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Thanks for sharing these ideas Christine. They will be really helpful in my classroom, love how each day has a theme!
I choose Aliens and Space.
Here are some ideas I would or have used.
Role Play: Space rocket, i used black bags to black out an area, I used old sheep dosing containers and turned them upside down and attached straps as backpacks, I used some old keyboards and made a control panel. I used my child’s night projector. I used a high back booster seat as the rockets seat.
Sensory: we made moon sand
Creation Station: Create aliens from recyclable materials
Playdough: Use playdough and craft items such as googly eyes, buttons, matchsticks, pipe cleanerss to create aliens
Small world: I got a wooden rocket in Aldi
Literacy: Aliens in Underpants Save the World,
SESE
· Recognise the difference between day and night
· Recognise the differences between the streetscape during the day/night
· Identify and discuss the sun, the moon and stars within the context of night and day
· Recognise the difference between day and night
· Identify and discuss the sun, the moon and stars within the context of night and day
Art:paper plate aliens
P.E.:Space Walk and Alien Dance, Play music and children move like they are in space(slow, floating movements) and then like aliens (creative, silly movements)
Sensory: Create Alien Slime, make slime withglue, baking soda, saline solution, food colouring, glitter and some small alien toys.
Music: Alien Sound Hunt, pre-recorded sounds (space sounds, beeping, whoosing) Have children mimic the sounds and discuss what each sound might represent
Here are some learning stations focused on the topic: The Moon
1. Reading Station:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown,
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle,
Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch.
Man on the Moon by Simon Bartram
The Darkest Dak by Chris Hadfield
Someone on this forum also reminded me of the book Whatever Next by Jill Murphy
I would also add some non fiction books to the library.
2. Gravity Experiment: Provide small balls and a ramp to show how gravity affects objects differently. Explain that gravity on the moon is weaker than on Earth. –
3. Sensory Station: Moon Sand:Create “moon sand” using flour and baby oil.
4. Dramatic Play Station-Astronaut Dress-Up
5. Technology Station- Bee Bots, I saw this mentioned in Module 1 forum, printed map of the moon- get to the crator, get to the moon buggy, get to the rocket etc. Programme the Bee Bots
6. Music and Movement Station:Teach and sing songs about the moon. ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, ‘The Man in The Moon; The Use instruments for a musical experience. Play space-themed music and let children pretend to be astronauts moving in low gravity.
I would also encourage children to record their observations of the moon over a week and we could record this. It would also open up discussions about the weather.
These stations will allow children to explore various aspects of the moon through hands-on activities, fostering a deeper understanding and curiosity about space.
I adore using stations in my infant classroom. These are great ideas and I can see my students would be very engaged in these activities
I remember doing this experiment on teaching practice maybe 15 years ago. The smell of vinegar lingering in the class for the week after. They loved it, pure excitement
Rocket Mice, i think my class would love this and i love seeing the individuality in each creation and the deign element would give a sense of ownership. Could be interesting to see the differences in those that add big ears, long tails etc and see is there a difference in the height. Great discussions to be had afterwards I reckon
We have Bee-Bots in school and I never thought to interrogate them like this when teaching a subject like space. Thanks for the detailed ideas.
My name is Emma, I will be teaching infants this year.
My favourite fact about space is that every day, several tonnes of material falls to Earth from space and every time you’re outside, you stand a chance of catching some of this space dust in your hair. It’s highly likely you’ve already caught some and later washed it out without knowing it.
I would start with a story that incorporates push and pull, such as “The Little Red Hen” or ‘The Enormous Turnip a simple book about motion. We would discuss if they have ever pushed or pulled something. What was it? How did it move? I would record their answers.
As I am in infants I would use exploration Stations. I often like to use the morning time and I rotate me groups so they try one station each day. It also gives me time to really hone in, focus on a group, focus their learning by using the trigger questions and give me time to listen to their answers and their understanding.
Station 1: Toy Car Races. Encourage children to push the cars down the ramps. Ask them to observe how the cars move.
Station 2: Tug-of-War • Use a sturdy piece of string for a gentle tug-of-war game. Discuss the differences in movement when one person pulls harder than the other.
Station 3: Magnetic Push and Pull •
Let children explore how magnets can push and pull objects without touching them. Ask questions like, “What happens when you bring two magnets close together?” and “How do they move?”•Station 4: Water or Sand Play. Encourage children to push and pull the objects through the water or sand. Discuss how water or sand creates resistance and affects movement.
Gather the children and discuss what they observed at each station. Ask open-ended questions such as, “What was easy to push?” “What was hard to pull?” “Why do you think some objects moved faster than others?”
Encourage children to explain their thinking and make predictions about different objects.
Children could to draw their favourite push or pull activity from the weekly activites on Friday and I would read one of the stories I mentioned initially.
