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Hi Christine
I really like your craters activity. It is certainly fun and should prompt plenty of questions and wondering. You probably already thought of this but dropping the objects from different heights could be an interesting part of this activity.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I would choose to use the activity set “The moon”.
I would start with a prompt question “what can you see in the sky ”
The children could list many things eg birds, clouds, planes, sun . We would narrow the discussion to what is in the sky at night. Moon, stars, planets, planes. Can you see the sun at night? Can you see the moon during the day? What does the moon look like? Show children a paper plate, a paper plate cut in half, a ball. They choose which one the moon resembles. This can lead us to a discussion of how the moon looks different at different times and to how it is actually spherical and reflecting sunlight.
From here i would use the draw the moon over 4 weeks activity.
During those weeks I would read some moon related stories. Happy birthday Moon by Frank Asch, cant you sleep little bear by Martin Waddell and whatever Next by Jill Murphy.
As a follow up to the discussion of moon phases outlined in this module I would read two stories which illustrate those phases and are appropriate for infants Moonbear by Frank Asch and Papa please get the moon for me by Eric Carle.</p>
I would also use the moon phases dance. It seems like a great phone activity and a lovely way to incorporate some movement into my moomoon related lessons.For art I would do a simple painting activity with flour mixed into white paint. The children paint a moon shape and then press circular objects like lids etc in to the thick paint to make e craters.
Hi Susan
I like the idea of using this lesson with your children with additional needs. It should, indeed be the kind of lesson to excite their interest. It might be a nice idea to let them use ipads to take pictures or make videos showing their work.
I am teaching junior infants and will plan on teaching the lesson on finding the best material to soak up a spill. As stated here a next logical lesson might be based around testing materials for their waterproof qualities. I would frame it as making an umbrella for teddy.
The Oxford reading tree book “The Big Box” might be a good prompt or conversation starter for this lesson. In this story the children make a playhouse with large cardboard boxes but it collapses when it is soaked by rain. It could prompt a conversation around materials which would be better or not for keeping out rain.
A fun activity would be to have some sheets of different materials and ask children to volunteer to sit under these while water is dripped on.I have done this with infants and they had great fun pouring water on to a wooden tray or plastic/ metal box lid held above a classmate’s head. They of course know that kitchen roll will not protect them but a brave soul wont mind a few drips from a pipette.
I will then have prepared a collection of small pieces of materials for each child. This could be a station during Aistear time. They can test these for waterproof qualities with pipettes and water, having first recorded their predictions . They can then discuss the results and choose the best materials to stick on to a picture of teddy’s umbrella. I think this will be a fun enquiry based lesson for infants.Hi. I’m Fiona and I teach junior infants. I love the fact that soace, being a vacuum, is silent. Can you imagine absolute silence? And you know ” in space noone can hear you scream” . 🤣
I just wanted to list a few good picture books for engaging infants on the topic of space and , most especially, the moon.
MOON BEAR and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON by Frank Asch
PAPA PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME by Eric Carle
WHATEVER NEXT by Jill Murphy
MOON’S FIRST FRIENDS by Susanna Leonard Hill
Hi Zoe
You have so many excellent ideas here for how to organise Science week or space week. I think this format would really engage the children. The astronaut training course is a great idea and I love that you’ve ended with a dress up. Maybe the children could dress as aliens, planets or anything space themed.
Taking the theme of rockets and the activity set for making rockets I would begin by reading Jill Murphy’s Whatever Next. In this story Baby Bear goes on an imagnary trip to the moon in his rocket which is really a cardboard box he finds under the stairs.
This could lead us to making our own rockets with large cardboard boxes sourced from local businesses or with small boxes from home ( these ones could just be for our teddy bear). There is a blippi episode where he builds a cardboard box rocket too.
We could then discuss whether Baby Bear really went to the moon and if anyone actually has. This leads to lessons on Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong.
Next we can make our rocket mice which the children will enjoy so much. I hadnt heard of this activity before. It looks great and appropriate for infants.
