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I think thematic lessons like those described by Sinead are a great way for children to be fully immersed in a topic and give a deeper context as it allows children the opportunity to make connections across all curricular areas.
Making a rocket lesson plan (2nd class)
Stomp Rocket Jr. Rockets – 8 Rockets
I would use the above STEM themed stomp rocket as the prompt and engage activity to introduce to children to rockets. After allowing children to play in groups and take turns stomping and launching the rockets outside in the yard I would ask the children to sit in a circle and pose questions about the rockets. What makes the rocket launch? what is the furthest the rocket travelled? What happens if we remove the side fins of the rocket? What is the trajectory (path) of the rocket through the air?
Using the framework of enquiry I would ask the class to test out a hypotheses. Does a rocket with fins always travel farther than one without? What test can we do to investigate our hypotheses. I would ask the children to work in groups and for each group to perform three stomp rocket lunches on a rocket with fins, and one without. so each group do in 6 total and then we share results as a class and look at what the data results tell us.
We would include in the discussion vocabulary like force, launch, trajectory, gravity and encourage the children to use this vocabulary too,
In a second lesson we would engage in making rockets in groups. I think the mice rockets are a fun and simple way of demonstrating force needed to launch a rocket and how that can be increased or decreased depending on bottle size.
After construction I would ask children to make predictions about what rocket will travel furthest. children can give an explanation for their thinking if they wish. Working in same groups I would ask that half children do mice rockets and other half do balloon rockets. Children would take turns launching both forms of rockets and discuss as group what they observe.
As a final part of this learning about rockets I would link with a junior infant class and engage in peer to peer learning by letting the 2nd class pupils demonstrate their mice rockets and balloon rockets and share what they have learned with children of junior infants.
School self evaluation
I think the 6 step process for school self evaluation is an efficient and targeted way for a school to find out what is their starting point for Science learning and STEM activities across the school. From gathering data to analysing results and then formulation of targets for the school to work toward.
This SSE process could be completed as a staff as part of Croke park hours where teachers can work in class groups to define the scientific skills that can be attained at each class level. In our school there is a Science committee who work to implement the targets set out by school for Science and STEM learning. As per the SSE steps it is very important to have focused SMART targets for the staff to work toward together.
I think nowadays there can be many competing initiatives and programmes being implemented in primary schools and there is often a feeling of overwhelm and curriculum overload at trying to achieve many goals across many curricular subjects among teachers.
I think the Curious Minds awards gives a structured and focused way for schools to improve science teaching and learning and also means that teachers know they are engaging in best practice and keeping development of science skills as core learning as they can use the resource lesson plans plans on curiousminds.ie and have the framework of enquiry there as record.
It would add to the sense of achievement to display children’s investigations, artwork, learning logs in school and hall and invite parents in to see all the work and have children explain it to them.
I think the curious minds awards are a very clear and accessible tool to progress science teaching within a school
I like that the ESA websites are two separate resources where teachers can access to get background knowledge and deeper context for ther own learning about space concepts and then ESA kids is specifically to engage children in innovative lessons.
I would choose the theme of Space and Aliens for teaching a 2nd class
Trigger – teacher as alien that has arrived on earth and everything is new and needs explanation. I would do this as a Drama game called out ‘come out little alien’ where teacher is in role as shy, nervous alien hiding at desk and children in pairs persuade the alien to come out by describing to the alien how nice life is on planet earth.
This drama game allows children to work collaboratively and use persuasive language and skills to convince the alien to emerge form hiding and embrace planet earth. I think it ties with the activity described in the module where children are asked to identify what makes life on earth nice. Teacher in role as alien can coax children with prompt questions ‘is it very hot here on this planet? what can i drink when i’m thirsty? would hope that children will be able to describe factors like temperature on earth and that 70% of earth surface is covered by oceans.
It would link to SESE and writing to allow children create posters and design reasons why maybe the alien is better suited to living on another planet. Working in groups I would ask children to imagine what life on Saturn/Mars/Venus might be like and what type of life forms may exist there. Pupils in groups and draw the aliens that may exit there and also describe what life may be like there on other planets. Pupils could research known facts about planets and use that; for example absence of water on Mars.
Art – create Aliens using playdough and clay.
Music – listen to classical music that has been used in films about aliens. Excerpts of music from ET and close encounters. Allow the children to engage in a listening and responding activity where they describe what the music makes them think of. They could illustrate what they imagine is occuring when listening to this music
That plan really immerses the pupils in learning about stars. I think a class would love that week of learning.
The sun dial and shadows exploration by children remind me of the design of Newgrange and how the light can travel up the passage way to inner chamber on solstice days. It links back to the idea that sun and moon are multicultural and have inspired humans throughout history.
I would do a lesson with 1st class about Sun and shadows. As ice breaker i would put children in pairs and ask them to come up with three words to describe the sun.
woukd be hoping to get a mix of vocabulary like yellow; hot; warm; star;would then go onto explain to children that the sun is a star that gives us light and heat energy.
I would use the kids academy YouTube clip to introduce the concept of how light makes shadows https://youtu.be/fy7eoMef3e8?feature=shared
this clip is good at showing the idea of how shadows change depending on position of sun during day. Shadows can be long or short depending on sun position during day and what objects are allowing light to pass through. It also provides the vocabulary of transparent and opaque. This can provide further scientific exploration by children in later lesson to identify items/ materials that demonstrate these properties.
When light is blocked a shadow is formed.
children go outside to yard in morning and trace shadows in pairs.
day 2; go out to yard after midday and trace shadows in pairs.take photos on each day and compare shadows so that children can observe differences.
Hi Michelle- love the description of that investigation by children into what materials are waterproof. Also such a simple age appropriate way of recording results that allows all children to understand the visuals smileys indicating if it is a yes or no.
Hi my name is Eimear and I teach in a vertical DEIS school. My interest in space is that I love that its vastness, blackness and planets and stars are of interest to children from infants to 6th. In my teaching I have found children in infants interested in stars and moon, and love that older children are informed about Neil Armstrong and the moon landings from the senior SESE curriculum.
from this module I loved the ‘oops’ idea as a trigger to grab children attention. I think dropping items to the ground will immediately have children immersed in the idea of gravity and how it pulls objects to earth core.
I think the framework of enquiry sets out a clear path for a lesson that allows children explore and develop ideas and then perform tests and look at data. It makes the learning experiental and allows ways to observe and record data.
I think children enjoy letting objects fall to ground and make observations of each – a feather; a school bag; a book; a marker; a liquid. Can tie in with maths through timing and speed of the fall of items and perform a fair test by dropping items from sane height and recording as video to observe.
