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Space Week Plan – Junior Infants
Theme: Space – Rockets, the Moon, Stars and AliensMonday – Blast Off into Space!
Learning Focus:
Introduce the theme of Space Week.
Encourage children to share what they already know and what they would like to find out.
Develop questioning and communication skills.Activities:
Begin with a class chat: “What do you know about space?” and “What would you like to find out?”
Create a space display where children can add drawings, questions and ideas.
Read a space-themed story.
Watch a short age-appropriate space video or explore a digital space resource.
Children design their own rockets using junk art materials.
Maths Link:
Count rocket parts.
Sort materials by colour, size and shape.
Compare which rockets are tall/short, long/short or heavy/light.Tuesday – Rocket Engineers
Learning Focus:
Explore STEM through designing, building and testing.
Develop problem-solving skills.
Activities:
Children work in groups to build rockets using recycled materials.
Discuss:
What materials will we use?
What shape should our rocket be?
How can we make it stronger?
Test the rockets and talk about what happened.
Encourage children to make predictions before testing.
Science Skills:
Predicting
Observing
Investigating
Communicating findingsMaths Link:
Measure and compare rocket heights.
Create simple graphs showing favourite rocket designs.Wednesday – The Moon, Stars and Constellations
Learning Focus:
Develop an understanding of the Moon and stars.
Encourage observation and imagination.Activities:
Look at images of the Moon, stars and constellations.
Create constellation pictures using black paper and stickers.
Use torches and dark spaces to explore light and shadows.
Begin a Moon observation chart.
Talk about astronauts and what they might see in space.Maths Link:
Make repeating star patterns.
Count stars in pictures.
Explore shapes found in constellations.Thursday – Alien Investigation
Learning Focus:
Use imagination to explore science and maths.
Encourage investigation and creativity.Activities:
Introduce an alien visitor to the classroom!
Children design and create an alien using different materials.
Investigate “alien materials” through simple mixing activities (e.g., colour mixing, observing changes).
Discuss:
What do aliens need to survive?
What would their planet be like?Maths Link:
Sort aliens by colour, size or features.
Create patterns using alien pictures.
Count alien objects.
Science Skills:
Observing
Comparing
Asking questions
Making predictionsFriday – Weather in Space and Space Celebration
Learning Focus:
Link space with will observe how children engaged with the activities and gather evidence of their science and maths skills through conversations, drawings, photographs and examples of their work. This will help identify weather and Earth.
Celebrate learning from the week.Activities:
Discuss the difference between Earth weather and space.
Record the daily weather and compare observations.
Create a class Space Week book with drawings and children’s ideas.
Children share their favourite activity from the week.
Have a space-themed Aistear session:
Space station
Rocket launch centre
Astronaut training area
Digital Learning:
Use interactive space resources.
Explore planets using online tools.
Share photographs of children’s STEM creations.Links to Curriculum Skills
Science:Children develop skills in:
Observing
Questioning
Predicting
Investigating
Recording
Communicating
Mathematics:Children develop skills through:
Counting
Sorting
Comparing
Measuring
Pattern
Shape
Problem-solvingCross-Curricular Links:
English: Space stories, vocabulary, discussion and questioning.
Visual Arts: Rocket, alien and constellation creations.
Drama: Astronaut role play and space adventures.
Aistear: Imaginative play scenarios linked to space exploration.
Reflection/EvaluationAt the end of Space Week, I will observe how children engaged with the activities and gather evidence of their science and maths skills through conversations, drawings, photographs and examples of their work. This will help identify children’s strengths and next steps while supporting ongoing Science and STEM development in the classroom.
Space Week will provide a fun and memorable way for Junior Infants to explore STEM while developing curiosity, creativity and confidence as young scientists.
I love the idea of children adding to the town and deciding what they would need. Would lead to great discussion!
Junior Infant Lesson: Homes and Where We Live- this is a theme that could be explored over a fortnight and across many different subject areas.
Circle Time
Gather the children on the mat and ask:Where do you live?
Who lives in your home with you?
