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Harriet your plan is very detailed and mentions and activity for each curricular subject. Just like you, my school has not taken part in Space Week to date so I’m looking forward to promoting it this year and it is great to hear from other teachers/principals and gain insight into lessons and activities that worked well and indeed sharing resources.
I hope to promote Space Week in my school this coming October and I have a wealth of resources and knowledge to share with my fellow teachers and students upon completing this course. I would like to create a school folder with activities, books, videos, links, games, art and general resources relevant to each class level (Infants,1st-2nd etc.) that the teachers and students can dip in and out of.
When planning a lesson/activity it is clear that we need a good ‘prompt’ stimulus to capture the children’s interest and attention and evoke conversation with their peers. I have read both ‘Aliens in Underpants’ and ‘The Way back Home’ and the children enjoy these stories. These would be a good prompt in talking about Space Theme in general. The Stellarium website or plug in light would be great for stargazing and the Planet’s Song is a great way for the children to learn the names of the planets and some information a fun way. I would incorporate the Hoop activity (Planets/Sun/Moon) in my lessons this week in PE and use alien role-play in drama and Star Splatter art as an integration across all the topics.
I would aim to include a bank of simple, fun science experiments for each class level- dancing raisins, separate salt and pepper using static electricity, the gummy bear experiment, inertia etc.
Videos of rockets launching, astronauts performing simple tasks in space such as ‘brushing their teeth, eating etc’ are more difficult due to a lack of gravity. I think these particular videos would spark great conversation and inquiry among the students.
STEM activities would include Design and Making rockets and exploring some features of how they work. Lego and coding activities could be a great tool to use with middle/senior classes to encourage them to do more project/inquiry-based projects! The Fizzy Launcher instructions are very helpful.
Great ideas for different lessons Saoirse. I hadn’t heard of the Stellarium website before this course and just looked at it-The students will love looking at the stars and will be so engaged. Great idea to use role-play activities with Milo and Marvin. The Smeds by Julia Donaldson would be a great story to read with the children during this topic too!
Online Tools to support Science and Space Learning:
Weather Watcher activity: Using ESA’s webpage containing lots of videos and stimuli and prompts for the students. I think the younger students in particular would really enjoy ‘Being a Weather Watcher’. I would show them this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo8lbeVVb4M . Each day the children can write or draw pictures in a journal. I would explain to the children that whilst weather can be unpredictable it generally does follow a pattern for eg. Mild, sunny summer and cold, wet winter. The video explains some common vocabulary-meteorologist, thermometer, temperature. Children could easily set up a weather station; rain gauge, thermometer, wind socks and use their journals to identify patterns. I think they would really enjoy this activity. Mini-meteorologists! This lesson links in well with Maths and uses skills such as recording, predicting, analysing.
The children would really love this activity. I think incorporating 3D shape is very clever and the students will have so much fun describing what their alien looks like! Playdough and tools could be useful too prior to using class. There is also a song ‘ I’m a Little Alien’ which is a hit!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGPhiAlFjU
Activity Set: Stars
I like ESERO’s concept of using marbles to teach children about the vast number of stars in space. I would love to close all the windows and blinds, lights off and move the furniture to the side. Have the students lie on their back and look up, stargaze! I have a light that projects stars and galaxies and planets onto the ceiling and walls. I would ask the children to try and count the number of stars that they can see!
This video is good from Dr. Binocs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSuAPFMXcYM
There are great opportunities to link in with Nursery Rhymes/Music: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little or even attempt Coldplay’s Sky Full of Stars.
I like the activity on drawing constellations. I could find out prior to the lesson, what star sign the students have and show them what their constellation looks like.
Art activities; Paint splatter, create a galaxy with lots of colours and portray how there are so many stars in the sky. The children could make a star lantern for Space Week.
To include STEM activities, the children could use the Bee Bots, create a galaxy using Lego and App software too.
The Activity Set that I have chosen to look at is The Planets & The Moon
I would start by showing the children the video The Family of The Sun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzj6UEbIvKA as a stimulus for discussion. I would ask the children to listen carefully as I am going to ask them a number of questions at the end. How many planets are there? What does Saturn have that the other planets don’t?
I like the ESERO 1 activity about bringing the children outside, great link to PE and using hoops etc to imitate the planets, the Sun and the Moon have children running, hopping, jumping etc between them all. There are many different activities that I would do with the class as we explore this theme such as:
Chant and Move: Create a simple chant with actions for each planet. For example, “Mercury spins fast (spin around), Venus spins slow (turn slowly), Earth is where we live (point to the ground),” etc.
Create a Space Adventure Story: Encourage kids to imagine they’re astronauts visiting each planet. Discuss what they might see or do on each planet.
Planet Hop” Game: Use chalk to draw planets on the ground or place them on paper indoors. Call out planet names and have children hop to the correct one.
Space Treasure Hunt: Hide “space treasures” (toys or cut-out stars and planets) around the classroom or playground. Provide clues related to the planets to guide the children in finding them.
