[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi Helen, this is a super book and all of his videos are excellent to use as a stimulus. I have used his videos quite a bit during Space week and they really start some great conversations.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

HI Mary, this is sounds like a great lesson. It  would be great to do with a few different liquids and tablets to see the difference. I have done the coke and mentos experiment before and we used different fizzy drinks to see which made the best explosion. The children were really engaged. Definitely a lesson for outside though!

[Jennifer Hanlon]

I have decided to base this assignment on building rockets with junior infants. This is a continuation on our theme of space and it will be delivered through a series of hands on, play and inquiry based lessons.
Prior Learning
The children have already explored:
•The Solar System and the eight planets.
•The Moon and the Moon landing.
•Neil Armstrong as the first person to walk on the Moon.
•The International Space Station (ISS) as a home and workplace for astronauts in space.
•The Artemis II mission and how astronauts are preparing to travel around the Moon again.
•Why rockets are needed to travel into space.

Learning Objectives-
WALT
•To recall what we know about rockets and space travel.
•To investigate what makes a good rocket.
•To design and build our own rocket.
•To explain our ideas using scientific language.

The children should be enabled to:
•Recall why astronauts use rockets.
•Talk about the ISS and Artemis II.
•Design and build a rocket.
•Test and improve their rocket.
•Explain their thinking.

Stimulus for the lessons-
The picture book The Way Back Home – Oliver Jeffers and Videos (Short Clips) Chris Hadfield:
•Preparing for a rocket launch
•Living on the International Space Station
•Floating in space (age-appropriate clips)

Materials
•Cardboard tubes, Coloured card, Foil, Paper, Tape, Glue, Scissors, Recycled material, Stickers, Straws (optional for paper rocket launchers), LEGO or blocks (Construction Area)

Story Stimulus
Read The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers.
Pause during the story to ask:
•Where is the boy travelling?
•How did he get there?
•Why did his rocket stop working?
•How did he solve the problem?
•Why are rockets important?
Discuss how rockets help people explore places that are very far away.

Show photographs of:
•The International Space Station
•Artemis II
•A rocket launch
Ask:
•What do you remember about the ISS?
•Why do astronauts go there?
•What do astronauts do inside the ISS?
•What do you remember about Artemis II?
•Where will Artemis II travel?
•How do astronauts get there?

What makes a rocket able to travel into space?
Allow children to discuss with a partner.
Possible prompts:
•Does it need to be tall?
•Does it need a pointy top?
•Why?
•What might happen if it had no engines?
•Why does it need to be strong?
Encourage children to justify their thinking before building.

Design Challenge
Can you build a rocket for the Artemis II astronauts?
Children work in small groups.
Before building, encourage them to think like engineers:
•What shape will your rocket be?
•How many windows will it have?
•Where will the astronauts sit?
•How will it blast off?
•What will make it strong?

Children use recycled materials to create their rockets. Test and Improve
If using paper or straw rockets:
Children investigate:
•Which rocket flies the furthest?
•What happens if we make it taller?
•What happens if we change the size of the fins?
•Which design is the most stable?

Teacher prompts:
•What worked well?
•What would you change?
•Why do you think your rocket travelled that far?
Emphasise that engineers often improve their designs after testing them.

Aistear Integration
Role Play – Mission Control
Set up a Mission Control area with:
•Headsets
•Clipboards
•Maps
•Toy rockets
•Countdown cards
•Photographs of the ISS and Artemis II

Children become:
•Astronauts
•Engineers
•Mission Controllers
Mission:
Prepare Artemis II for launch.
Teacher prompts:
•Is everyone ready for launch?
•What equipment do the astronauts need?
•Where are we travelling today?
•What jobs do the engineers have?

Construction Area
Challenge:
Build:
•A rocket
•A launch pad
•The International Space Station
Using:
•LEGO, Wooden blocks, Magnetic tiles, Loose parts

Small World Play
Provide:
•Toy astronauts, Rockets, Planets, Moon, ISS, Aliens (optional for imaginative play)
Children create their own space adventures inspired by previous learning.

