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Thanks for the book recommendation, I always seem to reach for the safe option of Aliens Love Underpants!
Introducing young children to rocket-making is a fantastic way to spark curiosity in science, creativity, and teamwork. In infant classes, the focus should be on fun, hands-on experiences that help children explore basic scientific ideas through play. I would love to incorporate this lesson into Aistear.
Step 1: Set the Scene with a Story
Begin with an engaging story about space travel or astronauts. Use picture book like Aliens Love Underpants or videos to introduce the idea of rockets. Ask the children questions such as, “What do rockets do?” and “How do they get into space?” This builds excitement and encourages imaginative thinking.
Step 2: Show and Tell
I would show the children a simple paper or straw rocket model. Demonstrate how it works — blowing a paper rocket off a straw. Keep the explanation simple: “Air pushes the rocket up!” Allow children to try the demonstration for themselves. This helps them understand the cause-and-effect relationship in a fun, physical way.
Step 3: The children build their own rockets in pairs or small groups.
Once finished, children place their rockets on a straw and blow to launch them. This gives instant feedback and encourages exploration—some may blow harder, aim higher, or adjust their designs.
Step 4: Reflect and Celebrate
Ask questions like:
“What happened when you blew into the straw?”
“How could we make the rocket go higher?”
Let them share their thoughts and discoveries with the class.
Step 5: Rocket launch area
Create a rocket launch area and let children test their rockets throughout the day or week. Encourage them to experiment with different shapes or materials.
By combining storytelling, crafting, and simple science, children learn through doing. They develop fine motor skills, understand basic physics, and most importantly — they have fun while learning!Hi everyone,
Here is how i would use the Hot and Cold Weather Activity in the junior classes:
Steps:
Firstly I would introduce the lesson by investigating materials.
Start with a hands-on mini-investigation. Lay out a range of materials at stations, such as:
Wool (warm, soft)
Cotton (light, breathable)
Foil or plastic (keeps heat in but uncomfortable)
Netting or lace (light, airy)
Fleece, felt, denim, tissue paper, etc.Ask children to:
Touch and compare materials
Describe them using prompts:
“Is it soft or scratchy?”
“Thick or thin?”
“Would this keep you warm or cool?”
Use symbols such as sun/snowflake on the table for each material to suggest heat or cold – the children can sort the materials2. Predict and Choose
Ask:
“Which material would be good for a snowy day?”
“Which would keep you cool at the beach?”Each child chooses a material for hot or cold weather, justifying their choice:
“I think fleece is good for cold weather because it’s thick and soft.”
3. Design the Outfit
Children choose a clothing template (e.g., coat, sunhat, t-shirt).
They decorate it using their chosen material
Encourage them to add weather symbols or patterns related to their weather choice.4. Share and Explain
Ask the children to present their design:“I made a sunhat with cotton because it’s cool and light.”
“I made a coat with fleece so I won’t get cold in the snow”Encourage discussion based on designs and material choice
Hi everyone,
Here is how i would use the Hot and Cold Weather Activity in the junior classes:
Steps:
Firstly I would introduce the lesson by investigating materials.
Start with a hands-on mini-investigation. Lay out a range of materials at stations, such as:
Wool (warm, soft)
Cotton (light, breathable)
Foil or plastic (keeps heat in but uncomfortable)
Netting or lace (light, airy)
Fleece, felt, denim, tissue paper, etc.Ask children to:
Touch and compare materials
Describe them using prompts:
“Is it soft or scratchy?”
“Thick or thin?”
“Would this keep you warm or cool?”
Use symbols such as sun/snowflake on the table for each material to suggest heat or cold – the children can sort the materials2. Predict and Choose
Ask:
“Which material would be good for a snowy day?”
“Which would keep you cool at the beach?”Each child chooses a material for hot or cold weather, justifying their choice:
“I think fleece is good for cold weather because it’s thick and soft.”