What do you like about your home?
What rooms do you have in your house?
Show pictures of different homes, including:Houses
Apartments
Cottages
Farms
Caravans
Homes from around the world (e.g. igloos, stilt houses, yurts)
Encourage discussion by asking:Which home looks like yours?
Which home is different?
Why do people need homes?
Explain that although our homes may look different, they all keep us safe, warm and comfortable.Story Time
Read a story about homes, a different book each day, such as:A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Homes by Carson Ellis
Peace at Last by Jill MurphyArt
For an art lesson, each child draws or paints their home.
Encourage them to include:
Doors
Windows
Roof
Garden
Family members
Pets
When finished, display all pictures together to create “Our Class Street.”I would have a construction station as part of morning activities!
Blocks
LEGO
Recycled boxes
Cardboard tubes
Coloured paper
Children work individually or in pairs to build a model of their home.Place all the models together to create a class street!
Maths
As part of maths, i would include a counting and sorting activity!
Count:Windows
Doors
Chimneys
Compare and sort:Tall houses
Short houses
Big homes
Small homes
Sort picture cards of homes into different groups.Oral Language
As part of oral language, we would play a Guess My Home gameTeacher describes a home.
“My home has lots of animals nearby.” a farm
“My home has lots of people and many floors.” “An apartment’
My home has no stairs- A bungalow
We would do a spatial awareness language lesson, asking the chidren to put a little creature into differnt places ‘Put the teddy upstairs in the bedroom on the bed’ ‘Put the teddy downstairs in the kitchen under the table’ etc
Extension Activities
Build homes in the Small World area.
Create a role-play Home Corner.
Use playdough to make houses.
Design a dream home using loose parts.
Go on a walk around the school to spot different types of homes nearby.
Invite children to bring in (or draw) a picture of their home to share with the class.I love the idea of integrating drama, it is a great way for the children to use the new vocabulary theyve learned and their imagination!
Ive created a thematic plan for junior infants over a course of a fortnight. Junior infants would thoroughly enjoy this topic and it lends well to integration across lots of subject areas.
We would start with circle time!
“Good morning, astronauts! Today we’re going on a BIG adventure into SPACE! Put on your pretend space helmet…”
Pretend to zip your suit.
“Boots?”
Children: “On!”
“Helmet?”
Children: “On!”
“Ready to blast off?”
Children: “YES!”
🎵 Warm-Up Song (Tune: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom)
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
If you’d like to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon!
Repeat quietly, loudly, quickly and slowly.
🚀 Countdown Movement
Everyone crouches down.
Count together:
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
BLAST OFF!
Children jump up into the air and pretend to fly through space.
We could pause and close our eyes, imagining travelling in space!
“We’re flying high above Earth. Can you look out of your spaceship window? What can you see?”
(Pause for children’s answers.)
“I can see shiny stars! Can you point to the stars?”
“I can see the Moon! Can everyone wave to the Moon?”
“Oh no! We have reached a mysterious planet. Shall we land?”
Children: “Yes!”
“When we open the spaceship door, we hear funny sounds.”
Can everyone make a silly space sound?
“We see some friendly aliens waving.”
Can everyone wave back?
“The aliens love to jump.”
Let’s all jump together!
“They love to spin.”
Spin around!
“They love to dance.”
Dance together for a few moments.
“Before we fly home, the friendly aliens wave goodbye and thank us for visiting.”
Everyone waves goodbye.
💬 Talk About It
Ask:
What did we see in space?
What colour was the planet?
What do you think friendly aliens look like?
How did the aliens say hello?
Would you like to visit space?
As part of morning play, I would set up a space hunt in tuft trays filled with sand. Each group gets a chance to ‘be a space detective’
Hide pictures of:
Stars
Planets
Rockets
Friendly aliens
Children become astronauts.
Mission:
Find a yellow star.
Find a green alien.
Find a rocket.
Find a planet.
Each time they find one, they shout:
“Mission complete!”
We will then play Simon Says
Like Simon Says.
