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Activity: Making a rocket and Alien Chemistry
I have done this experiment with my son before and he thoroughly enjoyed making the rockets. I would carry it out the same way, painting toilet roll inserts, cutting out circles to attach as windows, and fins to slot up the side of the toilet rolls, adding a piece of cardboard twisted into a cone shape secured on top. We would carry out the experiment to demonstrate the principals of chemical reactions and pressure, using an alka-seltzer tablet in photograph negative containers. As mentioned in the video, it is hard to come by these film containers so we would use varying shape and sized tight-lid containers placed under their self-designed rockets to include more variables, allowing opportunity for more prediction and investigation. Some students could also use kitchen roll inserts to see how the increased weight effected the height and distance of the rocket upon explosion. There is a lot of room for inquiry, discussion and discovery within this activity.
As a green school, having just attained our latest flag, I love how this incorporates reuse of various containers for experiment purposes. Indeed asking them to give their top tips to someone who wasn’t present would be a great way to assess their learning.
Perusing ESA Kids online resources and tools, I see great potential for using the Alien Activity Set to spark curiosity and develop STEM thinking in my classroom. The ESA platform offers engaging and age-appropriate materials that support cross-curricular learning, particularly in areas such as science, technology, and imaginative thinking.
In the classroom I would use the ESA videos and interactive games as a stimulus for the activity. For instance, children could begin by exploring ESA’s resources on Mars and space exploration to gather information before imagining what alien life might look like. This supports inquiry-based learning and encourages children to ask their own questions, such as, “What kind of creatures could survive on Mars?” or “What would they need to live and move?”
In terms of further steps toward a STEM-focused SSE, this type of activity could be used as part of a broader initiative to embed STEM practices across the school. I would consider using this project to gather pupil voice and evidence of learning—through observations and reflective discussions with the children. This could help identify strengths in inquiry-based learning and areas for further development.I like your weather station activity idea, it allows for further concept consolidation and language development in an Irish lesson under the theme of Éadaí.
Hi Elizabeth,
This display would look great in the class room. The activity would work wonderfully with 3rd class students, I have first class next year so I may try the straw activity they suggested as a simpler task. I like the opportunity to incorporate length and you have suggested good genres for English integration in addition.
I would choose the Alien Activity Set, as I believe it would immediately captivate most children due to their natural curiosity and interest in the unknown. Exploring their ideas and imaginations about what life on Mars—or other planets—might look like offers plenty of opportunity for wonder, creativity, and meaningful discussion.
I would plan a sequence of lessons, integrated with Art, drama and music building on the ‘Special Life in Space’ lesson. Children would work in groups, each taking on specific roles and responsibilities. Some children would design and draw imagined creatures from Mars, while others would draw the planet itself and the surrounding space setting. Ultimately choosing music to go to alongside their story.
Once satisfied with their designs, the children would transfer their final drawings onto sheets of acetate using markers. They would then cut out their characters and backgrounds and attach them to the ends of skewers with tape.
The children can then create, practice and finally perform a scene with their characters which would be projected onto the wall using an overhead projector, allowing the rest of the class to watch and enjoy their peers’ imaginative storytelling.Activity- The Planets
I liked the idea of using this planet song as a stimulus, however, I would use the concept as the main body of the lesson. I would integrate it with music and the composition and performance strands.
Years ago I made up a song about the planets with a fifth class of mine, coincidentally to the tune of ‘Hey Ho’ not ‘Hey ho, my dadio’ which is certainly more familiar a tune to the junior classes.
I would listen to this song as a stimulus, then teach the names of the planets and some of their characteristics, while noting keywords on the IWB.
I would perform the other song we made up previously and then give them the choice of tune that we would compose our own song to. Brainstorming, using the word bank and important facts on the board we would carry out a shared composition.
This is a lengthy procedure so would be spaced out over a few lessons but would incorporate music and literacy objectives with rhyme and rhythm, and certainly make the science lesson more enjoyable and content more memorable.Hi Emma,
I love your extension activity of adopting a planet each. A great way to assess the detail of their learning, an opportunity for group work and collaboration to put together some presentation, or performance displaying their project work, on their chosen planet. This could then be performed for the whole school, perhaps at weekly school assembly, or even as a talent show- if that’s something your school takes part in.
Hi Gillian,
I like this mystery investigation around the story of Goldilocks- a common favourite among the smallies. The introduction of fingerprints would be a great additional activity for the little detectives.
We carried out an experiment for Science blast a few years ago with third class where they investigated whether identical twins shared the same fingerprints or not, as they had a set of identical twins in their class. I like the idea of enlarging the prints on the balloon, suggested in this video, especially for the Junior classes.
Module 1- Inquiry Based Activity
“Why does the moon change shape?”Engage the learners with prompting stimulus of pictures or videos of full moons, half moons and crescents.
Pose questions of wonderment- “Have you seen the Moon look like this before?” “Why do you think it changes shape?”
Explore with a hands on investigation- using a darkened room and a torch the children have styrofoam on sticks standing in a circle around the sun (a child holding the torch) and discuss how their moon appears from where they’re standing.
Predict what will happen if they turn their bodies. Investigate further and apply their learning. Extend and make connections such as sequence the phases or draw a moon phase chart for the classroom.
Reflect and evaluate by asking questions to assess their understanding.
