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Rockets
I would begin my lesson with the story Aliens in Underpants Save the World, this is a fun book and leads to questions such as How could we travel into space.
I have used the balloon rocket as a demonstration in the past but I really like the idea of the Mouse Launcher and having the children designing and making their own.
I would ask the children to predict what would happen if I pressed harder on the bottle. And ask how could you make your mouse fly straighter/ further etc.
We would then look at pictures of rockets and familiar objects that are moved when a force is applied- e.g. darts/ PE javelins. Children would be given the opportunity to experiment with throwing javelins in PE with and without the tails attached to observe any difference.
We would record our observations using iPads and present to class/ neighbouring class.As part of school self evaluation and the development of science skills within my class I want to make a more conscious effort this year to incorporate the inquiry based method into the teaching and learning of STEM on a regular basis. Incorporating these skills develops critical thinking and collaboration between peers and presenting results and findings to class allows for greater development of oral language skills and the opportunity to be creative- whether it is through art, green screen, written / oral reports. I believe that the inquiry based method enables children to investigate what interests them most on a topic, is naturally more hands on and makes lessons more interesting. Having the right prompt whether a question/ video or story and the necessary resources on hand is important for lessons to run smoothly
I think I would use the Stars activity with my First Class.
I would begin by asking them had they ever looked up at a night sky, what they noticed and what they wonder about stars.
I would then get them to engage in Think Pair Share to discuss what they think stars are, and record their answers on a KWL chart.
I would then distribute books, pictures of constellations etc with the groups and encourage them to notice the names and shapes of the constellations. And ask the children why do people make up pictures with the stars.
I would then distribute black paper and chalk and have the children design this own constellation and name it, and write a short story about it.As part 2 of the lesson
I would play the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNuj2GH8xg which expalins what a star is.
I would then share the story of Orion constellation
https://www.unawe.org/resources/education/orion_the_giant_eng/and explain that all constellations look different from different angles. I would encourage the children to make the constellations using black paper straws, and blue tack as described in this module.
We would end the lesson completing the KWL explaining what we have learned about stars
I really like the idea of having the children draw a star at the beginning of the lesson and seeing how they alter it as the lesson progresses. Lovely ideas.
I really like the idea of using the sail boats with the different coloured flags, a great visual prompt for young children.
The Earth is spherical lesson
I would begin the lesson by showing the children photographs of Earth taken from space and ask ‘What shape do you think the earth is? Why?’ ‘How do you know it is not flat?’ I would then record the children’s answers on a KWL chart. I would then show a globe and ask why people at the other side of the world are not upside down or fall off?
To explore the concept of the earth being spherical and ‘down’ being towards the earth’s core I would use the Earth Mosaic activity. Having glued the art work together, the children would be given the opportunity to look at the art from different angles. I would then use a Lego man and have him walk around the Earth to reinforce the concepts and that he doesn’t fall off.
I would explain that the earth looks flat as it is so big, but that long ago people used their observation skills of the stars, ships on the horizon, shadows, to determine that the Earth is round and astronauts proved it from th photographs they took from space.Hi Niamh,
I really like this idea, and can really imagine all children getting involved. Thanks for sharing.
One of the lessons I like to teach during space week is about the solar system; planets, their positions and facts etc. I would begin the lesson by engaging the interest of the children First I would ask a question such as “What do you think it would be like to live on another planet?” and follow this with showing a short video clip of the solar system. We would have a short class discussion on space where children share their current knowledge
The class would then be divided into small groups with a planet assigned to each group for them to explore. Each group would have access to books, images and simple fact sheets about each planet. I would provide prompts to guide exploration e.g. the planet’s position from the sun, temperature, number of moons, size.
Each group would have the opportunity to share their findings with the class and as an extension each group would record a report of their work using the green screen app.
Finally, we would have a class reflection so that the children can share what they discovered and I can assess what they have learned.
Hi, I’m Niamh, I will be teaching First Class again next year, I love teaching science as all children at this age are interested in it, especially when there is an experiment involved.
My interesting science fact is that you could fit a million planet earth inside the sun but the sun is still just the size of an average star.It’s great to hear such positive feedback about Google Workspace from a teacher who has used it. There are definitely more opportunities to use the tools further up the school but I see the advantage of using Docs and Sheets throughout the school. Google Workspace encourages a teacher to be organised and being able to access everything remotely is also a big plus. I am looking forward to gaining confidence with both Sheets and Docs before progressing onto the other tools.
The Workspace tools allow for the organisation of all resources needed by a class teacher and by the Admin in a school. Google Workspace promotes collaboration across the whole school community.
Pupils can collaborate in real time with each other and receive immediate feedback from their class teacher. Parents can receive summaries of their child’s progress and expectations on assigned projects and tasks, although this is more geared towards the senior end of primary.
As a teacher in a junior school who is new to Google Workspace I see Google Workspace as a way of promoting highly effective practice in teaching and learning and across management of the organisation.
Google Drive be used to store worksheets, short term and long term plans and policies for all teachers to access. Teachers can edit when necessary.
Google Docs allows teachers to edit documents. I could see theis as a great way of reviewing policies in a school as teachers could work on them in their own time. Also great for drafting agendas for staff meetings where all teachers have access and can add to
Google Sites could be set up to for e-portfolios for each pupil.
Slides allows for links and videos to be embedded into presentations which makes learning more fun and targeted, and supporting hands on teaching.
Google Calendar allows staff to share dates and times of events.
And Google Forms would be great for surveuing the whole school community in relation to SSE.
I have used Word in the past to record and monitor student test results across the year. Having completed this course, Google Sheets and the GradeBook is the tool I look most to using next year.
Here is a link to my Google Slides assignment:
Using Google Forms is an excellent way to collect information and children’s views on topics of a sensitive nature. Children in senior classes may be reluctant to voice their true opinion in a class discussion, using Forms provides them with an anonymity necessary to gather honest feedback.
Self-regulated learning empowers individuals to take control of their education by setting goals, monitoring progress, and reflecting on outcomes.
It fosters independence, critical thinking, and adaptability—skills essential for lifelong learning and success.
By actively engaging in the learning process, students become more motivated, focused, and effective in achieving their targets.I currently use the ‘2 stars and a wish’ approach in my class for handwriting and find it an effective way of helping young children to recognise their successes and identify areas in which they can improve.
Below is a Google Forms survey which I intend to use in September to gain an insight into the likes and dislikes of the children in my new class. Each year I spend the first morning chatting individually with the children to determine their likes/dislikes/ fears/ strengths and worries etc it’ll be nice to try an alternative to the pen and paper and should help with analysing the information.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EWduL3BNwT6dw0amfsY6eKj-_fhDdYpxQGt0pObeZtI/edit