“Astronaut says…”
Float slowly.
Jump over a moon rock.
Wave to an alien.
Fly your rocket.
Walk in moon gravity.
Spin like a planet.
Another song the children will learn as part of this thematic unit is ‘The Space Song’
(Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)
The rocket in the sky goes
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The stars in the sky go
Twinkle! Twinkle! Twinkle!
The aliens all wave
Hello! Hello! Hello!
As an Art activity, we will – Make Your Own Alien
Children create an alien using paper, googly eyes, crayons, stickers and pom-poms.
Ask each child:
What is your alien’s name?
What colour is it?
What does it like to eat?
What games does it like to play?
As a movement break during the week, we will have ‘Alien Dance Parties’
Play music
Call out:
Wiggle your antennae!
Stomp your alien feet!
Float through space!
Spin like a planet!
Freeze!
Another nice morning activity is using play dough to make:
Stars
Rockets
Planets
Moons
Aliens
Ask them to tell the group what they have made.
As a maths lesson, we will have a space counting Activity and sorting activity!
Count:
5 stars
8 stars
10 stars
Sort stars into:
Big and small
Different colours
🌈 Colour Hunt
Can you find:
🟢 A green alien
🔴 A red planet
🟡 A yellow star
🔵 A blue rocket
👋 Goodbye Song at the end of each school day while we learn about space!
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
We’ll fly home in our rocket,
With a smile inside our pocket,
If you had fun in space today,
Wave goodbye!
🌟 Extension Activities
Build rockets with blocks.
Paint planets with sponges.
Make foil moon rocks.
Create a cardboard spaceship in a construction station during morning play.
Read space-themed books such as Aliens Love Underpants!
Complete a moon-walk obstacle course in PE
Enjoy dramatic play in a pretend space station.
I loved planning this thematic unit and look forward to using it next year!
I like the idea of linking the learning in school and at home by investigating changes in the moon and bringing our findings back to class the next day.
This would lead to lots of discussion and curiosity regarding the moon and hopefully encourage lots of conversations amongst themselves, with their teacher and family members at home.
Children of all ages enjoy learning about the sun and are fascinated by shadows, especially learning about how they form
In circle time, I would explain that ‘Today we’re going to be shadow detectives! Has anyone ever seen their shadow?” I would give everyone a chance to answer and illicit answers to such questions as
Where have you seen your shadow?
Can you see your shadow inside?
What do you think makes a shadow?
Can you catch your shadow?
What happens to your shadow when you jump?Once we discuss it I would explain in child friendly language that “A shadow happens when something blocks the light. The sun is a big light in the sky. When our bodies get in the way of the sunlight, a shadow appears on the ground.”
One song I always introduce is “Where Oh Where Is Shadow?” from Bear in the Big Blue House to further explain shadows to EAL children especially who might not understand what I mean.
We would then go on a ‘Shadow Hunt’ outside.Activities:
Wave to your shadow.
Jump with your shadow.
Stand on one foot.
Stretch up really tall.
Curl into a tiny ball.
Try to step on a friend’s shadow.
Walk, run, skip and watch what your shadow does
I would also give the children a chance to trace their partners shadows with chalk!Further activities for the week could be shadow puppet shows, making shadows with building blocks and making shadow creatures with our hands.
This is a really hands on topic and would really enocourage curiousity around the sun and space.
In June we did inquiry based learming based on mini beasts!
Who Lives in Our School Garden?
We asked a ‘VIP Question’: What animals and insects live around us?
We went on a bug hunt with magnifying glasses.
We observed without disturbing habitats.
We sorted creatures by legs, wings, or where they live in maths. We had little coloured inseccts in our maths resources that we used for this!
We drew simple pictures and labelled themHi my name is Jade and I will be teaching Junior Infants for the second time this September.
I am looking forward to becoming more confident in teaching about space as the children are utterly fascinated by it, and i felt that i wasnt knowledgeable enough to do a full thematic unit on it last year!
My favourite fact is that humans are working hard to be able to lanf on Mars!