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I love how youve adapted this to suit the needs of pupils in a hospital school. I think they would really enjoy this!
Activity: Rocket Launch
I would use this STEM activity to introduce children to the concept of forces through an engaging, inquiry-based lesson inspired by the story Aliens in Underpants Save the World by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort. After reading the story, I would encourage the children to imagine they were helping the aliens travel through space and pose the inquiry question, “How can we make a rocket travel further?” The children would share their ideas and make predictions before working in small groups to build and test their balloon rockets.
Throughout the activity, I would encourage the children to observe, ask questions and discuss what happened after each launch. They could investigate how changing different elements, such as the amount of air in the balloon or the angle of the string, affects how the rocket travels. At the end of the lesson, the class would reflect on their findings, compare their predictions with the results and discuss how they could improve their rocket design. This activity promotes collaboration, problem-solving, curiosity and scientific thinking through meaningful, hands-on learning.
To further develop a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation (SSE), I would work collaboratively with colleagues to embed STEM across the curriculum rather than teaching it as isolated subjects. Our focus would be on creating more opportunities for child-led inquiry, where children ask questions, investigate ideas and learn through hands-on experiences. This shift in practice encourages the development of key competencies identified in the Irish Primary Curriculum, including critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, curiosity, resilience and design skills. As teachers, we would place greater emphasis on the learning process rather than the finished product, allowing children to test ideas, make mistakes and refine their thinking. Practical, investigative activities would replace an overreliance on worksheets, promoting deeper understanding and meaningful learning. Through ongoing reflection, observation and collaboration, we could evaluate the impact of these approaches and identify areas for improvement. This would ensure STEM becomes an engaging, integrated part of everyday teaching and learning throughout the school.
Using the Star Lantern Activity in the Classroom
I would introduce this lesson by asking the inquiry question, “What patterns can we see in the night sky?” To capture the children’s interest, I would show photographs of the night sky and a short video of twinkling stars. We would talk about what we can see at night and discuss whether anyone has ever spotted stars or noticed shapes in the sky. I would explain that groups of stars can make patterns called constellations and that people have used these patterns for many years to tell stories and help them find their way.
The children would then create their own star lantern by carefully punching holes into a simple star pattern on black card. Once completed, they would shine a torch through the lantern to project the pattern onto the classroom wall or ceiling. They could compare the different patterns and describe what they notice about the light and the shapes created.
To support the needs of a split infant class, I would provide Junior Infants with simple star templates and adult support where needed, while Senior Infants could create their own star patterns or add extra stars to their lanterns. Children would work in pairs to explore their lanterns, ask questions and share their observations, encouraging curiosity, creativity and collaborative learning through play
Activity Set: The Sun and Shadows
I would use this inquiry-based activity to help Junior and Senior Infants develop an understanding of light and shadows through questioning, exploration and play. To introduce the lesson, I would read Bear’s Shadow by Frank Asch and encourage the children to discuss where shadows come from and whether everyone has one. I would then pose the inquiry question, “What makes a shadow, and what can change it?” The children would share their ideas and make simple predictions before investigating.</p>
Using torches and a variety of classroom objects, such as toy animals, building blocks and transparent and opaque materials, the children would experiment with making shadows. They would investigate which objects create the clearest shadows, whether all objects make shadows, and how moving an object closer to or further from the light changes its shadow. The children could record their discoveries through drawings and photographs before sharing their findings with the class. As an extension, they would create their own shadow puppets and perform a short shadow theatre story. This activity encourages children to ask questions, test ideas, communicate their thinking and reflect on their observations, while developing early scientific inquiry skills in an engaging and meaningful wayI would use an inquiry-based STEM activity based on the story The Three Little Pigs to encourage Junior Infant children to explore, investigate and solve problems through play. The inquiry question would be, “Which material makes the strongest house?” Children would begin by discussing the story and predicting which materials they think would make the strongest house. They would then work in small groups to build houses using a variety of materials, such as straw, sticks, paper, blocks and LEGO. Once completed, each house would be tested using a fan to represent the wolf’s wind. The children would observe which houses remained standing and which collapsed, discussing the reasons for their results. After reflecting on their findings, they would redesign and improve their houses before testing them again. This activity promotes curiosity, critical thinking and collaboration while allowing children to learn through hands-on investigation. It also integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by encouraging children to design, test, evaluate and improve their ideas in an engaging, meaningful and age-appropriate way