I have always loved launching film canister rockets with my class and I feel that this “alien chemistry ” fizzy fun activity is perfect to wrap up a unit of work based on rockets.Marcia, I love your addition of the animals in the ice problem solving activity. That’s a great way to get the children engaged and really thinking.
Hi Michelle
Thanks for the link to the Epic book. I sometimes forget that Epic is a great source of stories and especially non fiction books on a variety of themes.
For a hands on classroom activity I plan to try the “animals in the cold” lesson.
In the infant classroom we observe and discuss the weather every day so I like the idea of a weather discussion as a starting point. Children will certainly be able to nane a few polar animals like polar bear, penguins, arctic fox, seals, walruses. I would use photographs but , if possible, I think a cuddly toy or two would be very useful. Especially useful for talking about the fur coat. I love the vaseline idea to demonstrate the effectiveness of the grease coating on the animals’ feathers and fur. Having discussed the use of fur, fat and grease coating in keeping warm we might then pause to think how humans keep warm. If you are standing outside with your family on a very cold snowy day what might you do to keep warm? How would you stand? Close together! Huddling/ cuddling/ body heat is a great way to keep warm. Children can huddle in groups. We then explain that penguins huddle for warmth and show photos.
We conclude by reading the story Penguin Huddle by Ross Montgomery. It is a fun read in which the penguins huddle on a very cold night only to find themselves stuck together in the morning.
As an extension we could do a penguin huddle art activity. The book’s cover has simple oval shaped penguins and really lends itself to inspiring charcoal drawings or paper cut out pictures. Alternatively we could make playdough or clay penguins and place them huddled together on a circular base.Hi Emma
Great idea to incorporate some fine motor activities in the lesson with the star stickers. I think bingo dabbers for star pictures, painting a starry night with cotton buds or fingerprinting would also work well.
Activity set: Space and Aliens
Begin with a circle discussion
“Have you ever heard the word ‘alien’ ?” “What does it mean?” “What might aliens look like?” ” how might they speak?” “Would they be very different to us?” “Would they have feelings like us/ families like us?”Read the book Beegu by Alexis Deacon. This is an excellent quality picture book for critical thinking and book talk. Beegu is a small female alien who has crashed on earth. She tries to find a friend and a way home.
Allow frequent pauses for discussion:
“Why is Beegu talking to the tree?”
” why does her speech bubble have strange symbols in it and not letters or words?”
“What do you think her language sounds like?”
“How does Beegu feel here?”At the end have a reflection and discussion. Children discuss their favourite part, the feelings the story evokes, what they would do if lost or if they met an alien .
Finally children can design and make their own aliens following a discussion about what they might look like. What if they lived on a hot/cold/windy/ watery planet etc. Children can draw their designs and then use a range of materials; playdough, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, matchsticks, card, feathers etc to make their aliens.
Hi Sue
Can’t you sleep little bear is a great book as a stimulus for this topic. The illustrations towards the end when Big Bear brings Little Bear outside to look at the moon are also super as an art activity stimulus. Children can paint the pine tree silhouettes against a white moon, white snow and shadows. I’ve done this with junior infants and it works well.
Activity- The Spherical earth.
Before beginning the activity we might have a little circle discussion.
What planet do we live on?
What shape is earth?
How do you know?
Can we tell by looking out the window?
Since we may already have explored some moon themed cross curricular learning it is likely that the children will know that man has visited space and seen the spherical earth from above.
I would ask ” I wonder how we knew earth was spherical before space exploration? ” This question leads nicely to the historical fact of ships being seen to disappear or fall over the horizon.
Now we can use the Unawe Spherical earth activity with the boat and flat surface / globe. I think the origami boat is too difficult for junior infants. Seniors could make your normal paper boat perhaps. I have small rubber transport vehicles for sorting and I think I would use these boats in stead with a tiny paper captain on board. The children would definitely engage with and enjoy this activity. I think it would lead to lots of talk and discussion. I’m looking forward to trying it
