Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I really enjoyed reading about your Space Week activity. The idea of becoming “space scientists” making bubbling alien potions is such a creative way to capture the children’s imagination. I like how you encouraged them to make predictions and describe their observations using scientific vocabulary. It’s also great that you highlighted the cross-curricular links with Maths and Oral Language. Activities like this show how hands-on learning can make STEM both engaging and meaningful for young children.
After exploring the activities in this module, I would like to use them as part of a whole-school Space Week in my classroom. I teach a mixed-ability class, so I appreciate that the activities can be adapted for different learning styles and encourage active participation.
I would begin the week by finding out what the children already know about space and recording their questions. This would help guide our learning and encourage curiosity. Throughout the week, we would complete a range of hands-on investigations, such as exploring the phases of the Moon, creating simple models of the Solar System, and investigating how craters are formed using practical materials. These activities would encourage the children to make predictions, observe carefully, and discuss their findings using scientific language.To integrate learning across the curriculum, the children could write imaginative stories or fact files about space, create space-themed artwork, and use maths to compare the sizes and distances of the planets. Digital technology could also be incorporated by using age-appropriate videos, virtual tours of space, or simple coding activities linked to space exploration.
As a celebration of learning, the children could display their work in a “Space Exhibition” for other classes or parents to visit. This would give them an opportunity to share what they have learned and develop confidence in communicating scientific ideas.
Overall, this module has provided practical, engaging ideas that promote inquiry-based learning and creativity. It has reinforced the importance of giving children opportunities to investigate, ask questions, and learn through hands-on experiences. I feel more confident planning meaningful STEM activities and look forward to incorporating these ideas into future lessons.Theme: Where do you live?
I would beginning with some questioning. Where do you live? What makes your house special?
We would then compare and contrast the images from the Esero lesson with where we live. The children would then design their own houses on paper. They would then select from a range of materials to build their own house such as lego, blocks, plasticine, cardboard.
We would discuss our houses using a walk around the classroom discussing each other’s work.
Afterwards I would use a zooming out activity giving children pictures of a bedroom, a house, a street, a village, a country, Ireland, Europe, earth and space and put them in order to help them visualise scale in connection to where we live. We could then extend this to building a model town where we add other buildings from the locality that the children think are missing.Yes I agree. Winter animals is probably one of the most enjoyable topics I teach. There are so many opportunities for Oral Language Development and exploration. I could spend weeks on this theme.
Theme: The Stars.
This is a topic I would of been unsure of teaching before. However, I feel with the resources from this course I will be better equipped to teach the topic of the stars in future.
I would begin by posing some questions to elicit discussion and promote thinking among the children. For example: What can you see in the sky during the day and at night? Have you ever looked at the stars? Can anyone count the stars?
I would follow this with an exploration activity using paper and torches. The children use a paper puncher to punch holes in the paper. They then shine the torch through the holes and we would discuss how this resembles the billions of stars in the sky.
We would then look at constellations and explore how people used constellations long ago. One of our reading books we use for guided reading talks about how different cultures used constellations long ago. We would read about this and then design our own constellations. The children could then create stories about their own constellations. We would then recap and assess what we’ve learnt recording our learning in pairs and sharing it with the class.
Hi Christine. I love the use of story here. I will have a look at the above story and consider using it in my teaching.
Theme:The planets
We teach the theme of the planets as part of our second class Science lessons.
I usually begin by taking a look at images of the planets. I will look to Esero for the see images this year. I would start with letting the children discuss what they can summise from the images? What do they already know about “The Planets”? What do they want to know about the planets?
The children love “the planets song” from hopscotch. I will try the planets song mentioned in this module this year. The children then do mini projects,creating fact files from a template I have given them on a planet they are interested in. The children then share their findings with the class. We then create an image of the galaxy including the planets in their correct order using chalk and paper as part of our art lesson. The children love this art lesson. I have found this to be a very effective way of encouraging the children to learn about the planets.- Yes oreos is a great idea for younger children. We use oreos for descriptive writing in second class so this would link in really well with English.
One inquiry based activity I like to do with my 2nd class is “How can we build a bridge strong enough to hold a toy car?” I like this activity because it allows for a variety of questions to be posed and solved. The children can observe each others structures and use Peer learning to help each others designs be more effective. The children also use tablets to take photos of their designs to help them to analyze and improve on their designs. I would also like to use a prompt to begin this lesson as i think this is a really good idea for example such as showing them a gap between two tables and encouraging them to find a way to get a car across. We could extend the lesson by exploring the idea if their bridge collapses what would they change?