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Activity: Lots and lots of Stars
I will definitely be availing of this ESERO activity next year; perhaps in a thematic unit of work on stars during my Space month. I think I would introduce it after the Counting Can game and ask who thinks there are more stars than those marbles? We would count and move to a see-through container. I explain that there are more and ask are there more stars than there are children in the class? We count the number of children and put that many marbles in a second transparent container. I explain that there are even more and fill a third large container to the top. Explain that there are so many stars that we need computers to count how many there are. I would open up a discussion with questions such as: ‘Have you ever seen the stars? What did they look like? Were there a lot of them? Do stars give light? When do you usually see the stars? Is the Sun a star too?’ The photo of the starry sky would lead to more discussion and discovery and help me explain that the Sun gives off so much light that we have light during the day and this light is so bright that we can’t see the other stars. The children would discover that there are lots of stars in the universe.
My class would love creating their Starry Sky extension Art activity and this would really emphasize that there are so many stars; I would link this with Van Gogh’s Starry Night piece for Looking and Responding in art, star related stories and Twinkle Twinkle in literacy and Gaeilge Lonraigh, lonraigh, réalt os cionn https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3XVxrgn73ps, the Maths counting worksheet and numerous other possibilities in Maths, Aistear and Geography: making constellations with playdough or Junk-Art, star themed musical and drama performances and activites etc.I really love these ideas Lucy; really interesting and effective. The pictures would keep the whole class completely on task throughout the activity and the game with the room darkened would be so much fun and sensory for the children. It is so inclusive also and appropriate for all levels.
Activity Set: The Planets
I would definitely utilize all the activities in this module in my classroom. I especially loved the planet song: Family of the Sun, which I had never come across before, for infants. I would use this activity to introduce a unit of work on the planets. It depicts the solar system as a family which the children would all relate to and connect back to themselves; and definitely trigger their interest in the topic. The song is so catchy and easy to listen to and learn and teaches them facts about each planet in a clear and fun way. The video is lovely too and would fascinate the children and make them feel like astronauts floating through space exploring each planet. I think they would find the mention of Pluto very funny as this has been a big topic my classes always mention in recent years when we first start investigating Space; that Pluto was “kicked out” of the solar system. I think the song would have numerous cross curricular links with possibilities for Drama / Musical performance, Art, P.E., Maths and Literacy activities and endless prompts for Aistear.I love this idea for a gravity investigation; I will be teaching the same children next year into Senior Infants and I know they would love this!
Hi, my name is Dympna and I have been teaching Junior and Senior Infants for the last few years. My favourite fact about space is that the sunset on Mars is blue.
One inquiry-based activity I have used in my classroom with Junior Infants is an investigation into strong and light materials using the story The Three Little Pigs as a prompt and to engage and interest the children. A question I would ask would be “I wonder what other materials the pigs could have chosen to build their houses…/The wolf could have blown down…” The children think of other materials or items around the room or from the nature table or Junk Art box etc. such as paper, cardboard, a wooden jaggo block, a feather, a metal spoon, a plastic pot, a plastic straw, a rock, a shell, pom, etc, naming the item and what it is made from. The starter question would be Could the wolf blow it down? We begin the investigation; first discuss what we will use as the wolf’s breath / air/ wind – and how to make sure it’s a fair investigation – a child could be picked to blow through a straw; a hairdryer at a low setting, a battery fan etc. (I have used all of these). We go through the items; first predicting yes or no and record each result by placing the item in the yes or no section of the investigation table like a 3D data chart/display. More interpretation and discussion of the results is done after; discussing why the wolf could blow – light or strong; was anyone surprised by this etc, making connections where applicable e.g. I used that for my Junk Art bird feeder but it blew away etc. Lots of reflection opportunities arise for me after when the children are prompted to make the pigs houses themselves during Aistear and I can see them choose light, weak, strong, very strong materials, and hear them using the correct vocabulary.
