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My favourite space fact is the earth is perfect temperature to support human life, exact position from the sun to not freeze or burn us. I love that we were designed to live here.i love looking at the different planets with the children and still finding the best mnemonic to remember them without my dwarf friend Pluto. Anyway, I digress. One of my favourite inquiry based science lessons this year was on magnets. I am fortunate enough to have junior Infants to first class work in groups to discover items in the classroom that were magnetic. We had so many questions why did it stick tl the radiator but not my book? We loved uisng different learning environments in relation to the revised curriculum inside our classroom, hall, kitchen and outside to discover items that were magnetic or not magnetic. We then discovered what happened if we had a piece of paper with the item.on top and magnet underneath it. We then used hula hoops to show items that are magnetic and those that are not. We used iron filings also. The children tried to put some magnets together but learned if put some ways they repel they dont stick together and set a challenge to put them on the stick so they would stick to each other. Im not sure how stem will offer opportunities to build on learning experience as they go up the classes eg instead of some topics being taught and expanded on they only appear once in the revised curriculum and not revisited.
That is a super idea. I did likewise but had to be so careful as only some of our playdough boats floated depending how they shaped them and how hollow they were like a clay pinch pot.that in itself was a learning curve.
A few times diffit has come up in the forum so I think i will try it and see. Khan academy and magic school were the two I hacs focused on most this week and last. I think practice will help ne.
Yes i set it up to try it amd certainly easy to follow guidelines and the task themselves easy to follow if teacher with another group.
Yes i really liked it when I downloaded it smd set up profile for child in my class.i could see how she could completd a task independently while the others do some written tasks and then swap groups.
I enjoyed the Ted talk in this module but on one hand they dismissed AI taking over but shortly after she talked about programmes like Duolingo using AI more and sadly from April this year Duolingo has set to reduce its human taskforce to be replaced by AI contractors. We need to get the balance correct. Also my daughter has explained some of the environmental impacts of me taking this course and how much water is used etc by asking AI questions.
Thanks I really need to try this accelerator reading coach and investigate the Microsoft options. I know cost will be a big issue for schools though as Microsoft programme can be expensive.
I have a lot of ideas to expand this sample lesson will give you good starting ideas but my own creativity will bring it to life. Eg for junior classes I like a lot more hands on eg play dough spiders. Ive never used AI deliberately before this course and I’ve got user to it over the last few weeks. Some things I’ve learned to adjust, one day id asked for ideas for lesson in Irish primary school classroom and he gave me Irish language ideas so I explained no it was a classroom in Ireland but he said he’ll learn. Also he had the american Itsy Bitsy spider instead of incy wincy and he never seems to suggest Little Miss Muffet as spider related but when I explained to him in Ireland we say incy wincy spider he said he would learn for next time. As you can see from the lesson below he hasn’t yet but he will. My prompt was general I didn’t specify an English/ literacy or Sese etc so im happy with the help. I used magic school to create a quiz based on YouTube video on spiders and its transcribe.having seem the twinkl i maybe can just use that . The children will write about their own spider and the Junior classes will write a class story with me. Then I can’t wait to create an image from the characters based on their description.
Spider Lesson Plan: Exploring Our Eight-Legged Friends
Target Audience: Junior Infants, Senior Infants, First Class
Time Allotment: 45-60 minutes (can be adapted and extended over several sessions)
Curriculum Links:
* SESE (Science): Living Things (minibeasts, habitats, life cycles – simplified), Environmental Awareness & Care
* Visual Arts: Drawing, construction, imaginative play
* Language (English/Gaeilge): Oral language development, vocabulary, story, poetry, simple factual writing
* Maths: Counting, sorting, patterns (e.g., number of legs)
Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:
* Identify some key features of a spider (8 legs, body parts).
* Understand that spiders are not insects.
* Recognise that spiders are part of the natural world and have a role to play.
* Develop an appreciation for spiders (reducing fear/misconceptions).
* Use new vocabulary related to spiders.
* Engage in creative and observational activities.
