[Doireann Nolan]

I would also like to introduce some of the lovely ideas from this course into a space week in my school. I love how they are simple and easy to use with young children.

[Doireann Nolan]

Introduction:

Read the story Aliens in Underpants Save the World. Discuss the aliens and what they got up to.

Discuss how you might get up to space. Chat about rockets and explore the childrens knowledge of these, how they work and what they know about them.

Make a paper rocket mouse using a cone shape. Decorate it to look like a mouse, add colour and ears.

Next, choose your rocket launcher. This could be a milk carton or drinks bottle. Try a variety of sizes.

Starter question. What will it take to launch the rocket? How will we make the rocket go higher?

Ask the children to predict what they think will happen and discuss.

Carry out the experiments. Chat about making it a fair test when comparing the different bottles.

Conclusion:

Discuss what else flies through the air like a rocket- darts, archery.

Discuss what they learned and what they enjoyed about the lesson.  Se if they have any unanswered questions and maybe explore the topic some more.

[Doireann Nolan]

I like the idea of using a long sheet of paper to make up their neighbourhood. And also the children becoming architects.  There would be lots of opportunities for chat and discussion here.

[Doireann Nolan]

Senior Infants Science Lesson: Animals in the Cold
Learning Outcome
Children will: Know that there are different types of weather.
Identify the characteristics of animals that live in cold environments.
Recognise how polar bears and penguins are adapted to keep warm.

Materials
Say Hello to the Snowy Animals (story)
Pictures of snowy weather, polar bears and penguins
Vaseline
Toy polar bears, penguins and other Arctic animals
Arctic-themed Aistear small world set-up (ice, snow, blue fabric, blocks, etc.)

Inquiry Question
How do animals stay warm in very cold places?

Introduction
Read Say Hello to the Snowy Animals.
Discuss the animals in the story and where they live.
Show pictures of snowy weather and ask: What is the weather like?
Would you feel hot or cold there?
Which animals live in places like this?

Investigation
Discuss different types of weather
Look at pictures showing sunny, rainy, windy, snowy and icy weather.
Compare the weather children experience with very cold Arctic weather.
How do polar bears and penguins keep warm?
Using pictures, discuss:

Polar bear has thick white fur
Layer of fat (blubber) under its skin
Large furry paws for walking on ice
Penguin has thick layer of blubber
Waterproof feathers
Huddle together to stay warm

Vaseline Investigation: Rub a small amount of Vaseline onto one child’s hand (or children’s fingertips).
Sprinkle a few drops of cold water onto a hand with Vaseline.
Discuss how the water rolls off the Vaseline-covered skin.
Explain that a penguin’s waterproof feathers help keep it dry and warm, just as the Vaseline helps stop water soaking in.
Discussion: Which animal has thick fur?
Which animal has waterproof feathers?
Why do these animals need to stay warm?
Would these animals like to live somewhere hot?
Which adaptation helps each animal survive in the cold?
Emphasise that different animals have different features that help them live in their habitats.

Conclusion
Review what the children have learned about cold weather and Arctic animals.
Revisit the inquiry question:
“How do animals stay warm in very cold places?”
Invite children to share one fact they learned about a polar bear or penguin.
Finish the lesson with Aistear play at an Arctic small-world scene where children can explore, role-play and sort toy Arctic animals while talking about how they survive in the cold. This allows them to reinforce the vocabulary and concepts learned during the lesson through play.

[Doireann Nolan]

The story Aliens Love Underpants would be a great way to start this lesson. I also like the idea of the activity where 2 children work together, one describing the alien and the other drawing it.

[Doireann Nolan]

I would do a lesson with senior infants on stars based on the Esero lesson 13.

Learning outcomes:

Know that there are lots and lots of stars.

Know that the sun is a star.

Know that stars give off light

Know that you can see stars at night if it isnt cloudy.

I would start the lesson by singing the song Twinkle Twinkle.

Next I’d  ask the children to count out some marbles and put them in a jar. Then I’d ask them if they thought there were more stars than marbles. Then I’d ask if they thought there were more stars than children in the class. Then I’d ask them to guess how many stars they thought there were. I’d explain that there are so many we need computers to count them. Then I’d compare the number of stars to the number of grains of sand on earth to give them an indication of how enormous that number is.

Next we could chat about how stars give off light and the sun is a star and how we can see them best on a clear night.  I’d ask them lots of questions and try to tease out their understanding and then build on this.

