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Hi Muireann, thanks for sharing- the globe and blue-tack idea sounds like a great idea for this topic!
To introduce the topic to Junior Infants, I would begin by reading the story “Moustronaut”. Discussion of how the author is a real retired astronaut. Explain that a group of mice went on a space shuttle in 2001 etc.
I would display a video of a real rocket launch, discussing what we see, makes a good rocket etc,We would then move on to making our own rockets (balloon mice, rocket mice etc)- discuss what materials could work well/not so well. At this stage of the lesson we would make predictions & carry out some simple testing. We would also integrate maths by measuring and comparing how far different rockets travel.
The children would reflect on what they might change if they repeated the activity, I.e., what would improve their rocket.
We could watch fly me to the moon or space buddies afterwards as recommended on the space week activity list.
Hi Abby, I think the class would love the idea of investigating an aliens drink and you would really grab their attention with this
I would use hands on classroom themed activities in junior infants as it would link easily with Aistear & provide the class with a chance to investigate in a meaningful way, while actively participating. Firstly, I would use digital resources as a stimulus for class discussion, including interactive images/games of different types of weather/seasons/clothes and ESERO videos.
I would introduce a dressing up box full of different types of clothes. I would provide scenarios to different groups and ask them to find the appropriate clothes to match the scenario provided. Each group would explain their scenario and why they chose the specific clothes. This part would be linked with Gaeilge for simple keywords.
The children would then each pick a season and design/draw an outfit that would suit this chosen season. We would present our outfits and discuss, displaying them on a clothes line.
Storybooks, rhymes and movement activities based on seasons and clothing would help reinforce new vocabulary, while simple digital animations could provide an additional visual element to support understanding.
Hi Kevin, I really like the idea of the children moving from classroom to classroom with passports. They would love this!
Activity Set – Stars
I would focus on stars/the night sky with a Junior Infant class. It would be an age-appropriate, fun and interesting topic. The activities encourage curiosity as young children are naturally curious about the sky. We would begin with a whole class discussion with simple prompts such as – what do you see when you look at the sky at night & have you ever noticed the stars? We would look at some pictures of the night sky and note any observations, differences or patterns. This would highlight prior knowledge and misconceptions.
As a whole class, we would investigate how light helps us to see objects using torches and classroom items. This would link to why stars are only visible at nights.
To build on this, the children would get to draw some constellations using the Space Week Constellation sheet, comparing their patterns to animals, people and things. In pairs, the children will guess what item their partner was basing their constellation drawing on. I would promote inquiry by encouraging the children to ask questions, test their ideas and explain their thinking to others.
We would start a class “sky diary” where the children take turns either bringing in a drawing or sending a photo of something they noticed in the sky in order to continue meaningful discussion & to create positive home-school link. This would help children develop observation, problem-solving and questioning skills while fostering an appreciation of the natural world and encouraging a lifelong interest in science.
The Sun and the Shadows
We would start by playing a game of shadow matching on the IWB or by playing Shadow Tag outside
We would then discuss some prompts/questions as a class.
We would use Moonbears Shadow as a stimulus for the class. After the story, the students would work in groups to set up their own habitat for the bears using items in the classroom/Aistear room. Torches would be used to make bears shadows- carrying out different actions, in different locations etc.
The children would follow on from this investigation to hold a mini “shadow puppet show” to represent a part from the story, allowing the other children in the class to guess the specific scene being depicted
Concluding with questions/discussion – What is needed to create a shadow? Why do shadows change? When might we not see a shadow?
Inquiry Based Actvity-
An inquiry-based activity inspired by The Three Little Pigs could be used to encourage a Junior Infant class to investigate and explore, with a focus on play-based learning. The inquiry question would be – Which material makes the strongest house for the three little pigs? –
The lesson would begin with a discussion of the story, the children would make predictions about which materials they believe would create the strongest house. Working collaboratively in small groups, the children would then design and construct houses using a range of materials e.g. straw, sticks, paper, building blocks, blue tack, straws, lollipop sticks, cotton wool, cardboard etc.
Once the houses are complete, each structure would be tested using a mini fan to represent the wolfs attempt to blow them over. The children would observe and compare the outcomes, identifying which houses remained standing and which collapsed, while discussing the reasons for this. Following this, they would reflect on their finding by drawing and labelling the strongest type house.
My name is Neasa. I hope to be teaching infants in Galway next year. My favourite space fact is that astronauts can grow 3% taller while living in microgravity.