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John Philip Holland, an engineer and inventor from Liscannor, County Clare, who lived and worked in Dundalk, Co. Louth, is best known for developing the first successful submarine. His pioneering work can serve as an excellent inspiration for classroom science investigations for junior infants. To inspire students, I would start with a story about Holland’s life and his invention, highlighting how his curiosity and determination led to significant innovations. For the science investigation, we could explore the principles of buoyancy and water displacement.
Classroom Activities: Story Time: Introduce John Philip Holland and his submarine through story. Hands-on Experiment: Use a large container of water and various objects (e.g., plastic boats, clay, and tinfoil) to test what sinks and what floats. Discuss why some objects float while others sink, linking this to how submarines work. Model Submarines: Students can create simple model submarines using recycled materials. They can test their models in water to see how they float and submerge. Art Integration: Draw pictures of submarines and the underwater world.
These activities would spark curiosity and teach basic scientific principles in a fun, messy,hands-on and playful way. Time however is a concern as this could be one of those lessons that “run away ” on you and it would be important to stay focussed on the objectives of each section.I love the art and creative aspect of this lesson, children love talking about their local area and often may overlook flora and fauna. This lesson would give them “fresh eyes” and make them more cognisant of what they have on their doorstep.
Bellews Castle, located in Dundalk, could serve as both an engineering feature and inspiration for a classroom make and design project for older students. As an engineering feature, they could study the castle’s architecture, identifying structural elements like the doorway arch, battlements, and foundations. They could learn about historical construction techniques and materials used in the castle fortification, linking this knowledge to modern engineering principles. For a classroom project, students could design and build miniature models of Bellews Castle using materials such as cardboard or clay. They would apply their understanding of engineering concepts to ensure the model’s stability and accuracy. This project could integrate various subjects: history for understanding the castle’s context, mathematics for scaling and measurements, and art for detailing. It would also foster creativity and problem-solving skills as students work collaboratively to replicate and interpret the castle’s design within a classroom setting. It could be completed as individual, pair or groupwork activity over a couple of weeks.
This is a very interesting lesson, I like the idea of inviting an engineer to speak with the students. It is so important for students to have people from the “real world” to visit classes to support lessons.
If I had an older class, for a seasonal biodiversity project running throughout the school year, I would use course resources such as field guides, magnifying glasses, and recording sheets to help students observe and document changes in local flora and fauna in our area. Resources and Recording Sheets: Each student would receive a recording sheet to note observations, including sections for drawings, names of plants and animals, and seasonal changes. We would also use digital cameras or tablets to take photos for a class biodiversity journal. Outdoor Learning: We would conduct outdoor learning sessions weekly,(weather dependent!)visiting a nearby park or school garden to observe changes in plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife. These visits would be timed to capture seasonal transitions. Integration with Other Subjects:Science:Studying plant life cycles and animal habitats.Math:Measuring plant growth and counting species.Art:Drawing observed species and creating a seasonal mural.Literacy: Writing descriptive journal entries and stories about their findings. ICT:Using apps to identify species and creating digital presentations of their project.
Hi Diarmaid, the photo journal is a great idea. Its a lovely idea for the lesson but also a lovely keepsake for the students to have!
For a Junior Infants class, I would plan a lesson on map making by starting with a simple, interactive activity to introduce the concept of maps. First, we’d discuss what maps are and their purpose, using a storybook that features maps.
Next, we’d explore our classroom map. I’d create a large, colourful map of the classroom, labeling key areas like the reading corner, play area and lunch area-Junior Infants are all about their bellies and food!. Students would help place stickers on the map to represent these areas.
To incorporate technology, we’d use Google Maps. I’d show the students our school’s location on Google Maps, zooming in and out to demonstrate how maps can show different levels of detail. We’d explore the locality, identifying landmarks they recognise.
Finally, students would create their own simple maps. Using paper, crayons, and stickers, they’d draw maps of their homes or their favourite park, applying what they’ve learned. This activity would develop their spatial awareness and map-reading skills in a fun and hopefully not too chaotic way!
Reference: Liston, M. (2018). *STEM beyond the acronym of science, technology, engineering, and maths.
Using Liston (2018) as my focal point these are my thoughts as a Junior Infant teacher: Integration of Hands-on Activities: In my classroom, STEM education is enriched with hands-on activities that actively engage students. For junior infants, this includes simple experiments like exploring would align with Liston’s (2018) vision of connected STEM education. Areas for concern or an area that I would need to improve would be a need to use more technology integration when completing these lessons. In junior infants, making time to use more age-appropriate educational apps and interactive tools will make the pupils learning more engaging and therefore lay a stronger foundation for advanced STEM skills, as emphasized by Liston.