3. Design the Outfit
Children choose a clothing template (e.g., coat, sunhat, t-shirt).
They decorate it using their chosen material
Encourage them to add weather symbols or patterns related to their weather choice.4. Share and Explain
Ask the children to present their design:“I made a sunhat with cotton because it’s cool and light.”
“I made a coat with fleece so I won’t get cold in the snow!”Encourage discussion based on designs and material choice
I would explore Space and Aliens in the infant classes and would try to incorporate maths into the lesson as discussed in the module. My lesson would be as follows:
Curriculum Areas: SESE (Science/Geography), Maths, Oral Language, Visual Arts
Theme: Space and AliensSESE: Living Things / Environmental Awareness
Maths: Number, Pattern & Algebra
Language: Oral Language – Describing & Predicting
Art: Drawing & Colour
By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:
Identify basic elements of space (planets, stars, aliens, spaceships).
Use mathematical skills to count and sort alien features.
Recognise, extend, and create patterns.
Use imaginative thinking and language to describe alien creatures.
Create their own alien using art materials and math-based instructions.
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction – Space Talk
Begin with a story or video clip about space (e.g., Zoom to the Moon! or Aliens Love Underpants).Ask: “What do you think lives in space?” – Prompt imaginative thinking.
Introduce simple space terms: planet, star, rocket, alien.
2. Maths & Alien Discovery
Activity 1: Alien Feature CountShow the class a picture of different aliens
Count features together:
“How many eyes does this alien have?”
“Can we find the alien with 4 arms?”
“Who has the most legs?”
Activity 2: Alien Patterns Game
Show patterns (AB, AAB, ABB) using alien features:
e.g., One-eyed, two-eyed, one-eyed, two-eyed…
Ask them to continue or create their own patterns using cut-out alien body parts
3. Art & Maths Integration – Design Your Own Alien
Provide each child with a template of an alien body outline
Give maths based drawing instructions such as:
“Draw 3 eyes on your alien.”
“Add 4 spots on its tummy.”
“Give your alien 2 arms and 2 legs.”
“Put 1 star on its head.”
Let the children colour and decorate their creations
4. Language Development – Alien Show & Tell
Ask children to describe their alien to the class or in pairs:“My alien has 3 eyes and loves to eat stars!”
“It can fly to the moon and has rainbow legs!”
This is a really different and fun way to teach the moon phases, the children would get great enjoyment as well as learning! i might steal this idea for my classroom!
Good morning,
I chose the sundial activity to use in junior/senior infants as it is a lovely active activity that will spark their interest and develop their critical thinking skills. This activity is great as it can be differentiated based on children’s understanding and needs. This is how i would use it in the classroom:
Objective:
Students will learn how people in the past used the sun to tell the time and will create their own simple sundials to observe how shadows move throughout the day.Materials Needed:
Paper plate or cardboard
Pencil or straw
Ruler
Marker
Compass (optional, or teacher-led instruction to find North)
Outdoor sunny spaceIntroduction/Discussion:
Before clocks and watches were invented, people used the position of the sun in the sky to tell the time. One tool they used was a sundial. A sundial casts a shadow on a flat surface, and as the sun moves across the sky, the shadow moves too. By marking where the shadow falls at different times, you can tell the time of day.Steps to Make a Sundial:
Prepare the Base:
Take your paper plate or cardboard and write your name on the back.Create the Gnomon (the part that casts the shadow):
Push the pencil or straw through the centre of the plate so that it stands upright.Mark the Base:
Place your sundial outside on a flat, sunny spot. Use a compass (or teacher to help) to make sure the pencil points straight up and the sundial faces North.Observe and Record:
At a set time (e.g, every hour), check where the shadow falls. Use your marker to draw a line along the shadow and write the time next to it. Repeat this at different times throughout the day.See the Pattern:
By the end of the day, the children will have several time marks on their sundial. Notice how the shadow moves as the sun travels across the sky.Discussion Questions (can be discussed the next day):
Why do you think the shadow moves?
