Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Space buggy (ESERO activity):
The children get an opportunity to create their own space buggy.
I would begin the lesson by reading the story ‘The way back home’ by Oliver Jeffers. At the end of the story, I would pose a problem-solving question to the children – “Could you build a space buggy for the Martian to travel around on when he gets back to Mars?”.
Following from this question, I would allow the children to discuss in pairs what they could use to create their own space buggy. We would have a class discussion on what materials may work or not work. The children could then draw the design for their space buggy and create a small playdough model of it.
Then, the pupils would have the opportunity to create their space buggy using the materials they want. Each group could present their space buggies at the end and explain how they created it and why they used certain materials.
Hi Siobhan, I love the idea of making slime to create aliens! I’m sure the children would really enjoy this lesson.
Online resources and tools:
PDST Science Strand Glance Cards –
I think this is an excellent resource for teacher planning and seeing which objectives you would like to achieve with your class level.ESA Kids:
I would definitely use this as a stimulus for my lessons. There are many different topics to choose from and videos that you can show the children to spark a discussion.Marvin and Milo:
I love this resource as it is very child friendly and tells children ‘do try this at home’ encouraging them to investigate and explore through Science. There are lots of experiments for the children to try out and they are simple instructions.APOD:
I love the idea of using the Astronomy picture of the day to promote talk around space and hear the opinions of children. This is a nice lesson starter / conclusion which could be used alongside Stellarium web also.Hi Veronica, I also love the idea of using the Astronomy Picture of the Day. This is a great way to encourage discussion around space and what they can see in the photo. Stellarium web also looks like a great resource to use with pupils in the classroom.
Activity set: Stars
There are a few ways to integrate subject areas around the this theme of Stars.
Link with English:
Firstly, I think using a picture book to promote discussion around Space is a great way to hear what the pupils already know about stars. I would use the book “How to catch a star” by Oliver Jeffers, as this book has great illustrations and vocabulary based on this theme.
I would then create a brainstorm on the whiteboard with the word ‘stars’ in the middle and we would write down any facts the children know about stars and what they would like to find out.Link with Art:
The children would have the opportunity to make ‘The Plough’ through following the tutorial on the SFI website. This is a lovely 3-D model for the children to grasp what the Plough looks like in real life from different angles.Link with Maths:
The children can use rulers to measure the distance between each star and mark it out on their page as they create their Plough.The picture book is a lovely way to begin the discussion around Space and Mars! I have read this story before and the children love it.
The activity set I would like to use in the classroom would be The Planets. I would begin by showing pupils the Planets song to spark curiosity about our solar system. I would then gather information that the children know about the planets already by using a KWL chart and through think-pair-share.
I would then introduce the Planet game to the pupils by placing hula hoops on the ground and pretending each hoop is a planet. I like the idea of the children moving around the room to different ‘planets’ as they are up out of their seats and actively learning.
To conclude, I would do the Planet dance with the pupils, as this would challenge their spatial orientation. This is also a fun listening activity for the children. I would then ask the children questions about what planets we have and what we revolve around to check for understanding.Hi Mary,
I love the idea of the children tracing their shadows with chalk! This is lovely for them to see their shadows on the ground and how the sun creates these shadows.
Hi, my name is Emma and I am working in SET this year. My favourite space fact is that 5 billion Suns could fit in one of the biggest known stars.
An inquiry based activity that I would use in the classroom is the fingerprint activity. I think trying to solve who stole the sweets really engaged the children and they were all interested in finding out what would be the best way to figure it out. It was a very easy activity to set up and could be done with older children and younger. The children can also use their prior knowledge on fingerprints and this further engages them in the learning process.
Hi Eileen,
This is a lovely inquiry based approach for a Science lesson! Children love using technology for learning so this would be very interesting for them.
