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4th/5th Class lesson
Following on from exploring the theme of the sun, I would engage the children in a group activity where they have to observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting at different times of the day. I would ask the children to collaborate and discuss the varying ways we could record this using shadows eg, using the trees in the yard, using a meter stick, using their bodies ect. I would encourage different methods for each group for variety and motivation for the project. I would use tools like chalks to draw around shadows and rulers to record length and width of shadows at the varying times of day. We would discuss safety when observing the sun. We would choose a certain location within the school yard and three specific times within the school day to record. We could incorporate the use of an Ipad to take pictures of the position of the sun. Each group could use bookcreator to input their findings and record the things they noticed about the position of the sun. The sun is lower in the sky in the morning and higher in the sky during the day time. We would link the movement of the sun’s position with how the earth rotates.
Following on from the observation we would create a project to showcase our findings through art or media presentation we would share with other classesI really like how you used space music as a stimulus and linked their learning to everyday objects around the classroom. Well done!
Class Plan to Engage with Space Week
My goal for Space Week is to create a fun-filled, action-packed experience that sparks curiosity and fosters a love of space through hands-on, imaginative learning. I aim to inspire a sense of wonder and awe in the children while using a cross-curricular approach to connect learning across subjects.
Day 1 – Launch into Space: Build a Rocket
Objective: To introduce space exploration and kick off the week with an exciting hands-on challenge.
• Discussion: What do we know about space? What would we like to learn?
• Activity: Build and decorate mini rockets using recycled materials (plastic bottles, cardboard, paper, foil).
Day 2 – Meet an Astronaut (Imaginative Interview)
Objective: To explore life as an astronaut and develop questioning and speaking skills.
• Activity:
o Watch a short video interview with a real astronaut
o Children brainstorm and write questions they’d ask if an astronaut visited the class.
o Role-play: one child pretends to be the astronaut, others ask their questions.
Day 3 – Space Science Fun
Objective: To explore space through simple, fun science experiments.
• Experiments:
o Crater Impact Simulation: Drop small balls into flour and cocoa to simulate meteor impacts.
o Rocket Fuel Experiment: Vinegar + baking soda in a small container to simulate propulsion.
o Gravity Drop Test: Compare falling objects heavy vs light to discuss gravity.
• Discussion: Why is gravity important in space? What is a meteor?
Day 4 – Planet Explorers
Objective: To learn facts about the planets in our solar system and express learning creatively.
• Song Time: Learn and sing “The Planet Song” or “We Are the Planets.”
• Group Work: Assign each group a planet to research.
• Art Activity: Create a papier-mâché model or poster of their assigned planet.
• Presentation: Each group shares facts about their planet with the class.
Day 5 – Space Celebration Day
Objective: To celebrate learning and showcase the week’s work.
• Dress-Up Day: Children come dressed as space-themed characters (astronaut, alien, star, sun, moon, etc.)
• Space Quiz Game: Fun team quiz using facts from the week.
• Classroom Gallery Walk: Display rockets, planet projects, writing pieces, and experiment photos.
Space Week Plan
I would create a padlet of a variety of activities for teachers to choose from. Some things I would include, Give a fun fact about space everyday. Teachers would read space themed stories everyday/ show videos the solar system, the moon, astronauts ect carry out experiments and showcase them to other classes. I would ask teachers to choose a science activity based on the space theme and then the children could showcase what they had learned to each other in the different classes.Writing activities/ comprehensions based on the space theme for the week. Kahoot quiz on the space theme. Art activities like building a rocket or creating their own planet using polystyrene balls, sun catchers in the theme of space. We could end the week by dressing up. The children could choose a space themed character. I would hold a competition for the best costume from each class.Wonderful resources for teaching the moon. I like the stories you have chosen. Here’s another link to a you tube video that might be interesting John Lewis ‘Man on the Moon’
I like the use of the KWL Chart to assess their prior knowledge and see how much knowledge they have of the topic. This is a great basis to plan your lessons from.
Activity set: Hands-on classroom themed activities.
There are many wonderful hands- on classroom themed activities I would use. I particularly like the esero activity on the ice is meltinghttps://esero.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/47_The-ice-is-melting.pdf . I often explore the theme of Antarctica and I think this will be a wonderful addition to that theme. I love the experiment to investigate what will happen to the water if the ice at the North Pole and the South Pole melts. This experiment is a great way for the children to understand the difference beween land ice at the South Pole and sea ice at the North Pole and to explore ideas like – will sea levels change?, Will he temperature change?. Some further steps I would take towards a STEM focused SSE is to introduce STEM week into our school and carry out these hands- on activities from the curious minds and esero activities with the children. I will share the links with my colleagues also.
I love the idea of using the book as a stimulus for the lesson. A wonderful example of cross curricular learning.
The activity set: Space and Aliens
I think this topic would engage the learners immediately and as a teacher would really enjoy all the fun and imaginative ways you can explore the topic with the kids. I have used a drama activity in the past as a stimulus for this particular theme. The children get into groups and you get them to each come up with a vocal sound (They have great fun making squeaky sounds/ deep sounds, ) They stand up at the front of the class in a line and when I touch them on the head they make their sound onw after the other) we try to spell the sound on the board. The children have a great laugh with this and then I tell them this is the name of their alien. They write the name of the alien on the top of a big piece of paper and the group begins to draw the alien how many eyes / legs ect/ what food it likes to eat/ what planet it lives on ect. I will add to this lesson now about acting out the alien they have created. The children write wonderful creative stories around their alien and present to the class. I like to think that their knowledge of space from doing this course and carrying out the lessons will enhance their understanding of space and I would hope to see elements of that in their writing in future lessons.The activity set on ‘The Planets’ is a brilliant way to teach the children the names of the planets and also help them to recognise them in relation to the sun. I loved the use of hulla-hoops and using movement throughout the lesson. The Planet Dance and Spin your own Planet’ are fun, engaging activities which I have never thought about doing. The younger classes would enjoy this. I would use prompting questions like what planet do we live on? And introduce the solar system by viewing videos ect prior to the active lesson. You could add a flashlight to the yellow hulla-hoop to add to the idea of the sun giving light. The lesson offers cross curricular topics like prepositions and children developing their spatial awareness. These are all very accessible lessons to carry out and I am really look forward to using them in the classroom next year.
This is a fantastic lesson. Fun and engaging and exciting for young children to explore different objects that float and sink.
Inquiry-Based Activity: Junior/ Senior Infants
To begin I would plan the lesson using the framework for inquiry based learning. Explore: I would use a variety of questions to spark interest in the subject. I wonder what life is like in Space? I wonder how you would get there. I would use think pair share to discuss their ideas Engage: We would read stories associated with the theme and listen to videos about space. How would you survive in space? Food, water ect? Investigate: Design and make a rocket to get to space- we would look at a variety of different rockets made out of a variety if materials. They would draw a picture of what their design might look like and create their design. We would examine a variety of premade rockets outside to give them ideas of the ways the rocket could be launched. Take the next step: Launching rockets- look at videos of rockets and discuss how they think the rocket launches. Try to launch their own rockets. Question the position of rockets and what position would be best to help the rocket go the furtherst.My name is Lianna. I will be working in SEN this year and my favourite fact about space is One million Earths could fit inside the Sun – and the Sun is considered an average-size star.
Counting stars would be a brilliant song to use to link music to this theme. The ideas you have shared are excellent and I look forward to using them in my lessons.