Gather around the finished rockets.
Invite each group to share:
•What is your rocket called?
•Where is it travelling?
•What makes it a good rocket?
•What would you change next time?
Finish by watching a short Chris Hadfield clip of astronauts floating aboard the ISS and ask:
•What did you notice?
•How is the real rocket similar to the one you built?
•What would you pack if you were travelling on Artemis II?

Assess if the children can-
✔ Recall prior learning about the ISS and Artemis II.
✔ Use vocabulary such as rocket, launch, astronaut, ISS, Artemis II, and engine.
✔ Participate in collaborative problem-solving.
✔ Explain the choices they made when building their rocket.
✔ Reflect on how they could improve their design after testing.

Extension Activities
Rocket Launch Investigation
Use balloon-powered or straw rockets outdoors. Children predict, test, measure, and improve their rocket designs.
Class Book
Create a class book titled “Our Rockets to Space”. The aliens that were created previously could be added to the book.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

I have junior infants next year and I would like to explore the idea of where we live and bring to their awareness that we are part of a much bigger picture and how important it is, even in Junior infants to be mindful of the difference we can make even in the smallest of actions. I think that from an early age they should realise the importance of being responsible, accountable citizens.

This is my lesson plan for Junior Infants Lesson Plan: Where Do We Live?
Theme: Myself and the World – Our Place in the World
Duration: 2-3 lessons of 30-40 mins long

The stimulus would be -Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
Children have already explored:
•The Solar System
•The eight planets
•Earth as one of the planets
•The characteristics of different planets (hot, cold, rocky, gas giants)
Learning objectives
WALT
•To understand where we live, from our home to our planet.
•To recognise that people live in different places.
•To understand that Earth is our home.
•To ask questions about our world.
At the end of the lessons should have the confidence to-
•Name where they live.
•Explain that Earth is our home planet.
•Compare different places where people live.
•Ask questions about our world.
•Share ideas through play and art.

Read Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers.
Pause throughout the story to discuss the illustrations and ask open-ended questions.
Possible questions:
•What do you notice about our planet?
•Why do you think Oliver Jeffers says to “look after Earth”?
•What different places can you see?
•Can you find somewhere that looks like where we live?
•How are all the people in the book the same? How are they different?
Explain:
“Oliver Jeffers reminds us that even though we all live in different houses, towns and countries, we all share one very special home—Planet Earth.”
Discuss in groups: My House, My School, My Neighbourhood, County, Country, Continent, Planet Earth. These details may need to be scaffolded by the teacher using the globe, maps and pictures of Ireland and Europe.
Ask:
•Where do you wake up every morning?
•Where do you come to school?
•What places do you pass on the way?
•What county do we live in?
•What country do we live in?
•What planet do we live on?

Explore Different Places
Show photographs of:
•Rural Ireland
•Busy cities
•Beaches
•Mountains
•Forests
•Deserts
•Snowy places
•Rainforests
Ask children:
•What do you notice?
•Which place looks like where we live/ which is very different?
•Which place would you like to visit? Have you been to somewhere like this?
•What would you need to live there?
Discuss how people around the world live in many different environments.

Big Inquiry Question-Why do we live on Earth and nowhere else?
Allow children to think and talk with a partner before sharing ideas.
Possible prompts:
•What do people need to stay alive?
•Can we breathe on the Moon? why not
•Could we live on the Sun?why not
•What makes Earth special?
•What would happen if there was no water?
•What would happen if there were no plants?
Together, build a simple mind map around “Earth is our Home”.
Children may identify that Earth has: Air, Water, Food, Animals, Plants, the right temperature, homes for people
Explain that scientists continue to explore space, but Earth is the only planet we know where people can live naturally.
________________________________________
5. Aistear (15–20 minutes)
🏗 Construction Area
Challenge:
Can you build our community?
Children build:
•Houses
•School
•Park
•Roads
•Shops

Role Play
Travel Around the World
Create a travel centre.
Children “visit” different environments using photographs.
They pack a suitcase.
Discuss:
“What would you need if you were visiting somewhere very cold?”
“What would you wear in the desert?”

