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I really like the idea of using ‘Curious Minds Exploring Space’ theme for Science week. The activities are very engaging and give the children the opportunity to explore, question and investigate in a fun way.
I would use the foam rocket activity with my Junior Infant class. I would use this as an inquiry based learning experience to explore ideas about space, movement and forces. The activity would begin with a discussion about rockets and space travel, allowing the children to share what they already know about space and to ask questions. I would encourage them to investigate how rockets move by making predictions and experimenting with different ways of launching the foam rockets.
The children would work together to explore questions such as ‘How far will our rocket travel?’ and ‘ what happens if we change the way we launch it?’ They could then test different methods and observe the findings.,
I would take photos will they are completing the experiment and go around and assist the groups. The children could then draw a picture of their rocket. To conclude the lesson I would read them a simple picture book or show them a video on a rocket launching into space.
I enjoyed reading your post and think these would be great for Junior Infants. I like the idea of using real clothes as it makes the lesson very hands on. The teddy bear idea sounds like a fun way of getting the children to share their ideas.
I would just the where do you live and weather – animals in the cold activities with my Junior Infants to help them learn about different habitats and how weather affects animals. I would begin by showing pictures of different places where animals live , such as forests, farms, oceans and snowy areas. We would talk about which animals live in each habitat and why they are suited to those environments. Next, I would read a simple story about animals that live in cold places, such as polar bears and penguins. We would discuss how their thick fur , feathers or blubber help to keep them warm. For the main activity, the children would match animals to their correct habitat and create a simple collage of cold weather habitats using paper, cotton wool and colours. These would them be displayed in the classroom.
Hi Louise
I really enjoyed reading your post. I like the idea of using clay because it gives the children a hands on way to be creative and develop their fine motor skills. The alien gallery is also a great idea!
I would use the space and aliens activity in my Junior Infants classroom because the children love to learn about this topic. It is fun and engaging and encourages the children to use their imagination. I would begin by talking about space and showing simple pictures of planets, stars and rockets. Then I would ask the children what they think an alien might look like and where it might live. Each child would draw and colour their own alien and share one or two facts about it with the class. This activity would help develop their oral language skills and creativity. It is also good for the children to listen to others and share their ideas. After this I would read a story to them about aliens and use this to start any follow on lessons. Overall, I think the children would enjoy this lesson and I would display their pictures in the classroom.
Hi Alma
I love this lesson – children learn best through active participation. It encourages listening, team work and communication.
The Moon:
Junior Infants
I would introduce the topic of the moon to my Junior Infant class. I would start by discussing the difference between night and day. I would use a powerpoint presentation to help with this. I would ask the child if they have seen the moon. I would write their observations on the board. We would do a simple role play where one child is the Earth and the other is the moon – I would use a touch to represent the sun. The children would move around the classroom to show how the moon travels around the earth. This activity would engage the children and help them understand that the moon moves, even though it may not always look the same.
We would then read a story all about the moon – stopping to discuss the pictures along the way. Finally the children would complete a simple colouring picture and we would discuss what they learned.
Lesson: Junior Infants
Mystery Moon Rocks
Learning Objective: Observe Moon- like surface, ask simple questions
Materials:
Tuff Trays, flour, small pebbles or beads, small toy craters or spoons to make craters, magnifying glass, paper and crayons, simple pictures of the moon.
Show the children a picture of the moon – ask simple questions to get the children engaged. Teacher could write their ideas on the whiteboard using words or simple pictures.
In small groups using tuff trays get the children to investigate (press, drop rocks, make craters). Ask the children then to carry out simple experiments – each group picks a question (does a big rock make a big crater? and test it. Groups the report back with the finding and draw a picture of their experiment. Some children could write a simple sentence or two about their experiment. More able children could draw more detailed pictures. These will then be displayed in the classroom.
Differentiation:
Encourage more able children to predict before testing. They could also measure the crater size using their fingers and report their findings.
Hi
I thought the same. It is an area that children are drawn to. Hoping to learn lots of useful information from this course!