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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.
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.
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.
Maria, I like the idea of showing images, and this is a chance to show different cultures and different parts of the world. There are a range of images of extremes of weather in different parts of the world in this resource from ESA: https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/edu/PR37_Moon_shelter.pdf, which is about making shelters -and has a suggested age of 8 to 12.
Mags, are there particular instructions that you use or do you ask the children to design and make based on what they are trying to measure? The Greenwave project (no longer running, but the resources are still on the sfi page at https://www.sfi.ie/__uuid/47f80047-293e-4b86-9392-e4c66ab141ab/) has some ideas to get children going.