Small World- using the following
•Globe
•Maps
•Toy people, vehicles and hosues
Children explore where people might live.

Finish by rereading the final page of Here We Are, reminding the children that everyone belongs on Earth and that we all have a responsibility to care for it.
Assessment
Observe whether children can:
•Describe where they live using simple geographical language.
•Explain that Earth is our home planet.
•Compare different environments.
•Ask thoughtful questions about the world.
•Participate in discussions and Aistear play.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi Laura, thanks for sharing those lovely ideas especially that lovely book I had never heard of it but one that I will be adding to my library.

I am having issues typing in the reply box to the tutor so I am hoping this will work as it will not let me type when I hit reply and it also wont let me copy and paste direct from Word into the assignment reply box. I was able to reply to your message so I have just copied and paste my word doc here.
This is my lesson plan for Junior Infants based on Space & Aliens

Theme: Space – Aliens and Imaginary Planets
Duration: 2-3 30min lessons

Prior Learning
Children have already explored:

* The eight planets in the Solar System.
* The size of each planet and where they are in relation to the sun.
* Which planets are hot, cold, rocky or made of gas.

Learning objectives-

WALT-

* Use what we know about planets to imagine new ones.
* Ask questions and share our ideas.
* Create an alien or a new planet using our imagination

After the lesson can the children:

* Share what they know about planets.
* Ask questions about aliens and space.
* Design an alien or a new planet and describe where it would sit in our solar system
* Explain their ideas to the class.

Inquiry-Based Learning- Gather the children on the carpet and ask:

* Do you think aliens are real?
* If there were aliens, where might they live?
* Could an alien live on Mercury? Why or why not?
* Which planet would be the best home for an alien?
* If you could invent a brand-new planet, what would it be like?

Record children’s ideas on a large sheet of paper.

Emphasise that scientists have not found any aliens so we are going to use our imaginations while thinking about what we already know about planets.

Revise the planets using picture cards.

Ask questions such as:

* Which planet is the hottest?
* Which planet is the biggest?
* Which planet is very cold?
* Which planet has rings?

Then ask: If you were an alien, would you like to live on one of these planets, or would you create your own?”
Option 1: Alien Passport
Children invent an alien and complete a simple passport. The passport would include teh following the children could present their alien to the class.
* My alien’s name is…
* My planet is…
* My favourite food is…
* My alien looks like…
* My alien can…
* Draw a picture.
Option 2: Design a New Planet

Children create their own planet, including details like-
Is it hot or cold?
Where is it in the solar system relative to the other planets?
What colour is it?
What grows there?
Who lives there?
Draw and decorate the planet.
( I have used the Quiver app before and the children can colour in the circle and when you use the app it makes their creation 3d and jump off the page.)

Aistear Integration
Role Play – Space Travel Agency

Children:

* Become astronauts.
* Visit each other’s planets.
* Show their passports.
* Explain what their planet is like.

Teacher prompts:

* Tell me about your planet.
* What do your aliens eat?
* How do visitors travel there?

Construction

Challenge:
Can you build your alien’s home using blocks or recycled materials?

Small World- use Space figures, rockets, planets( different size and coloured balls) and loose parts and the children create stories about visiting each other’s planets.

Children sit in a circle and share:

* What is your planet called?
* Why would an alien like living there?
* What is one interesting thing about your alien?

Finish by asking:

If scientists discovered your planet one day, what would they find there?

This encourages children to combine scientific understanding (hot/cold planets, habitats, size) with creativity and imagination.