Shadow Play: Use a torch and foam balls to demonstrate how planets orbit the sun and how day and night occur.
Dress-Up and Role Play- Provide astronaut costumes and props. Encourage the students to role-play as astronauts exploring the planets.
The Man in the Moon activity is very cute and I think the students would really enjoy making their own moons. I think this John Lewis ad would be a lovely prompt for the lesson too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGY-T4W-BOc
Sounds like a great lesson/lessons Saoirse. The more resources and stimuli the better for infants! I like the idea of a Kahoot quiz at the end to assess their learning and great fun too. The children love the planets song this particular one is also a hit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQrlgH97v94
I love the rainy day adventure such a lovely idea. Great prompt for the children and lots of areas for linking and integrating across different subjects. Testing materials to see if they are waterproof too.
Topic: Plant Growth and an example prompt might be.
“What do plants need to grow strong and healthy?” Have a little potted plant. Encourage students to ask questions related to the topic. You can facilitate a class discussion to brainstorm these question; What happens to a plant if it doesn’t get enough sunlight? How does the type of soil affect plant growth?
Can plants grow without water?Set up a small garden in the classroom with different conditions: one plant with sunlight, one without, one with regular watering, and one without.
Read books or watch videos about plant growth and photosynthesis.
Use magnifying glasses to observe plants’ parts, like leaves and roots, in detail.
Investigation
Allow students to conduct experiments/investigations based on their questions. Experiment: Have students plant seeds in different soil types (sand, clay, garden soil) and monitor their growth.
Hypothesis: Each group can develop a hypothesis about which soil will produce the healthiest plants.
Procedure: Students will water the plants equally and place them in the same light conditions to control variables.
Data
Students collect data during their investigations. They can record their findings in charts, graphs, or journals. Measure and record plant height every few days,
observe leaf colour and number of leaves weekly, take photos.Have students reflect on their findings and the process. Encourage them to think about what they learned and how it relates to their initial questions.
Hi, I’m Dawn. I have taught Junior Infants up to 4th class. I have loved Space since I was small. My favourite fact, particularly to explain to students, is how the length of the days on different planets can be longer or shorter than Earth. Jupiter only has 10 hours. Imagine trying to cram everything into that day!
It would be important to teach the students what a satellite is initially. ESO’s video in this module is a good tool to use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0G_3FWOOPA&t=1s
I have also used the Climate Change song in classes and they love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn9PhiDJp-A
I downloaded Satellite Tracker and identified Jas 2, Tubsat, Cosmos 1861, Cosmos 2123 and Radio 5 over Ireland currently. This was changing in real time! These satellites currently have various roles over Ireland, such as:
Amateur Radio Communication: Facilitating communication among amateur radio enthusiasts using JAS 2.
Earth Observation: Providing data for environmental monitoring and scientific research through satellites like TUBSAT.
Military and Intelligence: Supporting military operations and intelligence activities using satellites like Cosmos 1861 and Cosmos 2123.
Broadcasting and Telecommunications: Delivering radio and television services through satellites like Radio 5.
The children would very much enjoy activities relating to Earth observations such as; Observations- clouds, type, wind etc; Taking measurements- using thermometer, rain gauge etc; Counting- cars, leaves etc. Surveys, Classroom and Field experiments. This is a great way to integrate Maths and Science and also links well with Green Schools. The Curious Minds/ESERO Activity: Satellites and Reflections is a good resource that focuses on sending signals long distance.
I really like the matching activity is ‘From the Ground to the Sky’ and the children would really enjoy viewing Earth from the different vantage points.It would be important to teach the students what a satellite is initially. ESO’s video in this module is a good tool to use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0G_3FWOOPA&t=1s
I have also used the Climate Change song in classes and they love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn9PhiDJp-A
I downloaded Satellite Tracker and identified Jas 2, Tubsat, Cosmos 1861, Cosmos 2123 and Radio 5 over Ireland currently. This was changing in real time! These satellites currently have various roles over Ireland, such as:
Amateur Radio Communication: Facilitating communication among amateur radio enthusiasts using JAS 2.
Earth Observation: Providing data for environmental monitoring and scientific research through satellites like TUBSAT.
Military and Intelligence: Supporting military operations and intelligence activities using satellites like Cosmos 1861 and Cosmos 2123.
Broadcasting and Telecommunications: Delivering radio and television services through satellites like Radio 5.
The children would very much enjoy activities relating to Earth observations such as; Observations- clouds, type, wind etc; Taking measurements- using thermometer, rain gauge etc; Counting- cars, leaves etc. Surveys, Classroom and Field experiments. This is a great way to integrate Maths and Science and also links well with Green Schools. The Curious Minds/ESERO Activity: Satellites and Reflections is a good resource that focuses on sending signals long distance.
I really like the matching activity is ‘From the Ground to the Sky’ and the children would really enjoy viewing Earth from the different vantage points.