How might a sundial be different on a cloudy day?
What do you think would happen if you used your sundial at a different time of year?
Conclusion:
This activity shows how ancient people could tell the time using the sun. Making a sundial helps us learn about the Earth’s rotation and how the position of the sun affects shadows.Hi Niamh,
This is a lovely idea for a lesson and one i would never have thought of using in the junior classes. It is such an engaging and active lesson, and it is one that the children would remember vividly. I would love to try these ideas maybe as part of Aistear or station teaching so that other teachers would be involved and help to keep the lesson running smoothly
Hi Everyone,
Working with the junior classes, I would start with a simple theme for an inquiry based activity: Why Do We Have Day and Night?
In this lesson, students would explore the central question: “Why do we have day and night?” This activity is designed to develop curiosity about Earth and space, while encouraging observation and discussion. It is also a nice introduction to the concept of our world in Space for the younger age group.
I would begin by asking the children what they notice about the sky during the day and night. I would record what they already know and the questions they wonder about, such as “Where does the Sun go at night?” or “Why is it dark?” etc.
Next, I would explore through storybooks and visual aids, including a simple globe and torch demonstration. I would darken the room and shine a torch on the globe to show how the Earth spins, helping children understand how one side is lit by the Sun while the other is in darkness.
In small groups, students would create their own “day and night” paper plates—one half showing daytime activities and the other night—illustrating their understanding through art and discussion.
Finally I would have a class reflection where students share what they discovered. This hands-on, inquiry-based activity promotes questioning, collaboration, and scientific thinking in an age-appropriate way.
Hi everyone,
My name is Grace and I will be teaching SET next year, but I always love learning about Space. Yesterday I read that NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft flew past Pluto in 2015 and found that it has towering mountains made of frozen ice, vast plains of frozen nitrogen and strange patterns on the surface that suggest internal activity. One of the most iconic features is a giant heart shaped region called Sputnik Planitia which is a vast icy basin that may still be reshaped by underground processes. These discoveries challenged everything that was previously thought about small icy worlds. Despite being over 5 billion kilometers away from the sun, Pluto is still geologically alive!Activity set – Rockets – How would you use the activity in your classroom? I would create the following lesson in my classroom:
Materials Needed:
• Toy rocket or picture of a rocket
• Balloons
• String
• Straws
• Tape
• Scissors
• Pictures or videos of rocket launches
• Crayons and paper for drawing
1. Introduction
• Greeting and Attention Grabber: “Good morning, space explorers! Who here wants to learn about rockets? Today, we’re going to learn about rockets and how they launch into space!”
2. What is a Rocket?
• Show a Toy Rocket or Picture: “This is a rocket. Rockets are special vehicles that can travel to space.”
• Discuss Basic Parts:
o Body: “This is the main part of the rocket.”
o Engine: “This part helps the rocket go up, up, up!”
o Fins: “These help the rocket stay straight when it’s flying.”
3. How Does a Rocket Launch?
• Simple Explanation:
o “Rockets use powerful engines to push them up into the sky.”
o “When the engine fires, it pushes the rocket off the ground. We call this a launch!”
• Show a Video of a Rocket Launch: youtube
4. Hands-On Activity: Balloon Rocket Experiment
• Materials: Balloons, string, straws, tape, scissors
• Setup:
1. Tape a straw to the balloon.
2. Thread a long piece of string through the straw.
3. Tie one end of the string to a chair or doorknob, and hold the other end tight.
4. Blow up the balloon (don’t tie it), and then tape it to the string.
• Launch the Balloon Rocket: Let go of the balloon and watch it zoom along the string.
• Explain: “Just like our balloon, real rockets use engines to push them up into the sky!”
5. Drawing Activity
• Design and draw our own rockets
• Allow each child to share their drawing and explain their rocket.
6. Conclusion and Review (5 minutes)
• Recap of main points and answer any questions
