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I really enjoyed reading your post and I agree with the points you made. I also thought the images in Home were very powerful and helped explain climate change in a simple way. I like that you mentioned ending the lesson with positive actions, as it is important that children feel they can make a difference. The ideas you suggested, like recycling projects and planting flowers or trees, are practical activities that would work well in the classroom.
I really enjoyed Activity 3 – Climate Reporters and found it very useful for teaching children about climate change in a simple way.
The Paxi video on greenhouse gases explains the topic clearly and in a way that children can understand. I would use this video at the start of the lesson to introduce the idea and then have a class discussion about what greenhouse gases are.
After this, I would use the temperature prediction tool in small groups so the children can explore how the climate might change in the future. This would help them see the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate in a visual and engaging way.
To improve the activity, I think it would be helpful to add a simple recording sheet for younger children so they can draw or write their ideas. I would also include a follow-up discussion on small actions we can take in school to help protect the environment. Overall, I think it is a very practical and meaningful STEM activity for the classroom
Great idea, I agree that the Paxi video would be very useful in a Senior Infants class. It is engaging and the language is simple, making it a good way to introduce the topic. I also like your idea of using it as a hook to start a discussion about caring for the environment. I would also use picture books, sorting activities, and simple daily actions like planting flowers or turning off lights so the children can learn in a hands-on way.
I really like your idea of using a weather station in the school grounds. It’s a practical way to help children understand the difference between weather and climate while also developing STEM skills. It also gives children the opportunity to work together, collect real data over time, and see patterns in their results. I think it would make science more meaningful and help children connect their learning to the real world.
I really enjoyed this module and found the ESA resources very practical and easy to use in the classroom.
Reading Liston (2018) reminded me that STEM is about hands-on learning rather than separate subjects. In my classroom I encourage children to explore, investigate and work together to solve real-life problems.
I would use ESA activities Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate in a weather topic. We could set up a weather station in the school grounds recording temperature, rainfall, wind and cloud cover. Children would use charts and digital devices to record data. We would compare results and discuss the difference between weather and climate.
This activity would develop Science skills through observation, Maths through measuring and recording, Technology through using digital tools, and Engineering through improving the weather station. To support collective practice, I would share the weather data with other classes, talk about it in assemblies, and put it on a whole-school display so everyone can take part. This would help all pupils learn together about weather and climate.
Bubbling Alien Potions
Space Week is always a lovely week in our school. Before I moved to SEN, I used this activity with my Junior Infant class and the children really enjoyed it.
I told the children that for this Science lesson we were space scientists making bubbling alien potions on a new planet. We used baking soda, vinegar, food colouring, and a small amount of washing-up liquid to create a fizzing and foaming reaction.
Before mixing the ingredients, I asked them to predict what they thought would happen. We then watched the bubbles and foam and talked about what they saw using words such as fizz, bubble, foam, and mix.
We all discovered that when the baking soda and vinegar were mixed together, they created lots of bubbles and foam. They were excited to see the reaction and enjoyed making simple observations about what was happening.
This hands-on activity supported STEM by encouraging the children to predict, observe, investigate, and talk about their ideas. It also linked with Maths as the children counted spoonfuls and measured ingredients, and with Oral Language as they described what they saw and learned new vocabulary.
The children needed no encouragement to take part in the experiment, but they needed a little nudging to work together, take turns, and share their ideas. This helped build confidence, teamwork, and a love of science while making learning enjoyable and meaningful during Space Week.
This sounds like a very enjoyable and interactive lesson. The children will love it. The book idea is great and will help keep the children interested and involved in the lesson.
For Module 4, I would choose the Where Do You Live? activity. I think this activity would work very well in a Junior/Senior Infant classroom because the children enjoy talking about themselves and where they live. I see this at home with my 6-year-old twins every day! I teach in a rural school, so many of the children live on farms, while others live in the nearest town in housing estates, bungalows or apartments. This gives us a great opportunity to talk about the different types of homes and the communities we live in.
Firstly I would ask the children to talk with a partner about their home. They could describe what it looks like, the colour of it, whether it has a garden and who lives with them. We would then look at pictures of different types of homes, and the children could complete the worksheet by choosing the home that is most like their own.
Following this I would show the children pictures of homes made from different materials such as brick, stone, wood and glass. We would talk about why these materials are used and which ones they think would make the strongest home.
The children could then work in small groups to build a model house using blocks or recycled materials. We could see if their house is strong enough to stand on its own or not!. The children could talk about what worked well, what they would change and why. This activity would support STEM by encouraging the children to design, build, test and improve their models while working together.
In relation to SSE the children learn about themselves, their families and their local community. It also develops science skills such as observing, comparing, asking questions and talking about what they notice.
In relation to STEM and SSE this activity would encourage the children to learn through play, ask questions and work together. As a teacher and a Mom I think it is important to include more hands-on STEM activities in the classroom. This will help the children develop their science skills while learning through play.
This lesson integrates well with Science and Visual Arts. In Visual Arts, children design and make a model of their home. In Science, they explore materials, different homes, animals in cold places, and the clothes we wear in different seasons.
Another interesting module!
I would use the ESERO activity set “Space and Aliens” in a Junior Infants classroom in a fun and simple way.
I would start by telling the children that we are going on a space mission and that we might meet aliens. I would ask the children what they think aliens might look like and talk about their ideas together as a class, encouraging everyone to share.
The children would then draw their own alien using crayons or markers. They would think about the colour, shape, size, and any special features their alien might have. After that, each child would show their alien to the class and say a few simple sentences about it. We would talk about how the aliens are the same or different from each other.
Finally, the children would take part in role play and pretend to be astronauts exploring space and meeting aliens on a new planet. This helps develop imagination, talking, and social skills.
As a digital record I would take photos of the alien drawings and save them as evidence of learning.
Space and Aliens – Mind Map and Links
Earth: Our home
We live hereSun: Gives light and heat and links to shadows (light makes shadows)
Moon:We see it at night
We watch it changeStars: Shine in the sky
We look at the night skyPlanets: Many planets in space
We learned their names in songs and gamesSpace travel: Rockets and astronauts
We did role play activitiesAliens: Imaginary space characters
We drew aliens in artSpace: Very big
We ask questions and explore ideasThis is a good set of lessons about constellations. The children learn about star patterns using pictures, stories, and simple activities. They explore well-known constellations and make their own. The lessons also help them learn that people in different cultures see the stars in different ways.
This was an interesting module and I enjoyed it!
I would use the planets and the planet song to start a lesson about space. Firstly, I would ask the children what they already know about the planets and talk about their ideas together. I would use a mind map where I would write the words on the board but the children could draw simple pictures instead of writing words. Then we would listen to the planet song a few times. After a while the children would join in with the words and actions.
After this, I would show pictures of the eight planets. The children would work in small groups to put the planets in the correct order from the Sun. We would sing the song a number of times again to help them remember.
To make the lesson active, the children would act as the planets and move around one child who is the Sun. We would use flashcards to match planet names and pictures. We would also play a memory game to help the children learn the order of the planets.
Finally, we would talk about one thing they learned about space. This lesson could also be used as an inspiration for an art lesson. For a digital record I would use a tablet to record the children singing the planet song.