Observe whether children can:

* Recall facts about the planets.
* Use prior knowledge to justify their ideas (e.g. My alien lives on an icy planet because it likes the cold, it is far from the sun)
* Ask questions and contribute to discussions.
* Explain their creations using appropriate space vocabulary.

This lesson builds on the children’s existing knowledge of the Solar System while encouraging inquiry, imagination, and problem-solving. Rather than asking, “What do aliens look like?”, it invites them to think more deeply: “What kind of planet would an alien need to survive?” This helps them apply what they have already learned about different planetary environments in a creative and meaningful way.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi Elaine, this would be a super lesson for space week. It sounds really engaging and I could see how the infants would be so excited by this. This is something that I will try with my incoming infants. Thank you for sharing.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi Shauna, thank yoyu for sharing your lovely ideas. I love the story How to catch a star by Oliver Jeffers. It is a great story with simple illustrations. His other story Here we are is another great resource as a stimulus would be another good option.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Doireann thank you for that super idea with the vaseline. I will definitely be using that when we cover penguins in November.

 

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi Sarah, this is so detailed and I feel the children would  be so engaged that you would definitely get a few lessons out of this. Depending on their level they could even write their own stories about the alien they imagine. As I have infants we could certainly do this as a whole class. You could break it up into four different headings, what the planet is like where the alien comes from, what  the alien looks like, what he likes do do/eat , and even draw a comparison on the aliens side and see what the alien thinks of earth and how he sees us.

The children cold create/draw a picture of these and then even make the alien out of clay or recycled items. Modelling writing a story on this character, setting and problem and solution headings would also be a fun activity. The class could work collaboratively to write the story and then they could all be the illustrators. There is so much cross curricular potential here. Thank you for sharing.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Louise I love this idea with ordering the planets. This could also be done in the Junior classes. I often do this with numbers, firstly 1-5 then 1-10. Doingthis with the planets would be a great way of getting the children to put them in the correct order from the sun and then you could incorporate maths language, which planet is the first, the third etc. from the sun. I was also thinking about using it in PE and using hula hoops to arrange the planets. Thank you for sharing this.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

This is a junior infant lesson is centered on inquiry rather than simply giving facts. The children are encouraged to ask questions, make predictions, investigate through hands-on experiences, discuss their observations, and reflect on their learning.

Junior Infants Lesson Plan – The Moon, the Moon Landing & Neil Armstrong
Theme: Space – The Moon
Class Level: Junior Infants
Duration: 45–60 minutes ( this could be broken up over 2/3 lessons depending on the level of engagement)

WALT-
•To find out about the Moon.
•To learn who Neil Armstrong was.
•To ask questions and share our ideas.

After the lessons can the children-
•Talk about the Moon.
•Share something they already know.
•Explain that Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon.
•Create a piece of Moon-inspired artwork.

Introduction (Inquiry-Based Learning)
Show a photograph of the Moon and ask:
•What do you see?
•What do you already know about the Moon?
•Have you ever seen the Moon?
•What do you wonder about the Moon?
•Why does the Moon shine?
•Can people live there?
•Why does it have holes?
•Is it made of cheese?
Encourage all ideas without immediately giving answers.

Show a picture of Neil Armstrong. Ask who he is what do the children think he did?
Explain
“A long time ago, in 1969, Neil Armstrong travelled in a rocket to the Moon. He became the first person to walk on the Moon. He wore a special spacesuit because there is no air on the Moon.
Read ‘Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Discuss:
How did Neil Armstrong get to the Moon?
What would it feel like to walk on the Moon?
Why did he need a spacesuit?

Investigation
Question:
What is the Moon’s surface like?
Moon Crater Investigation
Materials
•Tray
•Flour
•Cocoa powder
•Marbles
The children must
•Predict what will happen when a marble is dropped.
•Drop the marble into the tray.
•Observe the crater that forms.
Discuss:
•What happened?
•Which marble made the biggest crater?
•Why do you think that happened?
Children draw what they observed

Aistear Integration the children can rotate this activity during the week
Role Play – Mission to the Moon
Create a Space Station with:
•Helmets
•Clipboards
•Maps
•Toy rockets
•Astronaut badges
Mission:
“Travel to the Moon like Neil Armstrong.”
Children pretend to:
•Launch the rocket.
•Walk on the Moon.
•Collect Moon rocks.
•Report back to Mission Control.

