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Ciara,
have you a particular rocket design you would try? You can search the classroom resources at curiousminds.ie by the keyword rockets to get a full list.
Rachel,
what a lovely set of activities, I like the ‘space safety’ in particular.
In the current space industry, space safety has been redefined somewhat by SpaceX. NASA and ESA make big expensive rockets and try to have almost no failures. SpaceX makes smaller, cheaper rockets and expects failures — they then fix the failures and keep going. Not rated for humans yet, but able to innovate much more.
Ciara.
I love this
Put masking tape in a cross on the floor. Label each section Spring, Summer, Autumn , Winter.Each student comes up to the bag of clothes and with a blind fold must select an item of clothing from the bag. Before removing the blind fold they must feel and discuss the item of clothing and make a prediction of where it should be placed on the seasons section.
Remove the blind fold to discover if they are correct.
what a lovely way to bring out their descriptive language (if you ask them to describe what they feel) and to connect their ability to identify materials from touch.
This would help those children who don’t have a “minds eye” because it is quite concrete. (Aphantasia is thought to affect 1-2% of people – so there are probably a few in your school! https://psyche.co/ideas/i-have-no-minds-eye-let-me-try-to-describe-it-for-you)
David,
weather is such a part of life in Ireland! Have you seen the weather activities from met eireann at https://www.met.ie/education/school-resources/
Some are for older children, but a simple anemometer could be made with the children that they could then use.
https://www.met.ie/cms/assets/uploads/2024/07/LP-Measuring-and-Recording-Wind-Speed.pdf
Is the type of thing you mean by “or engage in simple experiments.”
Hi Rachael,
Dancing Raisins is great fun – both in English and in Irish. It is one of those really nice demonstrations that is easy to extend into an investigation, by responding to the children’s questions.
If they think the raisins are the key part – try with other small items. If they think the fizz is the most important – try with different levels of fizz (perhaps by mixing fizzy drink with water – or by stirring the drink to get the fizz out).
In all cases, the children’s science explanation can be modified in light of what they notice happening.
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.