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The straw rockets are so fun Michaela – I recommend using some sort of launch line (masking tape on the ground) to control the direction the rockets are flying and avoid chaos breaking out.
Hi Orla – this sounds like this would be great for fine motor and teamwork skills. Do the winning team receive a prize usually?
Nice lesson Orla, I like the link to SPHE and looking after our bodies. The weather is a very accessible topic for children which makes it good for engagement – every child knows what the weather is like here in Ireland!
Great lesson Rachel – a simple visual investigation of the Moon’s phases using a torch and a spherical object would be a nice addition to this.
This sounds like a week packed with some great activities. Can I ask what sort of rocket launch you would do with your class?
The use of a torch and sphere to explain day and night is so effective and simple and you can use the exact same method to explain the phases of the moon as a later extension. Nice work linking it to other areas in the curriculum.
Lauren – I really like your Aistear station with the ice cubes. Children are always excited to get to do something hands on. It’s great to hear some examples of lessons being successfully implemented!
Hi Laura – rocket mice is such a lovely lesson for infants. Be careful with launching them outside on a windy day however, they rocket mice are very light and can easily launch out of sight.
Hi Laura – A similar sort of thing we do at Blackrock Castle is something Frances calls ‘Silly Robot’. Frances is great at this, she will have something like a chair in front of her and ask the children to tell her how to move the chair forwards. They cannot show her, they have to describe in words. She tells them that she is a silly robot so she needs very direct instructions. The children will then proceed to say things like ‘Push the chair!’ and Frances will feign confusion, ‘what is push?’. This is great fun and really gets children thinking about different ways of phrasing or explaining actions.
Using Stellarium to explore constellations and create their own is a lovely idea. I think it’s important for children to understand that the stars in constellations are not actually connected, and that the constellations are just arbitrary shapes we as humans have invented to help us navigate the night sky. Therefore, the constellations they create are equally as valid!
Rocket mouse is a really great simple experiment for junior classes. I like how you introduced the materials first without an initial prompt, keeping them curious and thinking!
I love how you describe this lesson Jenny. It is so important to encourage children’s scientific skills and allow them to feel like little scientists, figuring things out on their own.
Jane- it sounds like your school does an amazing effort for Space Week and we love to hear that. I’m glad to hear you were one of the lucky schools to get a visit from Steve, he is so good at engaging the children with his stories from the International Space Station. I especially like how you do a school wide rocket launch and open day. Great work!