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This is an example of a lesson I would implement in my classroom to design and make a rocket.
Materials:
Plastic straws (for smaller rockets) or paper towel/toilet paper tubes (for larger rockets)
Balloons (for propulsion)
Tape
Scissors
Cardboard or construction paper (for fins and nose cones)
Markers, crayons, stickers (for decoration)
String (optional, for guided launch)
Rulers or measuring tape
Launch area (either inside a classroom or outside)
Target or measuring tape (to measure distance traveled)1. Introduction to Rockets
Begin by asking students what they know about rockets. Discuss how rockets are used to explore space and the basic idea that rockets move by expelling gas (or air) out one end, which pushes the rocket in the opposite direction (show video clip).
Explain that today, they will be engineers and will design and build their own rockets using simple materials.
Introduce the key parts of a rocket: the body (main part of the rocket), fins (to stabilize the rocket), and nose cone (to reduce air resistance).2. Rocket Design
Give students a brief overview of the materials they will use. Show them examples of simple rockets made from straws or tubes.
Discuss how the shape of the rocket and the placement of fins can affect how it flies.Provide each student with an A4 page where they can sketch their rocket before building it. Encourage them to think about how they will make their rocket fly straight and how they can make it go farther.
3. Rocket Building
Have students build from their plans. Construct the rocket body, the fins and the nose. Then attach a balloon to the open straw or tube to act as the propulsion system. Allow students to decorate their rockets.
4. Rocket Launching
Choose a clear space for launching the rockets, either inside or outside.
Demonstrate how to inflate the balloon without letting any air escape and how to launch the rocket by releasing the balloon.
Let students take turns inflating their balloons, placing the rockets on the launch pad (or string guide), and releasing them to see how far they travel.
Encourage students to observe how their rockets fly and consider why some rockets go farther or straighter than others.
Use measuring tape to see how far each rocket traveled. Record the distances and discuss the results.5. Discussion and Reflection
Group Reflection:
Gather the students to discuss what happened during the rocket launches. Ask questions like:
“What designs worked the best?”
“How did the fins and nose cone affect your rocket’s flight?”
“What would you change about your rocket to make it go farther or straighter?”
Reinforce the key concepts of propulsion, stability, and design. Explain that real rockets use similar principles but on a much larger scale.Here are the steps I would take towards a STEM focused SSE.
1. Assessment of Current Practices:
Evaluate current teaching practices and resources to identify areas where STEM integration can be enhanced.
Gather feedback from students and teachers on their experiences with STEM activities and identify gaps in knowledge or resources.2. Professional Development:
Provide training for teachers on how to effectively implement hands-on STEM activities in the classroom.
Encourage collaboration among teachers to share best practices and resources.3. Curriculum Integration:
Ensure that hands-on STEM activities align with the curriculum and cover key learning objectives.
Integrate STEM activities across subjects to provide a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to learning.4. Student Engagement:
Use activities like the balloon-powered car project to increase student engagement and interest in STEM subjects.
Encourage student-led projects where they can explore their own ideas and solutions to real-world problems.5. Continuous Monitoring and Feedback:
Regularly assess the impact of hands-on STEM activities on student learning outcomes.
Use feedback from the SSE process to make continuous improvements, ensuring that STEM education is both effective and engaging.By implementing hands-on STEM activities and following through with a focused SSE process, the school can foster a culture of inquiry, experimentation, and innovation that supports students’ development of essential scientific skills.
There are some brilliant resources on that website Sinéad that look very practical and easy to use. Thanks for sharing the link.
This is a lesson I would do with infants based on the activity set The Sun and Shadows.
Materials:
Torch or a bright lamp (to represent the Sun)
Various objects (toys, blocks, and simple shapes)
Large white paper or a smooth surface for shadow tracing
Chalk or markers for tracing shadowsIntroduction:
Start with a simple explanation of what the Sun is: The Sun is a big ball of light in the sky that gives us warmth and helps us see during the day.
Show students a torch or lamp and explain, Just like this light, the Sun makes shadows when something blocks it.