Materials:
* Picture books about spiders (e.g., “The Very Busy Spider” by Eric Carle, “Anansi the Spider” stories, non-fiction books)
* Pictures/posters of various spiders (safe, common ones found in Ireland)
* Plastic/toy spiders (optional, for hands-on exploration)
* Whiteboard/flipchart and markers
* Construction paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, wool/string (for craft)
* Crayons/colouring pencils
* Worksheet with simple spider outline for drawing/labelling (optional)
* Web-like material (e.g., netting, string across a corner, for role-play)
* Music for a “spider dance” (optional)
Lesson Procedure:
1. Hook & Prior Knowledge (10 minutes)
* Introduction: “Good morning everyone! Today we’re going to learn about some very interesting creatures that live all around us, even if we don’t always see them. They have lots of legs and can make amazing homes!”
* Brainstorm/KWL (Know-Want to Know-Learned – simplified): “What do you already know about spiders? What do they look like? Where do they live? (Record ideas on the board – focus on respectful language). Does anyone feel a bit scared of spiders? That’s okay, we’re going to learn about them and see how amazing they are!”
* “Show and Tell”: Show a picture of a friendly-looking spider. “Look at this spider! What do you notice?”
2. Discovering Spiders (15 minutes)
* Read Aloud: Read a chosen picture book about spiders. “The Very Busy Spider” is excellent for introducing web-spinning and a spider’s work. For First Class, a simple non-fiction book might also be suitable to introduce facts.
* Key Features Discussion:
* Body Parts: “Spiders have two main body parts: the cephalothorax (head and chest joined) and the abdomen (the back part).” Use the pictures to point these out.
* Legs: “How many legs does a spider have? Let’s count them! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Yes, spiders have 8 legs. This is how we know they are not insects, because insects have 6 legs.” (Reinforce this difference).
* Eyes: “Most spiders have 8 eyes too, but they are very tiny!” (Optional, for First Class).
* Webs: “What do spiders use their silk for? To build amazing webs to catch their food!” Show pictures of different types of webs. “Are all webs the same?” (Some are sheet-like, some are orb-like).
* Food: “What do spiders eat? They eat insects, like flies and mosquitoes. This helps us by getting rid of pests!”
* Habitat: “Where do spiders live? They live in our gardens, in our houses, in trees, and even under rocks!”
* Vocabulary: Introduce and repeat words like: spider, web, silk, legs, eyes, abdomen, cephalothorax, catch, insect. (Gaeilge: damhán alla, líon, cosa)
3. Creative Exploration & Activities (15-20 minutes)
* Spider Craft:
* Junior/Senior Infants: Provide pre-cut body shapes (two circles/ovals). Children attach 8 pipe cleaners as legs, add googly eyes, and draw a mouth. They can also glue small pieces of wool/string on their “web” paper.
* First Class: Children can draw and cut out their own spider shapes. They can draw the two body parts and then attach pipe cleaners. Encourage them to draw a web around their spider.
* “Spider Counting” Activity: Count the legs on their crafted spiders. Count pictures of spiders. “If we have 3 spiders, how many legs altogether?” (Simple addition for First Class).
* Role-Play/Movement:
* “Spider Dance”: Play some music and encourage children to move like spiders, crawling and making web-like movements with their arms.
* “Building a Web”: Use string or netting to create a “web” in a corner of the room. Children can pretend to be spiders building their web or even small “flies” trying to avoid it.
* “Spider Facts” Worksheet (First Class): Provide a simple worksheet with a spider outline. Children can label the 8 legs and the two body parts. They could also write one simple fact they learned about spiders (e.g., “Spiders have 8 legs.”).
4. Consolidation & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
* Review: “What are two new things you learned about spiders today?” “How many legs do spiders have?” “Are spiders insects?”
* Positive Reinforcement: “Spiders are amazing creatures that help us by eating pesky insects! We should respect them and not hurt them.”
* Song/Poem (Optional): Sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or recite a simple spider poem.
* Extension: Encourage children to look for spiders (safely, with an adult) in their garden or at home and observe them.
Differentiation:
* Junior Infants: Focus on 8 legs, two body parts (simplified), web, and general appreciation. More sensory activities, simpler craft.
* Senior Infants: Introduce basic vocabulary, simple counting, and a slightly more detailed craft. Begin to differentiate spiders from insects.
