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Sinead,
you’ve a wealth of ideas there so don’t forget to register your class’ activity at https://www.spaceweek.ie/add/
Ciara,
I’d start by drawing the attention of the children to the time of day that the Sun shines into their classroom. It is such a simple thing, but when I ask children which way their classroom faces, they seem to have no idea that sunshine is linked to time of day.
Garden and house designers always use the orientation towards the Sun when planning, and for houses to have solar panels, a south facing roof is preferred.
Once they have realised that the Sun is clearly moving across the sky with time, they can refine their understanding by making a sundial.
Thanks for sharing that lovely poem Eleanor.
I must admit, poetry has never really been my thing! (another teacher once told me that was because I was never properly taught it!) but I do like this poem. I need to work more on poetry I guess.
Sinead,
I like your idea of connecting the waterproof coating for the animals to making waterproof clothes.
You could bring in some of the waterproofing sprays and children could test if they work.
https://www.woodies.ie/out-and-about-300ml-waterproof-spray
Jill – I was chatting to an adult the other day, who on hearing that I worked at Blackrock Castle Observatory wanted to ask me about up and down in space. I tried to explain that down was just gravity – but I’m not sure he really believed me.
I think children do understand that the world is a ball – but have difficulty in thinking of the picture as a model of the world – and will draw the “down arrow” on a picture as if the world picture is just a picture.
You can check the understanding of your own classes with this nice image from the ESA ISS Primary Kit.
Rachel,
I’d be reluctant to mention chemical bonds to any class in primary, let alone a junior class. This language is very much second level. (see this Junior Cycle Science booklet).
5th and 6th class Science asks the children to “explore the effects of heating and cooling on a range of solids, liquids and gases” and includes expansion of water on freezing.
There is a floating and sinking of ice activity in ESERO called “The Ice is Melting” but it is more about the effects of land ice vs sea ice – and for older classes.
For a junior class, the changes that happen when ice is formed can be demoed, and linked to cooking (you shouldn’t fill the container when you freeze food!) – but noting the change is sufficient. Children might then explore if different liquids that are less water based (oil for example) also freeze the same way.
Fiona,
great plan for learning about rockets and forces. Note that the fizzing takes place pretty quickly, so you’ll need some way to stop the baking soda falling into the vinegar until you turn the rocket over- I use a bit of tissue.
Also, get the best vinegar you can, the Aldi or Lidl inexpensive vinegars haven’t worked for me.
I use to offer this course as a face-to-face and we would make these fizzy rockets. One afternoon, after the teachers had left I could hear a gentle popping coming from the materials – the lid of one of the rockets was resting on it, and there was just enough fizz still happening that the lid kept popping off!
A nice way for the children to gently experience the pushing force of the air is to look at this teacher resource from Curious Minds
https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/teachers_pop_top.pdf
and https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/teachers_pop_top_irish.pdf
Sharon,
I think you might need to use something like Stellarium to show the stars in the daytime and then ask the children in winter (when it gets dark before their bedtime) to look for stars from home.
During school hours I think you’ll only be able to spot the Sun.
What are finger print stars?
David,
I have used simple telescope shape tubes for young children to imagine they are looking at the stars – made from corrugated cardboard.
Optional is to then put a bit of black paper over the end with small holes poked through the black paper to make a star viewer.
All of it can be held together with elastic bands so it can be reused easily and stored together.
Sarah,
I like how you realistically have gauged the time for this activity, and connected the story of the little pigs to the children’s own homes. You could even connect the wolf trying to blow their house down to weather in different parts of the world, and show them onshore winds and how that affects trees.
Hi Eleanor,
integrating the facts about planets into maths and language is a super way to include them with junior classes. The Solar system / planets only appear in SESE Geography for 5th and 6th class (too late in my opinion) – so having a reason to include earlier is great.
Clodagh,
I’ll let Niamh know that she is one of your space stars – she’ll be delighted. We have huge interest in one of our Space Week programmes that connects a space science professional to the classroom – recently it has been branded as ESERO Space Goes to School – you can register your interest at spaceweek.ie
this page https://www.spaceweek.ie/for-organisers/for-teachers/space-speaker-in-your-classroom/
Also worth checking is Norah Patten, who has recently been selected to carry out some experiments in a sub orbital flight (in 2026):
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0620/1455670-space-dr-norah-patten/
Stephanie, I had a quick look at the first video and the image of the snowshoe sent me back in time to when I completed my snowshoe badge as a girl guide in Canada.
Did you know that different types/shapes of snowshoes are used for different snow conditions? and that there is a snowshoe magazine? with advice on what type of trail needs snowshoes!
thanks for that – I’ve a big smile on my face now!
Muireann,
with an older class the children can watch the demo, then try out their own ideas about making the rocket go fast/ carry more.
I’d structure it slightly differently, by giving the children their own balloon first, so they can see that it flies off when released – then ask them how can we make this balloon become a rocket? This then gets them to the balloon rocket set up as a ‘design and make’ a launch system for a balloon, and they have more ownership over the activity.
There is some really lovely science that can be deeply explored, particularly if they try different size balloons and different amounts of inflation. Get a bunch of balloon pumps!
Katie- Jo, this is perfectly pitched to allow children to explore
• recognise the difference between hot and cold in terms of weather, food, water and the body
The water offers them a direct experience, and you can ask them what really hot water might look like – and how they should be careful around cooking pans etc.
I had a student once doing soldering with me at a summer camp. Despite numerous cautions that the soldering iron got really hot, he still decided to touch it. The blisters were something else! I can only think that he had no experience with hot/cold before! (he was 10!).