Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
This sounds like a great hands on lesson. I really like the idea of starting with the rocket countdown and using different actions to represent different numbers in the countdown.
This sounds like a great lesson Laura. I really like the idea of using straws for the children to launch their rockets. I also love how you could test different theories using the straws to really get the children thinking and predicting.
I would look at the activity set of Space and Aliens. This is a topic that the children also love to look at and I find I get great engagement from them. The Claire Freedman Aliens In Underpants books are a great stimulus for lessons on Space and Aliens. After reading one of these books we would discuss what Aliens look like, are the all the same, what similarities or differences might they have. I would then task the children with drawing their own Aliens using the material of their choice. I would encourage the children to create their own individual and unique aliens explaining that there is no right or wrong way to create their alien. Once finished we would discuss their different aliens, looking at any similarities or differences. Children would be given the opportunity to discuss any changes they might like to make to their aliens. As an extension the children will be given the opportunity to make their own aliens using play doh. I will also provide extra materials such as sequins, pipe cleaners, buttons, match sticks etc. Children will then be asked to name and describe their own alien. To finish off the lesson we might do an activity such as the alien boogie from Go Noodle.
I would choose to do the ‘What Clothes to Wear’ lesson. This lesson is a great way of teaching about the seasons. We will start with the Seasons song. I will check if the children can name the four seasons and how they differ/what happens during different seasons. The children will then do the colour the seasons worksheets. They will explain how they could tell what season it might be by looking at the pictures and what made them come to that decision. Following on from the colouring we will do the ‘What Clothes to Wear’ part of the lesson. The children will love the opportunity to dress up and explain their choices of different clothes for different seasons. We will discuss how some clothes choices can overlap and be used in multiple seasons. This is especially true in Ireland and we will look at how in other countries they may have more defined seasons. We will also discuss the reasons why we maybe need fewer layers in the summer and how the sun plays a role in this. This will lead to a discussion to the different types of weather we see in Ireland and what is most prevalent during which season.
Rachel this sounds like a great bank of lessons on the theme of homes. I agree that its so important to make your lessons as hands on as possible with infants to ensure engagement in the lesson. I like the idea of the mini project where the children can pick an animal to write a informative piece about and think by letting the children choose which animal to pick this would ensure even more engagement.
Aine I agree, I think this would be a great lesson to do and would really get the children thinking and predicting while also having lots of fun.
I really like this song Rebecca and I think the children in my class would really enjoy it so I will definitely be using in next year.
Siobhan I really like the idea of having the children create their own starry night scenes and think I might do this also.
Ciara I love the idea of using songs to help the children learn the names of the different planets. I find the children are always far more engaged when we using music and songs as they get such enjoyment from this
I would look at the Activity set of the Moon for this module. I found the Universe in a Box booklet to be an invaluable source of information and activity ideas that I will definitely be using in my classroom.
For my lesson on the topic of the moon we would start with a story book such as ‘I took the Moon for a Walk.’ We would then discuss what we know about the moon. I would discuss some of the facts about the moon found in the Universe in a Box booklet such as:
· The moon can be seen from anywhere, be it city or countryside.
· The moon has a spherical shape, just like the Earth.
I would then show the children some different moon shapes on paper and ask them to discuss why the shape of the moon appears to change at different times. Children will then get the opportunity to create their own moons using a variety of different materials. After the children have finished we will discuss the different projects and why the children have designed them as they have. We will also discuss why the moon appears to us to be a flat shape when it is in face spherical.
We would finish the lesson with a song such as ‘The Tale of the Sun and the Moon’. I find that children really engage with this song and it gives a good sense of the sun and the moon and could further aid conversations of why we sometimes still see the moon during the day.
Hi all, I’m Laura and will be teaching Senior Infants in September in a DEIS 1 school. I’m looking forward to this course and in particular to upskilling and bringing some new ideas into my classroom in September. One of my favourite space facts is
The Sun is HUGE: You could fit 1.3 million Earths inside the Sun!
An inquiry based activity that I will try with my class will be around the area of forces and push and pull. The children will be put into small groups or pairs and be tasked with moving a small toy car without using their hands. They will first brainstorm and discuss together how they think they can move their car without using their hands. As a group we will discuss the different ideas and decide which ideas we think will work best. A variety of materials will be available for the children to use, such as straws, magnets etc. Children will then get the opportunity to test out their different ideas to see which works best. I will also pose the question to the children of Why do the cars slow down? This will be a way to introduce the idea of friction and how it will slow things down when a force is placed upon them.
This activity sounds great Rachel. I love the idea of using bouncy balls and water balloons which I think the children would really engage with. I would further question the children on why they think the bouncy ball bounces less high after each time it touches the ground.
I’ve never heard this song before but it’s one I think the children would really enjoy and the video for it is great aswell.
I love using the Aliens love Underpants and Aliens in Underpants Save the World books in my classroom. The children love these stories and so they can easily be used as a stimulus for a lesson looking at Aliens. We would discuss what we think Aliens might look like and how they might differ from us. Children will then be given the opportunity to create their own Aliens using a variety of different materials. They will also describe how and why they create their Aliens in the way they did.
Following on from this I think it would be great fun to do the Rocket Mice experiment with my Junior Infant class. I think they would have great fun making the mice and then launching them. We could investigate how we might be able to launch the mice further and whether different types of paper or card make a difference to the launch and also would try it with different sized milk cartons.
