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For this module, I chose the **Design and Make a Paper Rocket** activity from the ESERO website. I feel this activity would be an excellent way to introduce Senior Infants to scientific inquiry during Space Week because it is practical, engaging and encourages children to learn through exploration.
I would begin by showing photographs or short videos of real rocket launches to spark curiosity before asking questions such as, “Why do rockets need to fly into space?” and “What might help a rocket travel further?” The children would then design and make their own paper rockets before predicting how far they think each rocket will travel. This encourages them to think like scientists by making predictions before carrying out their investigation.
Following the ESERO inquiry approach, the children would test their rockets and observe how changes such as adding or removing fins, or changing the launch angle, affect the distance travelled. We would ensure it is a fair test by changing only one feature at a time. The children could measure the distance using non-standard or standard units, record their results and compare their findings as a class.
I particularly like that the activity places the emphasis on questioning, observing and improving rather than simply making a rocket. Children are encouraged to explain their thinking, discuss why some rockets travelled further than others and suggest improvements to their designs. This develops problem-solving, communication and critical thinking skills while making science enjoyable.
To extend the learning, I would integrate the activity across the curriculum by creating rocket artwork, writing simple captions about our investigations and using the results for measuring and comparing in Maths. Overall, I feel this ESERO activity provides an excellent example of how STEM learning can be hands-on, collaborative and meaningful for young children while fostering curiosity about space and engineering.
Breege, I love your idea about the balloon rockets, I had never thought of using a peg to seal them and I had written the activity off straight away!
I chose Lesson 11: What Clothes to Wear? from the ESERO Seasons activities because it is a simple, practical activity that would work very well with my Senior Infant class. The activity encourages children to think about the relationship between weather, seasons and the clothes we wear while developing their observation and communication skills.
I would begin by talking about the current weather and asking the children what they noticed on their way to school. This would encourage them to make connections with their own experiences before introducing the dressing-up box. I really like that the activity is hands-on and allows children to make decisions for themselves rather than simply being told the correct answers. As the children choose clothes for each season, I would encourage them to explain their thinking using simple Gaeilge vocabulary such as ‘te, fuar, grianmhar, ag cur báistí, etc. and the names of different items of clothing. This would provide meaningful opportunities to develop oral language while exploring scientific concepts.
I also like that the activity naturally develops important science skills such as observing, predicting, comparing and communicating. The children are encouraged to explain why they have chosen particular clothes and to listen respectfully to the ideas of others. These are valuable skills that can be developed across many areas of the curriculum.
I would extend the activity through play by setting up a seasonal role-play area where the children could continue dressing dolls or themselves for different types of weather. We could also keep a simple weather chart throughout the month and discuss whether our clothing choices matched the weather each day. This would help children see that science is connected to their everyday lives.
Reflecting on this activity has reminded me that effective STEM learning in the infant classroom does not have to involve complicated equipment. Some of the richest learning comes from practical, child-led experiences that encourage curiosity, discussion and problem-solving. The ESERO activities provide an excellent starting point for this type of inquiry-based learning and I can see myself using them regularly throughout the year to support both the Primary Curriculum Framework and Aistear in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
Laura, that sounds like a great plan. I especially love that it states that a bank of resources will be made available to all teachers and that it is asking for every class to do one hands on STEM activity per month. I feel that some classes are more hands on than others and that by laying out the expectations it will be easier to follow through.
I chose the Activity Set: Stars because I know from my experience teaching Senior Infants in a Gaelscoil that space is a topic which immediately sparks children’s curiosity. They love talking about what they have seen in the night sky and asking questions about stars, the moon and space. I think this activity is an excellent example of how the DPSM/ESERO Framework for Inquiry encourages children to become active learners rather than simply being given information.
Engage: I would begin by inviting the children to share what they already know about stars and any experiences they have of looking at the night sky. We would read a simple story about the stars and I would record the children’s questions. I have found that giving children time to share their own ideas helps them become more confident and engaged in their learning.
Investigate: Using the SFI Space Week “Design a Constellation” activity, the children would observe a simple constellation and use their imagination to decide what picture it might represent. They would draw their own interpretation and explain their thinking to a partner using simple Gaeilge vocabulary. I particularly like this activity because every child’s response is different, encouraging creativity, discussion and confidence while developing observation skills.
Take Action: The children would present their constellations to the class and explain the story behind their picture. We would create a classroom display of our constellations and I would encourage the children to look at the stars with their families at home and share any new observations with the class. This simple home-school link helps children realise that science is part of everyday life.
This activity fits naturally with the Primary Curriculum Framework and the Aistear principles of learning through play, communication and exploration. It has reminded me that inquiry-based learning does not have to be complicated. By allowing children to ask questions, investigate and share their ideas in a supportive environment, they begin to see themselves as capable, curious young scientists while also developing their Gaeilge in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
Thanks for all the great ideas Aisling, it is funny up until now I never even thought of the importance of actually teaching the children these topics!
If I were using the Activity Set: The Sun and Shadows with my Senior Infant class, I would build it around play, exploration and the children’s natural curiosity. We would begin outside in the school yard where the children would investigate their own shadows through games such as Catch My Shadow and Can You Make Your Shadow Bigger? Rather than explaining why shadows change, I would encourage the children to ask questions, make predictions and share their ideas. This approach supports the DPSM/ESERO Framework for Inquiry by allowing children to explore before introducing scientific explanations.
The activity fits naturally with Aistear, as it encourages learning through play, communication and collaboration. The children could work in pairs to trace each other’s shadows with chalk at different times during the day and compare how the shadows have changed. Back in the classroom, they could use small-world figures, torches and construction materials in the play area to continue investigating how light creates shadows.
As a teacher in a Gaelscoil, I would use the activity to develop oral language alongside scientific thinking. New vocabulary would arise naturally during play, and children would have many opportunities to describe, predict and explain what they notice through Irish. I also like how the investigation links with art by creating shadow drawings, mathematics by comparing lengths, and literacy through stories and discussion. This activity would provide a meaningful, child-led learning experience that encourages curiosity, problem-solving and confidence while making science enjoyable and accessible for young children.
Reading the course materials I had a lovely idea around gravity with the Naíonáin Mhóra using the story Cearc an Phrompa which also come up on the Bua na Cainte programme.
Learning Intentions;
Through appropriately playful and engaging learning experiences, children should be able to;
-Recognise that objects fall towards the ground because of gravity
-Predict what will happen before carrying out an investigation
-Observe and describe what they notice
-Use simple scientific language
Engage;
Read the beginning of Cearc an Phrompa until the object falls on cearc’s head. Pause and ask the children what has just happened and why, also checking to see if they understand that it cannot fall back up. Discuss and introduce the term gravity.
Predict;
Using a variety of objects such as a leaf, feather, ball, pinecone conduct a small experiment whereby they will investigate which if all the objects fall, which object will reach the ground first and if any object will stay in the air?
This could be taken outside also and the speed and direction in which the objects fell could be recorded.
Connect back to the story;
Discussion of
Why the acorn hit Cearc’s head?
Why it didn’t float back up?
What pulled it down?
Thanks for sharing that activity, Ciara. I love how you used the Materials Strand to bring in the topic of space in a fun and engaging manner!