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Hi Amanda,
I think starting your lesson with a story and real-life video of a rocket launch is a great idea. It will definitely capture the children’s attention. Being able to link what they are learning about to real-life experiences makes their learning very meaningful.
I would use the picture book ‘The Darkest Dark’ written by astronaut Chris Hadfield as a prompt for my lesson on rockets. I have used this book before as a stimulus for English lessons and the children really enjoyed it. The fact that it was written by a real astronaut really captured their attention and interest. Following the story, the children would be invited to share what they know about rockets. All responses would be recorded on a flipchart.
Following a demonstration, the students would construct their own rockets in pairs using a straw, string and round balloons. By tying their string across the room the students can explore how far their rocket will travel once their balloon has been blown up. The question of whether the shape of the balloon has any effect on how far the rocket will travel along the string will be posed and predictions will be made. In their pairs, the children will then use long/narrow balloons to make another rocket. The results of this investigation will be discussed and a conclusion as to whether the shape of the balloon affects the rocket’s performance will be noted.Hi Úna,
I think using the Astronomy Picture of the Day weekly is a brilliant idea. Allowing the children to revisit it and add their observations as time passes is a great way for the students to build on their learning.
ESERO 5 – Where do you live?
I would begin the lesson based on ESERO 5 – Where do you live? with a whole class discussion to encourage the children to think about and describe their homes. The children would be encouraged to name different dwellings such as semi-detached, bungalow etc., as well as some similarities and differences that they have noticed.
Each student would be given a worksheet of different homes and would be asked to circle the home that is most similar to their own. They could then colour that home to match theirs. Once the children are happy with their choice they would be given a piece of modelling clay to make a replica of their house. Once all the houses are completed they could be brought together to make a village.
In pairs the children will be asked to discuss what features a village has and what happens in a village each day. The students can then brainstorm what we may need to add to our village to improve it. The students will be encouraged to add additional models to the village to reflect their ideas. This activity will allow the children to develop their understanding of that a village is and the daily activities that occur there.Hi Laura,
Creating Alien models using clay/fabric/fibre sounds like it would be very enjoyable for the students and prompt creativity as it is an open-ended task. You have included great ideas for integration also.
Activity – Space and Aliens (Create an Alien)
I would begin the lesson by reading the picture book: Here Come the Aliens by Colin McNaughton.Think, pair, share: what was your favourite alien? Why?
The class would engage in a whole class discussion to feedback about the alien’s physical and personality traits. Each student would then make a plan to create their own alien, making sure to include what their alien would look like and what personality traits they may have. Once the students are happy with their plan they would then paint a picture of their alien.The activity of creating their own alien could be integrated with the English topic of narrative writing whereby each student would work towards creating a story that features the character of their alien. This would include character and setting profiles as well as a plot with a clear beginning, middle and end. I think that incorporating their very own alien in a writing activity could promote engagement among the students.
Hi Shauna,
That sounds like a great lesson for the younger classes. Starting your lesson with a song is a fun introduction that would capture the student’s attention.
Activity – The Spherical Earth
I would begin the lesson by creating a mind map about what we know about the planet Earth. Following a whole class discussion, the children’s responses would be recorded.
I would then show the children a globe with a polar bear stuck to the north pole and a penguin stuck to the south pole. Using role play I would set up a discussion/disagreement between the animals about why the other is ‘upside down’ and why they aren’t ‘falling off’ the earth. The children would be invited to engage in the role play too. I would then flip the globe to prompt further discussion.
This would lead to the discovery that the earth’s gravity pulls to the centre of the earth.
The students would then create Earth Mosaics of different landscapes that would be placed on the ground to create the earth. By walking around their creation children would be able to see that there is no up or down just different orientations.Hi Tracy,
That lesson on magnetism looks very interesting. The hands on aspect with the magnets is definitely engaging for 1st and 2nd class pupils.
I would base my lesson on designing and building a bridge using paper (Strand: Materials/Strand Unit: Properties and Characteristics of Materials).
I would begin the lesson by reading the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Using the pictures of the story the class would discuss the bridge – what does it look like/what shapes can you see/what materials is it made from/what makes it a good bridge for the goats to cross. I would then show pictures of different types of bridges for discussion, with a focus on characteristics. The class would be invited to make connections to their own experiences.
In groups of pairs or threes, the children would collaboratively design and build a bridge using paper and sellotape that will hold a plastic figurine of a goat.
The children would construct and test their bridges, noting what worked well and what we might change next time. The students would be invited to share the characteristics of bridges that supported the goat and draw conclusions about these. Ideas can be noted on a whole class chart.
As teacher, I would reflect after the lesson about what went well and what could be improved upon for next time.