Next we would link this with art and paint a night sky. The children could pick what colour they wanted to paint the sky. Then we would use lots of different colours and ask the children to pick what colours the stars would be. We would use a toothbrush dipped in paint and run a lollipop stick along it to spatter the paint.

Conclusion:

Finish the lesson with a recap of what we learned and sing the song Twinkle Twinkle again.

[Doireann Nolan]

I love the idea of linking this with art. I think the children would enjoy creating moon pictures.

[Doireann Nolan]

Senior Infants Science Lesson: The Sun and Shadows
Learning Outcome:
Children will explore how shadows are formed and investigate how the size, shape and direction of a shadow change when the position of the light source changes.

Materials
Bear’s Shadow book
Torches (one between two or three children)
A selection of toys of different heights, shapes and sizes
Large sheets of white paper
Pencils or crayons (to trace shadows)

Inquiry Question
What makes a shadow long or short?

Introduction (10 minutes)
I would gather the children and read Bear’s Shadow.
Pause throughout the story to discuss Bear’s shadow and ask:What is Bear wondering about?
When do you see your own shadow?
What do you think makes a shadow?
Introduce the inquiry question:
“What makes a shadow long or short?”
Encourage the children to share their ideas and predictions.
Investigation (15–20 minutes)
Place different toys on a large sheet of paper.
Give each group a torch.
Ask children to shine the torch at the toy from different positions.
Encourage them to observe:What happens when the torch is close to the toy?
What happens when the torch is moved further away?
What happens when the torch is held higher or lower?
Children trace some of the shadows onto the paper and compare their sizes and shapes.
If possible, take the class outside to investigate their own shadows in the sunshine. Ask them to notice:How long is your shadow?
Which direction does it point?
Can you make it longer or shorter by moving?
Discussion (10 minutes)
Bring the class together and discuss their findings.

Questions:

What made the shadow bigger?
What made the shadow smaller?
Did the shadow always stay the same shape?
Did the direction of the shadow change?
What do all shadows need to be made?
Record children’s ideas on the board.

Guide children towards the understanding that:

A shadow is made when an object blocks light.
Moving the light source changes the size, shape and direction of the shadow.
Without light, there is no shadow.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
Review the investigation by revisiting the inquiry question:

“What makes a shadow long or short?”

Allow children to explain what they discovered using their own words.

Conclude that:

Shadows are made when light is blocked.
Shadows can become longer, shorter or change direction depending on where the light source is.

I think this would be a lovely lesson with any senior infant class.

[Doireann Nolan]

Senior Infants Science Lesson: Floating and Sinking
Learning Outcome
Children will investigate and identify that some objects float and some objects sink. They will make simple predictions, carry out an investigation and talk about what they discovered.

Materials
Clear container filled with water
Small objects (e.g. plastic spoon, coin, cork, toy block, leaf, stone, sponge, bottle cap)
Towel for spills
Prediction chart with two columns: Float and Sink

Inquiry Question
What makes some objects float while others sink?

Introduction (5–10 minutes)
Show the children the container of water and a selection of objects.
Ask:
“What do you think will happen if we put this object in the water?”
“Will it float or sink?”
Encourage children to make predictions and place each object on the prediction chart before testing.
Investigation (15 minutes)
One at a time, children choose an object.
They predict whether it will float or sink.
Place the object carefully into the water.
Observe what happens.
Sort the objects into two groups: Float and Sink.
Encourage children to use simple scientific language such as:
float, sink, heavy, light, water, predict, observe

Discussion (10 minutes)
Ask questions such as:

Which objects floated?
Which objects sank?
Were any of your predictions correct?
Did any objects surprise you?
Do all heavy objects sink?
Do all light objects float?
Guide children to notice that weight alone does not always determine whether something floats or sinks.

Conclusion (5 minutes)
Review what the children discovered.
Reinforce that scientists make predictions, test their ideas and observe carefully.
Finish by asking each child to name one object that floated and one that sank.
Extension: Invite children to find another object in the classroom and predict whether it would float or sink before testing it later.

[Doireann Nolan]

Hi, my name is Doireann and I will be teaching senior infants next year.  My space fact is that the moon is moving away from us little by little every year (around 3.8cm per year!)

[Doireann Nolan]

Thanks for that Sarah, I never knew space was silent!

[Author]

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