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It is great to get a list of different books that can be used as hooks for lessons.
The ESERO Rocket mice is such a simple and effective way of creating a rocket. i will definitely use this next year .
I really loved the idea of using the cartoon Marlo and Milo: penny rocket for a hands on lesson on rockets
For our experiment the students will:
• Listen to and discuss the story Marlo and Milo: Penny Rocket.
• Explore how rockets work through a simple investigation.
• Build and test a penny rocket.
• Understand the idea of a fair experiment (fair test).
• Reflect on observations and results.
We will read Marlo and Milo: Penny Rocket aloud.
Pause throughout the story to ask questions such as:
• What problem are Marlo and Milo trying to solve?
• What do you think will happen next?
• Why do you think their rocket/penny worked (or didn’t)?
• What changes did they make?
Introduce the word experiment.
Scientists test ideas by doing experiments. They try to make experiments fair so they know what caused the result.
I would show students the penny rocket materials.
Ask:
• What do you think will happen to the coin?
• What do you think makes the coin fly?
Students draw or write their prediction.
Students test their rockets three times.
Record:
• Trial 1
• Trial 2
• Trial 3
Measure or estimate the distance travelled.
After the experiment we wil discuss if it was a fair experiment. We will discuss what stayed the same and what changed in our trials.
Was it a fair test?
Guide students toward the idea that a fair experiment means changing only one thing at a time while keeping everything else the same.
we will discuss what a Fair Experiment Means…
• We keep most things the same.
• We change only one thing.
• We repeat the test.
• We compare our results.Animals in the cold activity
Children will:
Identify different types of weather.
Recognise that animals live in habitats suited to their needs.
Understand that habitats provide food, water, shelter, and suitable weather.
Compare the habitat of a penguin with their own environment.
Use the book: Oliver Jeffers Lost and Found
Where do you think the penguin comes from?
What kind of weather does a penguin like?
What clothes would you wear if you visited the penguin’s home?
What animals like warm weather? Cold weather?
Pause throughout the story and discuss:
The Stormy Sea
Ask:
What is the weather like?
Is it safe to travel in this weather?
How do you know?
The Boat Journey
Discuss:
How does the weather change?
What would happen if it became stormy?
How do sailors know what the weather is like?
After reading, explain:
A penguin belongs in a habitat where it can:
stay cool ,find fish to eat, swim in icy water, keep safe from predators
Show children pictures of:
Antarctica ,Icebergs ,Snow, Ocean,
Ask:
Could a penguin live in the desert?
Could a penguin live in our school garden?
Why not?
Penguin → Snowy
Habitat Sorting Activity
Provide pictures of habitats:
Arctic, Forest, Ocean, Desert, Farm
Children place animals in the correct habitat.
Extension:
Explain why they chose each habitat.Example:
“The penguin lives in the Arctic because it is cold.”
Oliver Jeffers books are great for ensuring literacy is included in the lesson. The book is great for this topic.
I love the idea of the Collaborative Class Activity- Our Street, our Village, Our world. twould be an amazing lesson for Oral language development for prior, during and after the activity.
I love the fact that there is such a strong link in the lesson between the Art activity and using science based vocabulary to explain why they created their aliens the way the did. They have to be able to really think about the different elements/reasons they have for creating their alien. It allows the children to use cross curricular learning in lessons.
The lesson I would teach in the Looking at the Plough from Two Different Views
To introduce the lesson I would show a picture of the Plough.
Discussion :
• Have you ever looked at the stars?
• What shape can you see?
• Do things always look the same when we move?
Explain:
“Today we’re going to look at the Plough from two different places.”
During the lesson we will observe a simple model created by the children of the Plough. By adjusting where we are siting nd standing we will notice that objects can look different from different positions. Vocabulary we will use- above, below, side, near, far. We will create a drawing of what we saw.
I feel the children will really enjoy the lesson as it is so hands on. Using the underneath of desks would really increase interest and attention. I would try to see if I could buy some small lights that could be added to the stars. Then turn off lights to see the stars in the ‘night sky’.
Follow up would be an art lesson creating a night sky with spatter painting.I would add a simple art activity around Shadows and the Frank Asch book for Junior Infants
Once we have read Moonbear’s Shadow together we would discuss the story. Using prompt questions such as, What is a shadow? ,Why did Bear think his shadow was following him? When do you see your own shadow?
Then we would complete a simple art activity
Each child cuts out or glues a picture of a bear onto a sheet of light-coloured paper.
Using black paper, help children cut or tear a long shadow shape to place beside their bear. Encourage them to make the shadow larger, longer, or stretched out.
Add a moon (or sun) to one corner of the page.
Children can decorate the background with stars, grass, trees, or chalk lines to show where the shadow falls.
Once we have the art activity complete we would have a discussion about where the moon (or sun) is located on their page?
Why is the shadow on that side of the bear?
Can your shadow be different sizes?This hands on activity will add to learning opportunities about shadows.
This is a great hands on lesson. Having indoor and outdoor activities help to keep the children engaged. The questioning and us of childrens observations is great throughout the lesson.
It is so true that the more dramatic we are the better.!! The hands on activites in this investigation ould have all the children eager to participate.
A simple inquiry based lesson I would teach based around the theme of forces :Push and Pull
Class Level: Junior Infants
“How can we make things move?”
Allow children to suggest ideas before introducing the words push and pull.
Items that we will use for our investigation:
Toy cars, Small balls, Building blocks, Chairs ,Teddies, String attached to a toy
Pictures showing people pushing and pullingAt the start of the lesson we will all gather together in a circle.
Place a toy car in the middle. We will discuss
How could we make the car move? Can you show me without touching it first?
What do you think will happen if I do this? Then I will push the car.
What happened? How did I make it move?
Now pull a toy attached to a string. Questions used such as :
Was that the same or different? What did I do this time?Children then uses the resources to explore: push and pull
Push
Toy cars, Balls, Empty boxes
Questions:
Which objects move easily? Which are harder to push? Can you push gently? Hard?Pull
Toys with string, Small baskets
Questions:
Which toy is easiest to pull? What happens if you pull quickly? What happens if you pull slowly?At the end of the lesson we would complete a picture sorting activity together.
Picture sorting activity.
Children sort pictures into:
Push or Pull
Examples:
Closing a door, Opening a drawer, Shopping trolley, Pulling a suitcase
Swing