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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
Jane, do you have suggestions for songs/poems/stories that can be added to the Space Week in Junior Classes document from last year? http://www.spaceweek.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SpaceWeekJunior-1.pdf
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!
What fun – and an opportunity for so much discussion and early maths. I have asked classes to name their aliens before- and nearly every time, one of the aliens is called “Bob”. I have also shown images of aliens from books, films and tv shows and asked children if they have read or seen aliens in books or films – this keeps me current!
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.
Hi Barbara,
nice inquiry about melting linked to the ever popular dinosaur topic. Helping the children to explain why they think the radiator will be faster is so key to this type of inquiry — and do any of them ever suggest a sunny windowsill? Differing views, with reasons for the views are at the heart of inquiry learning.
Jane – your prompts to engage children to apply their science understanding are super. A child who can explain that their alien has a different sense because of where they live is showing really advanced science thinking.
Deirdre, I agree with you on using Cassiopeia – it is one of the simplest distinctive constellations to form. Orion is also distinctive, but not visible in the sky in the summer since the Sun is in Gemini, just to one side of Orion. Give us a few months and the Earth will have moved around the Sun and we will be able to see Orion again.
Hi Deirdre – I was chatting to people from other parts of the world, nearer the equator, and they shared that where they live, they don’t have four seasons, they have two – rainy and dry. This could be interesting to explore with children who might have visited or have family in that region.
Hi Michelle,
I always remember the tag line for the film ALIEN: IN SPACE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM! (am I showing my age? – I just looked up that this movie came out in 1979!! – not one to show to infants…)
I’ve made planets with children using “Model Magic” – pricy, but beautiful to work with.
Have you a preferred material that you like to use?
they are so cool! (literally – that is why they show up as dark spots, since they are cooler than the surrounding area).
Mags, have you seen https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ESRS/HDEV/
which shows the view of the Earth from the ISS. It used to sometimes show the astronauts inside, and of course, each astronaut makes videos while they are on board, you can see some on tiktok by European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti https://www.tiktok.com/@astrosamantha?lang=en.