* First Class: Introduce more factual information (e.g., purpose of silk, different web types), encourage independent drawing/writing, more complex counting/addition problems, and detailed discussion about the spider’s role in the ecosystem.
Assessment (Informal):
* Observe participation in discussions.
* Note correct use of vocabulary.
* Assess understanding during craft activity (e.g., correct number of legs).
* Review completed worksheets (for First Class).
* Listen for accurate answers during the review.
Extension Activities for Future Sessions:
* Art: Create different types of spider webs using various materials (wool, paint, string).
* Drama: Create a short play about a spider building a web or catching an insect.
* Literacy: Write a collaborative class story about a spider. Research different types of spiders (age-appropriate).
* Numeracy: Create spider-themed counting games or number lines.
* SESE: Go on a “spider hunt” in the schoolyard (observation only, no touching). Discuss spider habitats in more detail.
This lesson plan aims to be engaging, educational, and reduce any fear of spiders by focusing on their fascinating characteristics and their important role in nature. Remember to be enthusiastic and model a positive attitude towards these often misunderstood creatures!
I love your buddy system of the senior students helping with junior end for IT. We do it for other parts of the curriculum so this would be a great idea.
I also want to try this and use it in my classroom. I was hoping to sign up but needed a few more details before I could do that. With the other apps it just needed my email address etc which again safety wise I want to be clear who what they do with my information not just my class information.
Thanks for another informative module and being aware of the ethics involved so important and glad Unicef and others are also keeping everyone aware.in other modules I’d heard khan academy but had never used it so after being referred to again I decided to set up an account. I could choose the children involved and then suitable level for them. I think it would be good to use it in my class as a differentiation tool at the moment and work with small groups to see how we can use it. Lack of resources in a classroom can really impact how we will implement some of these but working with small group will help. It was easy to use, to complete the task independently and as multi grade teacher if I’d to leave that group to help another child the instructions in the task I followed were clear and easy to work independently. I had decided I liked the osmo one too but it seemed to need resources or other equipment than just the app on tablet to work. I downloaded scratch junior and I’ll be honest I struggled but that’s due to my lack of understanding of coding not the app so hoping to teach myself the instructions and then be able to see the benefits for the children to use Scratch coding. I see plenty of positive comments here from.prevoous users so I’m.being optimistic that I can teach myself. The robo garden is another I plan to try on me and then small group in my class. I will need the learning outcomes to be clear as I explore these apps further and not just use them because I want to use them and develop with the AI world.
Stacey I have found thr amoun of children not reading outside of school context is growing and therefore they are not exposed to the same amount of creative language. By using the creative language to create the image it will benefit them greatly and they see how detailed the description needs to be.
Now Arlene you’ve given me the motivation to go and try that one. I was committing to trying a little bit at a time but I make a lot.of my own PowerPoint and it takes a long time so yes going to try it for this thanks
Anyone who has taken the time to read my posts will think I sound like a broken record. I’ve just signed up for magic school. It didn’t want my bank details, no subscription required it is a free resource.i had never heard of and thanks to this course not all have I signed up I decided to try it out. Teaching multi grade Spiders will be one of my topics and while Junior Infants will be enjoying Incy Wincy Spider my first class will be compiling spider facts etc so I did as taught in this module. I went to the video on YouTube got transcript and put it into generate qsbfrom video. The questions were suitable as I chose the correct grade, of gave me freedom to edit, add more and save it. As a quick example I was very impressed as I currently spend a lot of time writing my own comprehension, writing questions suitable for each level etc. At the start of the module I loved the idea of generating the image from a child’s character. We write our own class stories a lot and then children write their own. How amazing for them to describe the character well enough to create the image. The image created can then be analysed, is this what you expected her to look like? What did we not put in? What features did we omit and AI substituted. It gives them the opportunity to be creative but also to expand. We look at adjectives in first class so then can analyse what did we say about thr character, the setting in the story, her likes and how we can edit our character. It is very important to use the AI wisely and it is not a substitute for a child’s drawing, painting, imagination but instead should work alongside this. As a new student to the world of AI and being aware of environmental costs of it and of the security risks I have to balance use of it in my work life. I do like the feedback option so it will improve answers provided. As the tutor of this module says we need to take whatever resources provided and use our pedagogical methodology to teach.
