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I think this would be a fun and memorable investigation for young learners, as the unexpected “dancing” raisins are sure to cause real excitement and curiosity. It is great to see how naturally the activity follows the ESERO inquiry framework.
Hi Kevin, this is a great example of how digital technology can enhance children’s understanding of concepts that are difficult to experience directly. I particularly like the potential for children to observe changes over time, recognise patterns and compare what they see at different times of the year.
This sounds great Joe, I particularly like how this activity places curiosity and questioning at the center of the learning experience. The mystery box provides a meaningful stimulus that encourages your young learners to wonder, predict and communicate their ideas before investigating further!
This sounds great Karen, I can see how you’re using space as an overarching theme for your childrens learning, and integrating STEM across a variety of different subjects. This is such an organic way to explore learning.
Activity
Engage: I would begin by showing the children images of different spacecrafts and posing the challenge: “Can you design and build a spacecraft that could travel into space?” I would provide a selection of materials such as cardboard, foil, paper, plastic containers, straws and fabric for children to explore, bend, squeeze and compare.
Predict: Children could draw their initial design and predict which materials would be most suitable. I would encourage them to consider properties such as strength, flexibility, weight and shape, explaining why they have chosen particular materials.
Investigate: Children would construct their spacecraft using their chosen materials. Through building and testing, they could discover that some materials are stronger, lighter or easier to join than others. I would encourage children to modify their designs and reconsider their material choices when difficulties arise.
Conclude: Children would have the opportunity to each share their spacecraft and explain the materials they selected and why. I feel this open-ended enquiry would encourage children to understand that investigating materials helps engineers make informed design choices, while developing creativity, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Activity set: Where do you live (STEM/SEE Integration)
Engage: I would gather the children around our model village and encourage them to look closely at what we have created. Together, we would discuss what people need in a village, creating a needs and wants list. To add excitement, I would announce that an alien family from outer space is moving into our village and needs our help! I would ask the children to predict what the alien family might need to live safely and happily on Earth. What advice would we give them? Children could consider food, water, shelter, transport and places to play.
Investigate: Working collaboratively, children could draw and label the resources the aliens will need or design and construct a suitable house for them. They could identify features missing from our village and create models to add to it.
Share/Conclude: Groups would present their designs and explain their choices. I feel this playful investigation would develop problem-solving, creativity and communication while supporting geographical understanding of settlements, resources, human needs and our dependence on the environment.
Activity set: Stars
Engage: I would begin by darkening the classroom and projecting an image of a starry night sky. I would ask the children what they notice and wonder if they can see any pictures or patterns hidden among the stars. I feel this would create a sense of wonder and encourage children to share their existing knowledge about stars and space.
Investigate: I would introduce some simple constellations and explain that people have used their imaginations to create pictures by joining stars together. In pairs, children could create their own constellation using star stickers or counters. To incorporate Maths, they would count the stars, compare quantities and explore positional language such as above, below, beside and between. They could then join the stars using straight lines and name their constellation.
Review: We would display our constellations and discuss the different patterns created. Children could describe their constellation using mathematical language and compare it with others. I feel this activity would provide a playful, meaningful way to integrate early Maths, Science, creativity and communication.
Activity set: The sun and shadows
Engage: I would hook the children by drawing an outline of a person and hang it on the classroom wall. Using appropriate lighting, they could each have a turn trying to fit their shadow into thay outline! This would open up a discussion about how shadows are created, how they move etc. Taking their thoughts and predictions on board, we would then investigate further.
Investigte: what causes a shadow to move, the moving object or moving light source? The children could trace their shadows in the yard, and revisit them at different points in the day to explore change. Investigate exactly what is moving to cause this change. We would also create a sun dial. Indoors, we would use a torch and objects, moving the torch to investigate how this affects the shodow of the object. I would encourage children to predict outcome before experimenting.
Reflect: we would discuss our predictions and observations. Children would be encouraged to explain what they noticed about shadow movement, size and distance from light. These activities would make an abstract scientific concept more accessible while developing their skills in questioning, wondering, predicting and observing.
Hi Michelle, this sounds like a dream lesson for the kids. Super fun, lots of learning, and from a teachers perspective, Multi facated, language rich, collaborative learning. Love this and will try it myself!
Enquiry based Stem activity: water behaviour and movement
Engage: spill a small amount of water “accidently” on the floor, with children gathered around. Dicuss how easy it is to clean up, take some idea on what they might use to clean up. Now going to pretend this happened while in a space craft. Children to predict whether the water would float, separate, change shape etc.
Investigate: explain that we have gravity on earth, so the water will not float, but let’s explore how water might behave as it lands on different surfaces. Using droppers, children observe the Shape of droplets as they fall on cardboard, plastic etc. can they separate or combine them? On which material does water stay as a droplet? Compare their droplets with floating droplets in space considering shape, size etc.
Review: discuss observations. Ask What shape were our droplets, could you move them around, seperate them. What shape might they form if they floated around as they would in space? Revisit original predictions.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Conclusion:explain that in space, astronauts experience microgravity, so water droplets float as rounded. Blobs. Watch video. Children draw 2 droplets, on on a surface and one floating droplet. Compare and contrast.</p>
