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You just got me thinking about linked drama too! Sometimes I forget about the great activities that can link to other subjects such as Science. The children can even do something as simple as acting out the different weather types.
Thank you Sinéad. I love basing any learning around a high quality text. Always great to also include a writing activity linked to the topic. We are currently making a lst of high quality texts for each year groups to use for writing I think it would be good to build into the long term plan the cross curricular links and relevant subjects for example- space for Space Week and texts that have mathematical links for maths weeks and so on. Just a thought! Thinking out loud here. Wondering does anyone have any lists of books. It has really got me thinking about Science linked texts since doing this course. I don’t think it is something I considered before but I have so many ideas now!
Hi Emma,
I really loved all the ideas about rockets too. Something a bit different! I have first class next year but I will suggest to the infant teachers to use the Peppa Pig space episode. Although I hope to do that rocket mouse experiment with first as it should also be well matched to their level I hope. I loved the idea of using rocket countdowns with the children, having them doing different actions for certain numbers of the countdown! This is brilliant and showing them the materials that we will be using, asking them to make predictions also about what they are doing. I think predicting is just so important in Science as it also is in reading.
Hi Emma,
I really loved all the ideas about rockets too. Something a bit different! I have first class next year but I will suggest to the infant teachers to use the Peppa Pig space episode. Although I hope to do that rocket mouse experiment with first as it should also be well matched to their level I hope. I loved the idea of using rocket countdowns with the children, having them doing different actions for certain numbers of the countdown! This is brilliant and showing them the materials that we will be using, asking them to make predictions also about what they are doing. I think predicting is just so important in Science as it also is in reading.
am excited to plan and celebrate Space Week in first class this year I am hoping that I can get all classes across first and second involved therefore I am planning to give an overview to all classes. I am hoping to plan activities that will be integrated across subject areas that are playful, and engaging. As there is such an emphasis on playful learning experiences in the new curriculum I think other teachers will be on board. Again I would begin with a key text for each class. Some books I intend to use are Whatever Next! and How to Catch a Star, which can be used as a hook. Furthermore I think the classes involved could use songs and different posters for instance or PowerPoints with visuals. I would set up stations in the hall maybe that all classes could access for example with sorting or matching activities based on information taught such as planet sizes. The children could explore the similarities and differences between the planets at an adult led activity.
I would use activities from the Moon and Stars activity sets, such as making moon craters using flour and marbling techniques to create paint effects for the planet Neptune. Throughout the week the children would be encouraged to orally rehearse their ideas and share thoughts on different aspects of learning covering many of the oral language learning objectives. Some writing activities could be built into the station activities through labelling and short descriptive guided writing.
Thank you for sharing this link I had a look at this one in more detail and I do think they are pitched well which is key. I also love the Marvin and Milo investigations although I have not used them yet – hopefully I will get a chance in September. I like the lack of fuss and little organisation too in terms of gathering resources.
The Animals in the Cold from the online resources on the ESERO website would have been fantastic this year when I was in Senior Infants as there was a few activities in the Let’s Discover text that the school uses, which could have been further supplemented by a resource like this.
I was thinking that I could have used this activity to look at climate as well as weather this year in first to follow on from last years’ learning.
I really like how they use the animal changes in an engaging as well as hands on way. As part of initial discussion, maybe during oral language time, I would introduce the different weather types that they would recall and already be familiar with such as sun, clouds, rain and hailstones/ice or snow. Linking with a winter theme I would use a winter snow themed story or film clip from the book The Snowman for instance or Winter Sleep. The Snowflake could also be used and illustrations could be used to stimulate discussion as well as a stimulus for a cross curricular art lesson later. Encouraging the children to think about the North Pole and linking this to Christmas themes and discussions around Lapland, for instance would be engaging and fun for them. This would help to engage the children fully from the start and make it more relevant to what they know already. Polar bear and penguin pictures could be used and allowing them to illustrate or make penguin shape pictures first. Further discussion around how animals stay warm would be had following some leading questions such as What do you wear when you’re cold? would further help the children connect their understanding of animal adaptation to their own experiences had. Looking at different materials clothes are made from and what is used inside coats for instance as insulation will help the children explore how blubber, fur, and feathers act as clothes for the animals. They could discuss how they might test these materials or find out what are the best as a line of inquiry later.
Documentation of learning for further steps toward a STEM-focused SSE (School Self-Evaluation), might be carried out by using observations, through focused key questions as well as initial predictions at the start of the inquiry. The introduction of charts would be used again to track ideas. Children would have the opportunity to question first, compare later and then further explain, all of which are essential in the foundation of a rich environment for STEM.
Hi Frances
Were we meant to upload our mindmap after each module. I have created one on a document. What is the best way to upload?
Explore Different Types of Land
I really like this idea and setting up stations with materials representing various land types such as sand for deserts, soil with small plants for forests, pebbles for mountains, and water trays for lakes or rivers as you suggested. Such opportunity to cover other learning outcomes across Geography as well as Science.
