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I felt the same, reluctant to try but I think this course already is helping me feel more confident to try new ways of using it. I like the idea that it gave you linkage to other subjects. Good luck with day 1 in 4th!
I think AI can reduce administrative workload. I like the idea of generating resources myself with prompts rather than relying on the usual sites to generate them for you. I think I will be able to generate resources specific to my class’s needs. From Module 1, I have been reminded to check and recheck all that the ChatBots generate. I will use the idea of real vs fake news, I think this will help the children become more critical thinkers and realise how easy it is to be fooled by fake news! About using it for assessment, I think I will need to do a few test runs first before being able to get the best benefits from it, this is step 1 on my journey with AI. I think it’s important to use it as a tool to assist your teaching and not overly rely on it . AI enhances teaching and learning but it must be used in conjunction with schools digital learning policy, in order to keep in line with schools ethical guidelines.
I am lucky enough to know an engineer who works at ESA in the Netherlands, she speaks to class groups online or in person on space-themed topics. So for the last number of years, she has visited our school and talked to the 2nd class group. If I can, the visit coincides with Space Week, but the timing is not always possible.
It is always a fantastic experience, she has shown them actual rocket launches and the procedures that are needed and the length of time and resources it takes for one single launch. She tells them about all the different people needed for this one launch to happen. They always fully engage with the talk and have to be restrained from asking questions continuously! When she finishes she opens it up for questions and the children really engage in this and she answers a question from everyone of them.
Before her visit, we always prepare by looking at space, astronauts who have been in space and space missions. They particularly love the videos from Chris Hadfield, he shows how you do mundane things in space, like drinking water, brushing your teeth or an all-time favourite, how to go to the toilet in space!1
The children also do a space project, I always leave it open ended but 90% are usually rockets!
My ESA lady looks at all their projects and asks them questions about how they did them etc.
So if I can get her to visit us again that is my plan for Space Week, and if Space Week has to be on a different week, so be it, we will have 2 Space weeks!
Aisling, this sounds great, educational and fun. I also like how you linked it to maths, how far will it travel etc, they could guess first then actually measure.
Hands on classroom activities
Activity set : Where do you live?
I would start this lesson by discussing and showing the children all the different types of houses. We would then look at the type of house they live in, seeing all the different types of homes there are. There is a lot of vocabulary in this discussion and it is important that they understand the main features of each house type.
For a hands-on activity at this stage, I would give Play-Doh for them to make their own house.
This can be extended in 2nd class to discuss houses in other countries as a follow up lesson.. Are they the same as we have in Ireland? Why might there be different types of homes? Are all houses made of bricks? I would show them visuals of different homes people live in. What other materials are used? They will come up with ideas of wood, steel etc .
I can show homes made from mud bricks and bamboo and we discuss why they would use these, could we use them here?
I would have an activity then where the children choose to use jaggo blocks or lego to construct houses in pairs or groups of 3. They get to show their constructions at the end and the other groups ask questions about what they produced.
Finally as a calming end to the activity, I would read the story of the 3 little pigs or something similar on a home/houses theme.
Great ideas there and very hands-on. Children would really enjoy this and engage fully while learning at the same time, which is always a bonus!!
Activity: Space and Aliens.
I love how this topic can be so cross-curricular. I would use it to start a discussion with various questions
“Do you think there are aliens in space?”
“Why do you think this?”
“What do you think aliens look like?”
Children by giving their opinions can see how everyone has different ideas on how the alien would look, and they can also see similarities between their ideas. How many come up with the idea of a ‘little green man’!!
Now I would get the children to draw their own aliens and then write a short description of them. After they get a chance to share their picture and drawings with the class during circle time.
As a follow up to this lesson I would offer some story starters for some creative writing. Examples of these are
” I looked out the window and saw a spaceship in the garden, the door opened and out came…”
“One night I heard a strange sound coming from my garden. I looked out and saw…”
” There was a little tap on my bedroom window one night, I saw 3 bright eyes looking in at me…”
Just a few ideas, or the children devise their own.
They also, after stories are completed, get a chance to share their story with the class.
Love this painting and it always evokes many reactions from the children, and they love to draw their own starry night sky after discussions.
Activity: The sun and the shadows.
This lesson takes place outside exploring shadows, firstly I would let the children just explore their shadows, what happens when they move one way or another. I would then bring them together and they can share what they discovered.
In groups of 2/3 , one child stands on the spot while the other/others trace around their shadow with chalk. 2 hours later we repeat the exercise, same group draw around the shadow with a different colour chalk, putting the time in each shadow outline. At this point they can discuss the changes they see and say why they think it has changed.
Again, 2 hours later we go and draw around the shadow outline with third colour again noting the time. So at this point we have 3 shadows outlined. Children give their ideas as to why the changes have occured and when they have all given their view points, we then go through the actual science of it and usually they hit on most points but just need the science language.
Finally to finish we have a game of “Catch the shadow”, where they run around and try and stand on as many shadows as they can catch and you try and avoid people stepping on your shadow. Chaos but fun!
I regularly use that 8 planets song, it can be an ‘earworm’ though!! I like the pair/group work of ‘give me some facts on the planets’, its fun and engaging.
An enquiry based lesson would be ‘Why do we have day and night?’
Questions: Why is the sky different at night? Where does the sun go? Why do some places have more hours of daylight than others?
Exploring: Use a globe and a torch, kids explore by turning the globe, some parts are lit, some are not.. If it’s day in one part of the world, it must be night on the other side of the world. Talk about the Equator, where is it and what is it?
Reasoning: They discuss their findings and question each other. They give reasons for why they think its dark in one place and daylight in another.
Reflection: They draw a picture of the earth and put in where it is day and night. They discuss with the class what they have learnt and also give and ask questions they still may have or that the discussions have led them to have. Further research can now happen.
