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Victoria,
I like how you have linked this activities with aliens as the theme. Of course, when the children are carrying out the science experiments they can use the inquiry process to explore more deeply. Encourage them to closely observe and see if there are any unexpected behaviours. They might notice a raisin that does not rise and sink – and this can lead to a discussion about how it is different – is it heavier? bigger? smoother?, and how is that difference affecting the rise/sink cycle. Then they can choose raisins with each of those characteristics to test what is going on.
Catherine,
I agree with you that children love making shadows. I take our portable planetarium out to school, and when a class first comes in, it is bright. The number of hands that go up to make shadows!
You could use simple cut out shapes from colouring books/sheets associated with nursery rhymes for the children to create a familiar shadow story.
Catherine,
for the children to use the inquiry framework to improve their science concept understanding, we look for a small defined “starter question” that they can make predictions about.
We do use gravity as the theme for the falling objects – but linking it to the ISS microgravity might make the concept too hard.
The astronauts aboard the ISS are in orbit around the Earth. This means that they, and the ISS are constantly being pulled down towards the Earth, but are going so fast sideways that they don’t hit the Earth. The astronauts and the ISS are in ‘free fall’. See this article from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/for-kids-and-students/what-is-microgravity-grades-k-4/
As ESA puts it:
For example: the cheapest and easiest way to experience microgravity is to jump off a cliff. As you fall, you are almost as weightless as an astronaut aboard the International Space Station — and for exactly the same reason. Like the astronaut, you are falling freely under the acceleration of gravity. The rush of air will add a force that the astronaut does not experience, which means that for scientific purposes you are in a fairly poor microgravity environment: your “weight” is about 1% of what it would be standing on the Earth’s surface. (You are also likely to come to serious harm when you hit the ground at the bottom of the cliff.)
Katriona,
I’m glad you have found the planet material suitable for your infant class. Since “planets” don’t actually appear in the SESE Geography curriculum until 5th/6th class, its best to treat them as the theme for some other area of the curriculum – and in this case as maths > Spatial awareness and location
If the children “took over” the instructions, then they would be accessing
Gives and follows simple instructions related to movement and positioning.
Describes the movement and positioning of objects, people and self.Hi Mera, welcome to the course.
Plant growth is a nice topic for inquiry – since many children will have some familiarity with plants in their own homes, they will have some suggestions of how plants should be best treated to not die. (I know many ways to kill plants!)
Check with your colleagues of 1st and 2nd class, where children should
• investigate how plants respond to light
that you aren’t snaffling this nice activity.
In infants the curriculum has:
• explore conditions for growth of bulbs and seeds
in soil, damp moss, wet paperso you might have cress or radish seeds and see what is needed to get the seeds to sprout -and then in 1st/2nd they can explore the plant.
When I taught 2nd level students, there was lots of confusion about germination vs plant growth, so best to keep them very separate as children are learning about them in primary.
Vera,
be quite careful when looking at buoyancy and boats, since a detailed explanation goes into density, weight etc, which are beyond the primary curriculum.
There is a bit at the start of this video about Archimedes Principle and density: https://youtu.be/MkcMRB_xFh8?si=QqlnJsOLwdfLqApw
There is also this from RTE Junior on floating or sinking https://youtu.be/lsIAkVR9uIo?si=6uxejj9Ui6WVxFEr
Rafts that float are an easier version of this topic that still allow for rich learning and inquiry approaches.
Jayne- in module 5 we look at model rockets that actually fly – those activities would make a great follow on, and would permit an inquiry led approach to increase the children’s understanding of forces and motion.
Jayne,
do you start this in the winter months? If so – it’s great to actually get outside and see the dark sky so early. (I’m aware that not everyone likes it being dark before dinner!)
You can give out simple star charts to slightly older children to help them locate the brighter stars that are visible. One that I really like, and is free for educational use, is issued at the start of each month from Skymaps.com
Here is the July map: https://skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn2507.pdf
Michelle,
thanks for the reminder of Sadie
https://youtu.be/apDmGRqOsME?si=0ZzrQcgP2k4p22jn
A trip to Mars by rocket is always exciting and I love* a rhyming story. *enough that I can just about forgive her zooming past stars on her way back to Earth, and managing to get to Mars in 100 days!!
If children are designing their own rockets, would you expect them to fly?
Claire,
shadow art sound fun, and can be the stimulus of an inquiry investigation if the children are encouraged to develop a starter question about the shadow.
They might play with shadows in the yard to gain familiarity with the topic, then wonder: what time of day is my shadow the longest? Since waiting a full day is impractical, they might model the Sun with a torch and explore this question in more detail.
Anne,
you might look at this ESERO resource that helps young children distinguish between sources of light and objects that don’t have their own light.
My amazing space fact is that the Moon is actually the colour of a lump of coal – it only reflects about 7% to 12% of the sunlight that hits it back to us.
Katie,
bridge building is great fun, very practical and uses the children’s design and make skills. I did this with a group of 7 and 8 year olds, and they had to support the weight of the mascot – a stuffed toy red panda. ‘Bamboo’ demolished a lot of bridges that day!
You can use the Curious Minds resource: Design a Bridge
Michelle,
there are a few organisations that have “protect the planet” pledges – will you use one of them?
https://www.climateactionproject.org/bic/pledge-for-the-planet
which has this guide
WWF has https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/make-a-pledge-for-the-planet
This Irish resource looks more suitable for second level students: https://www.youthworkireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/My-Planet-My-Pledge-Activity-Pack-Print.pdf
Helen,
for more songs about stars, check this list created by teachers from previous iterations of this course:
Song Suggestions:
The Planet Song for Kids https://youtu.be/mQrlgH97v94
Sesame Street: I don’t want to live on the Moon https://youtu.be/kIq8jLj5TzU
Story Bots https://youtu.be/ZHAqT4hXnMw
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
https://youtu.be/2nGKqH26xlg
Reach for the Stars by S Club Seven https://youtu.be/50kP4S0peAs
Stars, from Finding Neverland by Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy
https://youtu.be/mG8La7PxgO8
The Sky’s the Limit by Nik Kershaw https://youtu.be/RL_rYCgn6uk
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) by Don McLean
https://youtu.be/4wrNFDxCRzU (also covered by Ellie Goulding –
https://youtu.be/C3_spbo8eVc) linked to the art of Vincent Van Gogh
(https://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starrynightlyrics.html)
