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I’ve played the planets – hula-hoop game with a mixed group of 8 to 10 year-olds – they had a great time.
Hi Grainne,
shadows are always such fun – I wonder if it is the lack of consistently sunny days that makes us appreciate them so much!?
Can you darken your classroom enough to get good shadows?
Hi Laura,
I have found the poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43196/my-shadow
is this the book? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1949120.My_Shadow
Hi Paddy,
is this the book? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/573306.Moonbeam_Bear
And please do leave out materials or activities – we are sharing many, but they cannot all be done in one go!
Hi Bernadette,
I’ve had fun with this too – when I have pretended to be a silly robot from another planet who doesn’t understand our world very well. I have asked children to tell me what I should do to move a child who is sitting on a wheely-chair. I explain that I can’t see very well, so they need to tell me what to do. It really brings out the vocabulary and sequencing.
Hi Karen,
seeing the application of knowledge is such a sign that this approach is working. I think children need to have an interest in the topic to be wondering how this might apply to a new situation – so they are actively engaged in thinking how they can do more with their new understanding.
Hi Karen,
did you learn that fact from a video? and if so, which one? I know there are lots of astronaut videos, but with so many, it is hard to find the good ones. I like the Chris’ Kitchen with Chris Hadfield.
Hi Ailbhe,
I love that fact too! and here is an interesting twist on it from the cartoon XKCD: https://what-if.xkcd.com/83/#:~:text=%22Are%20there%20more%20grains%20of,on%20all%20of%20Earth’s%20beaches.
Floating and sinking is a lovely way to let children really engage with the inquiry process. Items that look heavy for their size (don’t use density with primary age!) might float, if their shape is right.
So giving the opportunity for children to shape a boat out of playdoh is perfect for letting them really explore how shape makes a difference.
Darcera – your differentiation here is great — all we need is a reliably sunny day for the sundial to work! I used the pot and bamboo stick because it was what I had – if your school has a flagpole, it could work too.
Hi Roisin,
Magnetism is one of those topics that really does lend itself to inquiry. Some adults think that all metals are magnetic — and it makes you wonder ‘did they ever play with magnets when they were younger?’ – its a simple prediction and one that is easy to show if it is true or not.
Hi Katie,
There are some really nice ESERO resources on this topic that we will look at in Module 4.
Another project I’ve been involved specifically looked at polar research and activities. The content here is a bit much for infants, but you might find it useful, check it at http://polar-star.ea.gr/content/surviving-arctic-animals-plants-humans
I really like how you have brought the framework for inquiry into this planning. Predicting the time of day is pretty tricky – I’m sure we’ve all been woken up by adults who rang us from the other side of the world and didn’t realise it was the middle of the night!
Do you have the link to the Storybots video you mention?
With regards to phases of the Moon — it’s interesting, but doesn’t appear in the primary curriculum – so treat it as an activity around light and how something has to be lit up or making its own light for us to see it.
The Oreo cookies are a lot of fun to do — but make that more maths centred on shapes.
Children will meet phases of the Moon in their Junior Cycle.
Hi Jane,
I got solar beads from Science and Chemical – before they merged with Shaw Scientific, and they still have them: https://www.shawscientific.com/product/uv-detecting-beads-mixed-colours-xwv410030
It’s a little pot, with 100 beads.