[Lorraine Cahalan]

Thanks Joan for sharing your lovely idea. I too will be using bridges and appreciate you sharing.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

<span style=”box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>Research a famous scientist or engineer associated with your local area and describe how you would use that person as inspiration for classroom science investigations.</span>

The Bernal building at the University of Limerick is I understand named after the s dentist JD Bernal a native of Nenagh, not too far from my school.

Simple experiments inspired by his work on crystallography and molecular biology could include:

Making salt crystals.

Using marshmallows and toothpicks to show molecular forms

Investigating the properties of various materials to discuss their properties and practical uses, flexibility, rigidity, strength etc.

As stated on the UL website the vision of the Bernal institute<b> </b><span style=”color: #000000; font-family: inter, sans-serif;”>is to become the leading international research institute for the scientific design and manufacture of structured materials to meet global challenges, particularly in the areas of health, energy and the environment.</span>

This is an inspiring legacy of someone local.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

What a lovely marker and project to undertake.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

I also would use the local environment and our local bridges. Our school is situated in Ballina/ Killaloe.

I would start with a simple bridge activity using plastic cups and lollipop sticks. The children would see how many mini bears can cross the bridge under varying scenarios.

For our next lesson we would take a walk to the oldest bridge in the area and take some photos to bring back. We would investigate the history of this very interesting bridge and the history of the area. We would then look at another bridge in Ballina, now a pedestrianised arch bridge.

We would then do the one sheet of paper bridge challenge to see what way we can fold the paper to make the strongest bridge.

Following on from this, children would investigate other types of bridges and engineer their own from recycled materials.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?</span>

For a seasonal biodiversity project I would utilise support resources from the Primary Science Curriculum and the Exploring Biodiversity Toolkit, together with nature guides and digital tools along with the materials referenced in this course.

The project would have an appointed day bimonthly to venture outside and observe seasonal changes. Record sheets, magnifying glasses, bug viewers, digital devices for taking photos and paper for sketching would all be to hand.

Maths and the area of data would be a simple integration, the garden would generate many art opportunities.. seasonal flowers immediately come to mind for life drawing, gaeilge for names of flowers, literacy poems for bugs or flowers, Science of growing from seed or bulb and transplanting to the outdoor space, endless possibilities and opportunities to Foster a connection to the local environment.

 

 

[Lorraine Cahalan]

Thanks for sharing Joan. Lovely ideas here.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

I teach at the junior end of the school and would aim this lesson at 1st class level.

I would start with the prompt of some aerial views of common objects and have the children guess what they are.

Moving on we would work in groups to make a map of the classroom with each group provided with cutouts that they can manipulate on a page to make a map of the classroom.

We would then pair up with our 4th class buddies to do a school yard treasure hunt to solve a word hunt puzzle with individual letters located at different landmarks on the map. By putting the letters in order as indicated by numbers of the landmarks on our maps they solve the word hunt.

As a reward in a follow up lesson we would take a walk to the playground from our school and work with our buddies on our return to map the route putting in the landmarks they pass.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

I teach at the junior end of the school and would aim this lesson at 1st class level.

I would start with the prompt of some aerial views of common objects and have the children guess what they are.

Moving on we would work in groups to make a map of the classroom with each group provided with cutouts that they can manipulate on a page to make a map of the classroom.

We would then pair up with our 4th class buddies to do a school yard treasure hunt to solve a word hunt puzzle with individual letters located at different landmarks on the map. By putting the letters in order as indicated by numbers of the landmarks on our maps they solve the word hunt.

As a reward in a follow up lesson we would take a walk to the playground from our school and work with our buddies on our return to map the route putting in the landmarks they pass.

 

[Lorraine Cahalan]

Thanks for sharing your ideas Joan. I too have taken your lead and started with where the children are at and what they understand by maps.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

I do find the curious minds template useful but teaching at the junior end of the school I have found it difficult to stick rigidly to it and do not tick all the boxes in every lesson.

[Lorraine Cahalan]

Class level: J.Inf

Topic: Light

Prompt: Having done some work on predicting in a previous lesson I would use some of the online close up resources from readers digest or brightside.me to ask children to predict what the close ups  are explaining what they see.

Wondering:

Why do they look different in the first pic? Has anyone ever made their own close ups.. how

Distribute magnifying glasses for free play or exploration outside. Children can share their discovery with teacher or friends.

On returning to class children complete the first half of a worksheet drawing their best picture of a spider. Share pictures with class. Look for common features. Thumbs up if you also used a circle for the body, six legs, eight legs, 20 eyes..

Investigate:

Children now observe real spiders in magnifying containers collected by teacher.

Now draw again on the second half of the worksheet.

What is the same or different. Collate learning..

Spiders have how many legs, how many parts to their bodies, any other obs..

What could we do after this to continue our work as scientists?

[Author]

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