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Class plan for Space Week
I plan to use the following resources and activities to engage with Space Week with my group this year:Gravity & Forces (Module 1): Using the Curious Minds planning guide, pupils begin with open-ended drop investigations using a variety of objects to build predicting and recording skills.
The Moon & Cycles (Module 2): Observing monthly lunar phases over four weeks and sculpting 3D moon models, supported by vocabulary word banks (e.g., crescent, full moon).
Space & Aliens (Module 3): Adapting the ‘Design a Martian’ task from the Mars Classroom Booklet by combining 2D shape identification in Maths with tactile play-doh/clay construction in Science.
Digital Sky Exploration (Module 4): Utilizing Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard and school iPads to track constellations like the Plough and predict night-sky movements.
I also plan to use Stellarium with my group – it’s an excellent resource I wasn’t familiar with before this course.
Online resources & tools
I plan to use Stellarium as an interactive tool to support the Earth and Space strand of the Science curriculum. I will first demonstrate how to use Stellarium with the interactive whiteboard and as a group we will explore the stars, planets and constellations that are able to be seen with it. Students will then be able to explore on their own or in small groups using school iPads. To build ‘Working Scientifically’ skills, I will have pupils observe the current night sky, locate key constellations (such as the Plough or Orion), and predict how their positions will change over hours, months, or seasons. We can then fast-forward time within Stellarium to test their predictions directly. In small groups, children will take on the role of “space researchers.” They will use tablets to select a planet or constellation, track its movement across different times of the year, and take screenshots to annotate on their devices. They will then present their findings to the class, using the software to explain sky patterns, daylight variation, and seasonal shifts.Activity Set – Space and Aliens
I have chosen the Space and Aliens activity set, focusing on the Design a Martian task from the Mars Classroom Resource Booklet. I plan to adapt this activity for my group by integrating it with Maths (2D Shapes) and Science (Living Things & Habitats).
I would prompt discussion and engage interest with open questions about what Mars would be like to live on, and how a creature would survive on Mars. Students would then draw their ‘martians’ using 2D shapes, before constructing their alien using play doh, fabric, junk art or clay. Students would record how many of each 2D shape they used and notice the 2D shapes that their peers used in their design, and we would have a guided reflective discussion of each alien.I would choose Activity Set: The Moon to explore astronomy with a junior class, specifically integrating What Does the Moon Look Like? and The Multicultural Moon. The Moon provides an ideal introductory topic because its regular monthly cycle is visible, accessible, and familiar to young children. We would start with observing the moon over a four week period, and the students would draw or record their observations over this time. I would scaffold their learning with word banks and vocabulary related to the topic (e.g. crescent, full moon, quarter, new moon). This could be integrated with art by having the students create their own moon using clay, paper, or other 3D art materials.
Lovely idea to have the children design a raincoat for a favourite toy, it’s a nice way to boost engagement and interest especially in the younger classes.
That’s a fun fact about Venus Treasa, I’ll be using that one next time I need a space fact! And you’re right, it could prompt great discussion and thinking about time and space.
Hi, I’m Jessica and I’m a primary SET. My favourite space fact (in the words of a former pupil) is that pulsars “like to hang out together and emit beams of light” in space!
For my inquiry based activity I would use the Curious Minds Planning guide and ESERO resources on gravity to plan a lesson investigating the force of gravity. I would use one of the example prompts (e.g. ‘accidentally’ dropping something) and start a discussion with my group with open ended questions e.g. What happens when you drop something? Does it matter where you are? What the objects are? I would then provide a range of objects of different sizes and weights and guide the activity with the question “What will happen if we drop different objects from the same height?”. I’ll allow for prediction and discussion of how we will conduct this activity, before commencing and recording our findings. Afterwards, I would guide discussion of what we found.I like the song and literature suggestions you’ve made, they link well with the themes from this course.
Describe how you could implement a version of “Design Your own Dark Sky place” in your school/classroom?
I would use a role play design challenge to implement my version of “Design your own Dark Sky place”. We would discuss the ‘problem’/challenge as a group and explore some of the resources together. Then, each child or group would be assigned a role as a ‘stakeholder’, e.g. light designers, local residents, conservation rangers, and visiting stargazers, and explore different perspectives on night-time illumination and biodiversity.
Next, working in small groups, pupils would map out an idealised Dark Sky site. They would design fully shielded, warm toned lighting, construct visitor information brochures detailing nocturnal wildlife, and write stargazing equipment lists.
Finally, the class would evaluate their designs against sustainability goals, considering how shielded lighting reduces energy waste and restores natural day-night cycles.
Great idea linking in the ‘minibeast hunt’ to the plan – it’s a good practical way to begin the discussion of what local insects and animals are in the area.
How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans:
To support nocturnal species in our school biodiversity plan, I would focus on a great resource in my school, our garden. First, we could carry out a student-led lighting audit of the school grounds to map out exterior lights. Pupils could research how artificial light disrupts nocturnal wildlife like bats and moths, and we could advocate for fitting outdoor lights with downward shields, using warm-toned LED bulbs, and placing non-essential lights on motion sensors or timers.
In the school garden, we could plant night-blooming and heavily scented native flowers such as honeysuckle, evening primrose, and jasmine to attract night-flying pollinators like moths. We could also work with local groups to install bat boxes and log piles in darker, shaded corners away from security lights to give bats and hedgehogs safe resting and foraging spaces.Finally, we could use resources from Bat Conservation Ireland and maps from Biodiversity Ireland to learn about local species, encouraging children to log sightings or participate in simple citizen science projects.