Construction Area
Challenge:
Can you build a rocket that will take Neil Armstrong to the Moon?
Materials:
•LEGO
•Blocks
•Recycled boxes
•Tubes

Small World
Provide:
•Toy astronauts
•Rockets
Rocks
Children create their own Moon adventure stories.
Ask:
• What did we learn today?
• Who was Neil Armstrong?
• What did we discover about the Moon?
• What new questions do we have?
Record any new wonder questions.

Assessment
Observe whether children can:
• Participate in discussions.
• Ask questions.
• Use vocabulary such as Moon, rocket, astronaut and crater.
• Explain that Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon.
• Engage in role play and investigations.

Resources
• Photograph of the Moon
• Photograph of Neil Armstrong
• Picture book (Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me or Mae Among the Stars)
• Tray, flour, cocoa powder, marbles
• Paper plates, grey paint, bubble wrap
• LEGO/blocks/recycled materials
• Toy astronauts and rockets
• Wonder Wall (chart paper or display board)

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Alyson, I love the idea with the Oreos. This would be a super lesson. Tasty maths is always a big hit when teaching patterns, or data so I think this would be a lovely idea for the moon lesson.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

This is my mind map and the topics I would like to cover based on Space for junior infants.

The sun- a giant ball of gas

• Gives us light and heat
• Very hot
• Centre of the Solar System
• Day and night

Planets-  Earth is our home

• There are 8 planets
• Planets are different sizes and colours
• Some are rocky, some are gas giants

The Moon- different shapes

• Craters
• Orbits Earth
• We see it mostly at night

Stars & Space-Stars are far away suns
• Constellations
• Galaxies
• Meteors, comets and asteroids

Astronauts-Clips from Chris Hadfield, first man on the moon facts

• What do astronauts wear?
• How do they live in space?
• What jobs do astronauts do?
• International Space Station

Rockets and space travel- Clips from ISS, Artemis II facts and clips

• How rockets launch
• Satellites
• Space exploration
• Landing on the Moon, Neill Armstrong

Questions-What is space?
• Why does the Moon change shape?
• Why can’t we see stars during the day?
• How do astronauts breathe?
• Could people live on another planet?
• How do rockets fly?

STEM challenges-

• Design and test a paper rocket.
• Make Moon craters using flour and marbles.
• Build a Moon buggy from LEGO or junk materials.
• Design a home for astronauts on Mars.
• Test which materials keep an ice cube cold (space suit investigation).
• Explore shadows using torches and the Sun.
• Build a parachute to help an astronaut land safely.

Creative Activities- within Art

• Sponge-paint planets.
• Create galaxy art.
• Make foil Moon pictures.
• Build rockets from recycled materials.
• Create constellation pictures.

Aistear

• Mission Control
• Rocket launch centre
• Astronaut training camp/space station role play
• Planet exploration small world play

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Louise, I love all these space ideas they are super and adaptable for the younger classes  too. During Space Week I love looking at the different planets, discussing rockets, astronauts, looking at videos from the ISS, creating our own rockets using a variety of materials, even coming up with our own planets, designing aliens that could live on this planets with their own passports. There is so many things to explore with this topic and it really captures the children’s attention. We work collaboratively and I enjoy listening to the conversations on how and what way to design  the different space related creations.

[Jennifer Hanlon]

Hi my name is Jenny and I am teaching Junior Infants. We participate in Science week, World Earth Day activities and Space Week and I feel that I do loads of Science and STEM activities especially during these weeks which the children love. But I am a looking forward to gaining some new ideas, hand on and inquiry based lessons after completing this course.

[Author]

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