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Irene – have you a particular rocket style in mind that would suit your Jnr inf?
I’d recommend Rocket Mouse, and if you wanted to try a more complicated (requiring fine motor skill) type, then ask a senior class to join you as buddies. They can assist with cutting and sticking.
Use Curious Minds https://www.sfi.ie/engagement/curious-minds/teacher-resources/classroom-resources/
and search for space activities, junior classes.
Rocket Launch is also good one, with balloons.
Karen,
a variation of this that refers to the clothing worn in different climates found across the world is part of the SEIA classroom resources for 3rd/4th class. You may be able to adapt it.
All:
https://www.seai.ie/plan-your-energy-journey/schools/primary-school/resources-for-teachers
Amanda,
was your school one of the lucky ones to receive the STEM grant? If so, you may have been able to supplement your STEM stock of materials.
If not – the Curious Minds activities are all designed to use everyday materials.
One teacher I worked with implemented what she called “the Friday box” – if she knew that certain recycled materials would be needed for the following week, she’d announce a need for them on the Monday, and if they were in the box on the Friday, then the next week’s lesson would happen as planned. She said it was great for getting paper towel rolls, cereal boxes, milk bottles etc that would usually hit the recycling bin.
Sounds like a plan Darren. The third quarter Moon is visible in the morning sky, around 14 September and again 13 October (and so likely 12 Nov, 11 Dec….)
You can use https://stellarium-web.org/ to check on the phase of the Moon on each of those dates -it will use the location of your computer to work out where in the world you are.
Have you seen the Powers of Ten film? or one of the remakes… a powerful set of visuals on the size and scale of the Universe.
Susanne – the 3-D Plough is nice, but use a rigid strut to hold the stars for younger children – the pulling the string to the right length is fiddly and you’ll be poking lots of holes in lots of bits of card!
Leana, I love the “I would encourage the children to create a persona for their alien: “My alien loves flying and eating space rocks!””
I have asked children to come up with a personal name for their alien, a type of alien name and a place they come from, giving them the example:
I’m Frances, a human from Earth.
Possible answers are: Bob, a Martian from Mars etc
Laura- by doing this outside you can also connect to the movement of the Sun as the Earth turns – it is amazing how quickly the shadow changes. If you have speedy chalkers they might not notice this, so guide them to return to their chalked shadow after 10 minutes and they will notice that their shadow no longer fits.
I think it is an interesting time coming up with the changes across the primary curriculum and Geography/History moving away from Science. I think the linkage that teachers can continue to make will keep the Earth and Space strand of Geography connected to the new Science curriculum, but the timetabling might be a bit more fluid. Certainly Geography skills and Science skills share many similarities.
Sorcha,
it’s exciting times in human space exploration. ESA’s first Irish/UK Astronaut has finished her training – you can read more about her at
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Rosemary_Coogan
(born in Northern Ireland makes her Irish for me)
Margaret,
Rocket Mouse is a staple of my infants workshops for good reason – inexpensive materials, re-usable bottles (once you’ve collected them you’ve got them until they are too cracked to hold air) and a simple task with an open ended solution.
I like to add in: “what top tips would you give to someone who isn’t here today?” and focus on finding out the children’s best ways to launch. Some children will provide the base instructions, others will say – “to make it go high – do XX” I’ll then ask – “did you try to launch it another way? Then how do you know – go back and try the other way….”
Louise – glad you find Marvin and Milo so appealing – I do too!
are there particular ones that you think would work?
As far as confidence goes – I recommend for all inquiry activities with children that you, as teacher, generate a slightly bewildered expression -and say something like “last time we tried this as a class it was sunny/windy/a Tuesday (or whatever), so I don’t know if it will be the same this time … we’ll have to try it and find out what happens…” This takes the onus off you having to get the “right” set up – the science happens when the children try to explain what they see.
Of course, with Marvin and Milo, there is a nice explanation, so perhaps chop that bit off for the children.. and see if they can come up with working models that are similar.
Emma,
I’d also look to promote the digital models that can be used – Stellarium for example. It doesn’t provide text answers, but allows children to observe the passage of time at a quicker pace to be able to build knowledge about the motion of the Earth in space.
Emma,
one of my colleagues has a nice bit that she includes in planetarium shows – she asks if the audience know the difference between planets and stars – and then says ” you all know the song “Twinkle twinkle little planet” right….?”
when they say – it’s “star” not planet, she points out that that is one of the differences – stars twinkle and planets don’t.