Demonstration:
In a dim room, shine a flashlight on a toy to create a shadow on the wall or a piece of paper.
Move the torch around and let the children observe how the shadow changes.
Explain in simple terms, When we put something in front of the light, it makes a shadow because the light can’t go through it.Hands-on Activity: Shadow Play:
Provide children with various objects like toys or their hands to create shadows.
Let them experiment by holding objects close to and far from the light source, seeing how the shadows change size and shape.
Encourage them to make shapes or even shadow puppets with their hands and observe what happens to the shadows.Outdoor Shadow Exploration:
Take the children outside on a sunny day.
Have them look for their own shadows. Ask, Can you find your shadow? What happens when you move?
Encourage them to notice how their shadow follows them and changes as they move.
Have children trace their shadow on the ground with chalk. Then, after some time, revisit the spot to observe how the shadow has moved or changed as the Sun moved in the sky.
Discussion and Reflection:
Gather the children together and ask them to share what they noticed about their shadows.
Simplify the concept by saying, When the Sun or a light shines on us, we make shadows because we block the light.
Reinforce the idea that shadows are just places where the light can’t reach.Hi Eleanor.
These are well structured integrated lessons that the children would love. Thanks for the suggestions.
This is a lesson I would do with 1st/2nd class based on the activity set The Moon.
Objective:
Students will explore the phases of the Moon and understand how the Moon’s position relative to Earth and the Sun causes the observable phases.Materials:
Styrofoam balls (representing the Moon)
Lamps (representing the Sun)
Dark room or an area where lights can be dimmed
Markers (to draw features on the “Moon”)
Student worksheets for recording observationsIntroduction:
Start with a brief discussion about the Moon, asking students what they know about it and its phases.
Explain that the Moon does not produce its own light but reflects light from the Sun, and as it orbits the Earth, we see different portions of its illuminated half, which we call the “phases of the Moon.”Demonstration:
In a dim room, place a lamp (the Sun) in the centre.
Choose a volunteer to hold a Styrofoam ball (the Moon) at arm’s length.
The student will slowly walk in a circle around the “Earth” (represented by the position of the observing students).
As the student moves around the circle, ask the class to observe how the lighted portion of the Moon changes.Hands-on Activity:
Divide students into small groups and provide each group with a lamp, a Styrofoam ball, and a space to walk around the lamp.
Students will take turns being the Earth, holding the Moon, and walking around their group’s “Sun.”
While one student moves the Moon around the “Earth,” the others will observe and sketch the phases they see in sequence (New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter, etc.).
Encourage students to notice and record the pattern of the phases.Discussion and Reflection:
Bring the class back together to discuss and question their observations , reinforcing what they have learnt from this lesson.
Similarly to you Orla, I’ve also done the chalk lesson in the past and found that the children have loved seeing how their shadows change. But I’ve never thought of making a sundial. I‘m sure it would be a very engaging activity for them to try.
My name is Leeanne and I’ll be working with Senior Infants this year.
An interesting space fact (to me!) is that, since it’s discovery almost 100 years ago, Pluto hasn’t yet made a full orbit of the sun.
One example of an inquiry based lesson I would do is have the children design their own space suits. To introduce the lesson I would have a range of different clothing in the centre of a circle, and ask the children what clothes they would choose for a hot day, a wet day, a cold day, a windy day. I’d ask them about the properties of the clothes and why they’re most suitable for the given conditions. I’d then show pictures of more specialist clothing like that of a bee keeper, a diver, a fire fighter, an astronaut and discuss them.
For the main body of the lesson I’d explain to the children that they’re going to design their own space suits. We’d discuss the requirements of this suit (keep them warm, keep oxygen in). To do this with infant classes, I’d give them the outline of an astronaut that they can cut out and stick the necessary materials to. I’d leave out a range of paper, fabrics, cotton wool, foil, etc, and have them choose what they think is best.
To conclude the lesson we’d recap on the requirements of a good space suit and the children can share their designs with the class and explain why they chose the materials they did.
