rockets, create a rocket-themed play area.

The objective of this lesson is to Encourage curiosity and foster a love for rockets and space exploration in a fun and interactive way!

Various books to incorporate in to this lesson:
“Roaring Rockets” by Tony Mitton
“There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System” by Tish Rabe
“The Darkest Dark” by Chris Hadfield

[David Gavin]

This lesson is really impressive. I look forward to incorporating some of these idea into my own lessons.

[David Gavin]

This sounds like a excellent activity. Well Done!

[David Gavin]

Title: Where do we live and weather

The objective of this lesson is to Introduce Junior and Senior infants to where we live and different weather types through engaging activities and discussions.

Activity 1:
Where Do We Live?
To introduce the lesson I would Show a world map, discuss different homes, and encourage children to share something they like about where they live.

Activity 2: Different Types of Weather: I would Show the children pictures of weather conditions, discuss their characteristics, and use props to demonstrate their effects.

Activity 3: Weather Art: Provide art supplies for children to create drawings or paintings representing their favorite type of weather.

Activity 4: Weather Discussion and Reflection: Engage children in a conversation about weather, asking questions and encouraging them to share their thoughts and experiences.

Extension Activities: Create a weather chart, sing weather-related songs, observe current weather, or engage in simple experiments.

Adapt activities to suit children’s needs and abilities. Encourage curiosity and have fun exploring our home and weather.

I would encorporate various books into the lesson such as
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett
“The Wind Blew” by Pat Hutchins
“Little Cloud” by Eric Carle

[David Gavin]

Lesson Topic- Stars
Title: Exploring Stars

Objective: Introduce Junior and Senior Infant Children to stars and spark their curiosity about the night sky.

I would use various materials such as;

Picture books about stars
Flashcards with star images
Glow-in-the-dark stars stickers
Art supplies (glitter, colored paper, glue, scissors)
Large sheet
Children’s telescope

i would introduce the lesson by showing a picture of stars and ask children if they have seen them before.
Explain that stars are glowing balls in the sky at night.

I would Give children art supplies and ask them to create their own starry sky artwork.
Let them use their imagination to add as many stars as they want.
Share their artwork with the class.

Moving on I would show flashcards with star images and ask children to count the stars on each card.
Increase the number of stars gradually.
Reward their efforts with glow-in-the-dark star stickers.

Finally I would carry out a Stargazing Adventure with the childrten.

Create a simulated night sky using a large sheet.
Dim the lights and use a children’s telescope (if available) or project images of stars.
Point out constellations and explain their shapes using relatable examples.
Encourage children to imagine shapes in the stars.

I would Discuss what the children learned about stars.
Recap the main points of the lesson.
Encourage them to explore the night sky with their families and share their discoveries.

[David Gavin]

I really like this lesson.

A lot of creativity and fun. I look forward to trying this out with my own class.

[David Gavin]

This is a great lesson. I love your use of Drama and Art. This is absolutely something I would try going forward.

[David Gavin]

The Lesson that I would teach is The Spherical Earth.

Similar to other contributors of this forum I would introduce a Globe to the children accompanied by props of a Polar Bear and a Penguin on opposite Poles.

I would pose the question ” Which of this 2 animals are upside down?”

I would then procede to turn the globe to demonstate that neither of the animals are upside down, despite it appearing as if they were.

I would use the Earth Mosaic to further develop the lesson.

To conclude I would use Google Earth on both the Interactive white board and on the pupil’s tablets to offer them an oppertunity to explore the structure of the earth.

An additional resource I would use is a map of the world. By manipulating the Map and attaching the left and right side of the map together you can demonstrate that the map is actually connected on both sides.

The key objective of this lesson is to challenge an misconceptions held by the children so that they can develop an understanding that the Earth is a spherical object.

[David Gavin]

Hi Laura,

I love this activity. If I am ever teaching an Infant class ill be sure to try this.

[David Gavin]

My name is David and I am currently teaching in Learning Support
I would use the following inquiry based activity in the classroom-Floating and sinking

The “Sinking or Floating: Buoyancy Exploration” experiment introduces young children to the concept of buoyancy through hands-on exploration. By predicting and observing the behaviour of different objects in water, children develop critical thinking skills and gain an understanding of why objects sink or float.
Engage:
Present the children with a wide range of materials.
Pose various questions to the children such as “ Do you think this plastic will float or sink?”

Materials:
Container of water
Various objects (wooden block, plastic toy, metal spoon, rubber ball, foam ball, paper clip, etc.)
Notebook or chart paper
Pencil or markers
Paper towels for cleanup

Wondering- The children will brainstorm ideas on what makes an object float or sink.

Exploring- Allow the children to go through the items and try classify objects according to whether they float or sink

Investigate:

Starter question-why do some things float and why do some things sink?

Prediction-Do you think the items will float or sink-record your predictions on worksheet
Introduce buoyancy and discuss sinking and floating objects.
Have children predict whether each object will sink or float based on its characteristics.
Fill the container with water and invite children to take turns placing objects in it.
Record observations in notebooks or on chart paper.
Facilitate a discussion on patterns and similarities between sinking and floating objects.
Summarise buoyancy concept and encourage reflection on predictions

Reflection-
Ask children to consider what materials they would use to construct a boat. Pose questions such as ‘ What other factors other than buoyancy would you need to consider in order to make a boat ‘

[Author]

Posts