[Niamh McCaul]

Shooting a rocket into the air activity – Infant classroom.

I would try this activity in my classroom. There are lots of story books to use about rocket- like Alien underpants that I would be great in my classroom first to get the children excited about rockets and space.

I would then engage the children with a question such as how high do you think rocket mouse can fly? showing them the already cut out template of the mouse.

We could take predictions on how high the mouse would go

Then we would conduction the investigation using the downloaded mouse template

And some 2litre milk cartoons to ‘launch’ the mouse.

We could then have discussions over whether a 3 litre milk bottle or 1 litre would make a difference or any other containers.

We could repeat the investigation using different bottles, and could also get the children using charts to measure how high the mouse flew.

 

[Niamh McCaul]

This sounds like a very fun activity! Im sure the children would love launching the rockets.

I agree that this activity would definitely lead to lots of discussion of wonder and inquiry on cuse and effect.

[Niamh McCaul]

The Activity I would use in my classroom is the animals in the cold activity.

I chose this activity because I think that children living in Ireland would still find it fascinating learning about penguins and polar bears and this would be a way to draw them in.
The learning outcome of this activity would be to know that there are different sorts of weather and to know the characteristics of animals living in a cold environment.

To begin I would ask the children what kind of weather they know about, talking about how some places get more of a certain type of weather than others, lots of rain or lots of sun. And then go on to explain that in the north and south pole it can be extremely cold. I’ll ask them if they know any films from the north and south pole.
I would use the photograph of the polar bear and penguin to begin the discussion.
Asking how they keep warm and discussing about how they have a thick layer of fat that keeps them warm but that this isnt enough so they have fur or feathers also to keep them warm.
I will bring this back to relating to them.
What do we do to keep ourselves warm? We put on a coat or a hat and scarf. The penguin and the polar bear don’t put on coats ; their fur and feathers act like this for the animals.
I will then explain how they also have a later of grease on their fur and feathers that acts as a water repellant.
I will then rub a little bit of vaseline on one childs hand and get a teaspoon of water and drop it on it and show how the vaseline – grease acts as a repellant to the water.
We will then all have a go at doing this in little groups helping each other.
WE will come to the conclusion that water rolls off the hand with the greasy layer.

We will look at the photograph again and discuss how polar bears are white which helps them to blend in to the snow when they are hunting for food. And how the penguin has a black back so that when it is swimming it cannot be seen in the dark water.

[Niamh McCaul]

This sounds like a great activity and I completely agree with you hands on based activities make it more meaningful and engaging.

[Niamh McCaul]

I think this is a great activity Eve. You’re right I think children really are curious about the unknown! I love the idea of performing a scene with their characters!

[Niamh McCaul]

The activity I would set up in my classroom is the Create your own Martian on Mars Space Week activity.

I would introduce the lesson by using the trigger question

Trigger question – what would a martian look like ?

– and then use a mind map or sketch and draw what they would look like.

We could use the photos of mars resources and see what mars looked like to further create clothes or accessories for the martians and create discussions around this.

I would then conduction the investigations by creating the martians using 3D materials.

And finish the lesson we lots of group discussion and a display of each others martians describing them and discussing why they chose characteristics etc.

• This reply was modified 7 months ago by Niamh McCaul.

[Niamh McCaul]

I think this is a fantastic idea Emma- I agree that the song is catchy and I feel kids never feel like they are learning the names of something when they are singing it in a song! I think the idea of represetning one of the planets too also sounds like fun!

[Niamh McCaul]

I would choose The planets activity as I think in my boys school they would enjoy getting out of the classroom to do an activity and not view it as learning but fun!
I would start with the prapartion of what class are we in and what school are we in and what town, county and country. Then ask them to name our planet and the rest of the 8 planets.
I would then play the planet game as outlined In ESRO Lesson 1-
Spreading out lots of hoops and using a yellow hoop for the sun. I would then call out names of countries and famous characters and that when I called out a planet they would jump inside a hoop but not the yellow hoop as this was the sun.
This would familarise the children with the planet names in a fun way.

Then I would continue by playing the planet dance outlined in the lesson teaching them spatial awareness
and explaining how each child would stand in their own hoop and that this was their planet and I would stand in the yellow hoop as the sun.
I would then ask them to stand
in their planet
next to their planet
behind their planet
to the right and left of their planet
under your planet ( by holding it over their head)

and then finishing by playing
Spin their planet to explain how planets revolve around the sun but also spin on their own axis.
they would do this by rolling their planet walking next to it( their hoop) like a wheel around me -the sun and then to hold their wheel – their planet and spin it

Then finishing the lesson by talking about which were the 8 planets and what they revolved around.

[Niamh McCaul]

The Enquiry based activity I would like to try in the class would be the mighty materials – Materials and properties for the junior classes

I liked the trigger & wondering
Oops I spilled my bottle of water and how do I mop it up?

Exploring different materials – plastic bags, newspaper, kitchen roll

Then having a starter question for the investigation -Big Question (Enquiry Focus):
“What materials would work best to mop it up? – Ireally liked how they explored that further by using most absorbant, strongest, softest?

Using predictions then before conducting the investigation – choosing the best material and further investigating – did it mop it all up, was it the strongest? etc
and sharing, discussing this together.

I really like the idea of taking the next step in the investigation and discussing which was the strongest or best brand for the job. When would it be important to use stronger or softer material and go on to design something like a waterproof jacket for their teddy.

I found the workbook so helpful in helping me with these enquiry and wondering questions to really open the discussion more in the classroom.

[Niamh McCaul]

I think this is a great activity Patrick- I think the children would find such excitement in wondering how to slow the egg down! I really like how investigate and explore to carry out the task and explore the concept of gravity.

 

[Niamh McCaul]

Hi

My name is Niamh and I have second class next year. I am really looking forward to learning so much more about space and doing more enquiry based learning.

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