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Hi Grainne, I love the idea of creating presentations of what the children have found along side the idea of written reports
Introducing Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change – Senior Infants
Introducing Senior Infants to the ideas of greenhouse gases and climate change should be simple, engaging, and based on stories and visuals. The ESA Paxi video is an excellent resource, as it explains these concepts in a child-friendly way and is suitable for a wide range of ages.
The aim of the lesson is for children to understand that the Earth needs to stay at the right temperature to keep plants, animals, and people healthy. They will learn that greenhouse gases act like a warm blanket around the Earth, helping to keep it warm, but that when the blanket becomes too thick, the Earth gets too hot. They will also begin to understand that everyone can help to look after our planet.
While watching the Paxi video, pause at key points to encourage discussion by asking questions such as, “What is Paxi wearing?”, “Why is Paxi wearing it?”, and “What happens when the blanket gets too thick?” This helps children to think about and understand the ideas being presented.
After the video, invite the children to share ideas about how they can help to protect the Earth. Record their suggestions on the board and agree as a class to carry out one simple action every day.
Some actions the children could choose include:
Turning off lights when they are not needed.
Walking or cycling whenever possible.
Planting and caring for trees or flowers.
Avoiding wasting water.
This lesson encourages children to develop an awareness of caring for the environment while showing them that even small actions can make a positive difference.Weather and climate
After reading Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), I gained a better understanding that STEM is about integrating the four subject areas through meaningful, real-life learning experiences rather than teaching them separately. The article reinforced the importance of inquiry, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. In my classroom, STEM education is reflected through hands-on activities, simple investigations, and opportunities for children to work together to solve problems. I aim to provide engaging, practical learning experiences that encourage curiosity and help pupils make connections between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an age-appropriate way.
I really liked the weather detectives and I think setting up a weather station with Junior Infants would be a fun, practical way to introduce children to different types of weather. The aim is to help children observe and talk about the weather each day using simple, hands-on activities.
As a class, set up a simple weather station using a thermometer, rain gauge, wind sock or pinwheel, and a cloud viewer. Explain what each item is used for and encourage the children to make observations. Keep a daily record of the weather and use a weather chart in the classroom to display it.
Hi Sean, this sounds like a lovely lesson and i really like the way you’ve made it adaptable for all abilities.
Tell the children: “Today we are going to make a mouse rocket!” Show a simple paper mouse and a cardboard tube.
Ask: “What does a rocket need to fly?” Encourage ideas such as fuel, wings, or a strong push.
Give each child a paper mouse and simple craft materials (paper, crayons, tape, and a straw or cardboard tube). Children decorate their mouse and make a simple rocket by placing the mouse on top of the tube or attaching it to a straw launcher.
Invite children to predict: “How can we make our mouse fly higher?” Let them test by blowing through a straw or gently launching with a paper launcher.
After testing, ask: “What happened?” “What helped your mouse travel?” “What could you change next time?”
Finish by celebrating each launch and discussing that rockets move because a push force sends them into the air. Encourage children to share one thing they learned about making their mouse rocket fly.
The earth, where do you live and weather
In my class I would use the hands on activity of animals and the weather.
To introduce the lesson I would start by asking about todays weather and encouraging the children to discuss the weather, different types of weather and how we may feel when it rains etc. Leading on to how we would dress in different weather and if the weather effects animals? Do cows wear coats in the rain?!
I will sing a weather-related animal song. Five Little Ducks (rainy weather)
I will then set up an Animal & Weather Matching Game for the children to play
Show pictures of animals and weather types.
Ask: “Where does the polar bear live?” “Does the duck like the rain?”
Children take turns matching animals to the right weather.To extend the learning we could play a game outside acting like the animals Waddle like a penguin
Hop like a frog in the rain
Lie down like a cat in the sunI would use the stars activity.
I would start by asking the class what they see when they look up at the night sky. Talk about how they see stars. What are the stars made of, how do they light up the night sky. Explaining how the stars are made up of gas. Asking questions like are all stars the same, to spark curiosity.
I would introduce the song Twinkle Twinkle and ask students what do they think the story will be about. Recording the predications.
explain to the children that they will make there own starry night scene. Children are offered different colour paper, paints etc. to create there own images. The children can then discuss their pictures with each other.
Activity set: The Sun and Shadows
Exploring the Sun and Shadows is a fantastic way to introduce concepts of light, time, and how the Sun affects our world, all while promoting curiosity and exploration. Here’s a hands-on activity for Junior Infants that combines inquiry-based learning with shadow play
I Would start with a simple question:
“Have you ever seen a shadow? What does it look like?”
“Where do you think shadows come from?”
Take the kids outside (or by a window if outside isn’t an option) and look for shadows on the ground.Ask: “Why do you think the tree has a shadow? What about the playground slide?”
Point out how the length and direction of shadows change depending on where the Sun is in the sky.Make Your Own Shadow
Using a flashlight , hold up simple objects and ask the children questions such as
“What do you see on the wall?”
“How did the shadow happen?”
“Can we make the shadow bigger or smaller?”
Let the children take turns placing objects in front of the light and seeing how shadows form.Move the object closer and farther from the light to show how the shadow changes.
Experiment with different objects and their shadows. What happens if you use your hand versus a block?explain the concept of shadows:
“The Sun gives us light. When something is in the way of the light, it makes a shadow.”
Use simple visuals or even act out the explanation:“When we stand in the Sun, our bodies block the light, and that makes a shadow!”
Draw a simple diagram on the board showing how the Sun, an object, and the shadow are connected.Using Gravity for our inquiry based learning lesson.
the theme we will use is “why things fall”
To spark interest and curiosity i will start by asking the question; What happens if this falls? while holding different objects. I will ask questions like why do you think things fall down and not up? Ask the children to make predictions.
then using hands on investigation i will ask children to predict what they think will happen before they drop different objects.
The children really enjoy the hands on experiments and this sparks lots of emerging interests, we could further develop the lesson by moving it to the playground and talk about force, push and pull.
