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Space Week plan
Our school have usually registered for zooms and other activities with certain classes. I would love to extend this to the whole school this year.
Rocket competition invite: I love the idea of a Rocket making competition, mentioned by others in this forum. Watch a Rocket Launch in class.
Our Green Schools committee could take charge and promote the use of recyclable material and taking care of our planet.Rocket Launch day: Last year we invited a parent (an Aeronautical engineer) to come and demonstrate to senior infants and first class, during engineers week.
I’d specifically promote the making of the Rockets with 1st and 2nd class this year as a nice follow-up activity.
we could launch our rockets with balloons, Rocket mice,
We could have a launch day and invite our aeronautical engineer to view and give feedback.Planet display: A planet per class – We could have a display area and each class have 5 interesting facts about their given planet.
Each class would have an opportunity to view this display towards the end of the week or visit other classes with a class Space Passport.Aistear/ Role Play ideas: Junior and senior infants could have a space themed area as part of Aistear. We have play rockets (Peppa/E.C.C), mini space trays (LIDL) and alien toys.
We could gather space-themed books, art ideas, poems and share you-tube links to space songs.
A class could interview an Alien about living on their planet and share some facts about earth.
I’d send out a request for the loan of some space themed costumes- astronaut, stars, planets etc.
Any received could be used for role-play or for photo ops in different classes.In class ideas: A class can choose from below or choose their own one.
Classes could read the Marvin and Milo cartoons.
Moon watch- Full Moon on October 7th, October 10th view the moon in the morning before 1pm.
Rhymes and songs on space- planet song, Twinkle Twinkle, Zoom zoom zoom, We’re going to the Moon,
Star Constellations- Design their own and Bring the iPads outside and find constellations around them – Stellarium
Shadows and the sun
Weather – How the sun and where we live will determine the weather- link with clothes
Graviety – Ball experiment,
View and discuss the moon and the earths rotation using various balls.
Art- Stary night& Starry night over the Rhone (Van Gogh), Starry Night (Munch), Starlight Night (O’Keefe) http://www.spaceweek.ie/events/space-art-with-bco-van-gogh/
Watch the moon landing- make moon footprints in class.
Space-themed books: Library reserve in advance of Spaceweek- Catch a falling star, There’s no place like home, Cearc and Phrompa, Roaring Rockets,
Winnie and Wilbur in Space, On the Moon, Ten Little Aliens,Look up, Maisey’s Moon mission, The Skies above my eyes.The benefits of Space week are that children expolre stem concepts such as observing, designing, building and explaining in a fun way as well as developing other skills.
Our work could be shared on the school website or the School X account. Classes who use google classroom or See Saw could share their activities with home.
We would register our week of events on http://www.spaceweek.ie and also register some classes for any relevant online zooms that may be available on http://www.spaceweek.ieHi Sabrina,
That’s a lovely lesson and definately one children would enjoy. It always blows their mind that the skin of the polar bear is black, because dark colours absorb more light and heat than lighter ones.
Online resources and tools
I’d use the Stellarium-Web.org with my SET children and aim for them to share it with their relevant class. I teach in a large town so the children may not have the clearest view of the night sky. Kids love the magic of stars, Planets and space and Stellarium would go down a treat.
We could download the app on the school ipads and head outside. We could then observe what stars and Planets would be visable to them once home at night and send the relevant information home. It allows us to see the constellations, Planets and the movement around us that we may not be aware of. Screennshot could be taken every few days to show the change in the sky.
The activity could be linked withmany subjects including studying famous artistic creations, SESE (N,S,E,W), SPHE, History (space exploration), Maths (distances/time), History (space exploration), Maths (distances/time) during space week.
Follow on activities can be found on Nasa.gov/learning-resources (search bar)
Marvin and Milo and ESA kids also offer some fantastic resources. It also had an audio version of its informative pages.I must test it out on our own kids soon! I’ll share these resources and ideas in school and aim to have a great space week and science week soon.
Activity set:Stars
I’d start with the Rhyme Twinkle Twinkle and introduce it in Irish through this
The class can then share what they know about stars on a mind map on the board.
Some may have read Oliver Jeffers- How to Catch a Star. I’d ask if it’s possible to catch a star? How big are they? Arr stars visable during the day? Do they know the sun is a star? How many stars are there? Can we see them all from Earth?
After reading the story we would do the ESERO activity Lots and Lots of stars. Using marbles and then sand once marbles have run out!
We would then discuss the photograph of the night sky provided in the activity.Following on from this star image discussion we could make our own story Sky using the spatter technique suggested.
In future art lessons I could follow on with showing some artists impressions of the night sky- Van Goghs Stary night, Starry Night Over the Rhone, Starry Night- Edvard Munch, Starlight night-Georgia O’Keeffe
Hi Marcia, I love the Alien Love underpants idea. The story is also as Gaeilge as ‘Seacain do bhristíní’ for anyone in a Gaelscoil etc.
Activity Set: The Moon and a closer look at it’s surface.
Using the Curious minds ESERO inquiry framework I’d do the following lesson sometime during November-March.
Engage:
Collect prior knowledge from the children. When do you see it? Where is the moon? Can you go there? Have humans been on the moon? Is it always the same shape? What colour is it? Does it have plants, animals etc on it?
Investigate:
View and discuss pics of esero moon collection. We’d discuss how the moon orbits a rotating earth. Some children could demonstrate this rotation to the class by using inflatable solar system balls or Basketball (Earth)and tenis ball (moon). https://www.duffystoyworld.ie/product-page/learning-resources-inflatable-solar-system-set
What does the surface of the moon look like?
Ask the class do email photographs of the moon from their home during the week to share with the class.
Can we get a closer look at the moons surface- enquire if anyone has used a telescope? Discuss texture, bumps, mountains, seas
Take the next step:
Activity with art
Using salt and paint to create textured moon art.
Watch a moon landing.
Make a class footprint replica of a footprint on the moon.
Fun facts
Planets with Moons: Mercury and Venus have no moons. Earth has one (our Moon). Mars has two. Jupiter has 79, Saturn has 146, Uranus has 27, and Neptune has 14.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Hi Sandra, I love this lesson. It’s so well thought out, especially your sensory Moon tray.</p>
Inquiry based activity on Gravity.
Scéal Cearc an Phrompa/Chicken Licken story
The effects of gravity-Does an object size matter?Engage:
Ask the class what they know of gravity/Domhan Tarraingt. Focus on the word tarraingt and go from there. Do heavier things fall quicker? Record results (for reflection later).Discuss and Predict:
The children will be shown a range of object – basketball, tennis ball, baloon, rugby ball, golf ball. Discuss animals falling- bird, snail, sheep, elephant. Discuss vehicles- train, rowing boat, bike, car, aeroplane
Discuss different categories in groups. Present predictions to class.Conduct the investigstion:
Each ball (weight, size & shape). Groups to try out and record their findings. Share with class afterwards.Discussion of results;
Whole class discussion on if all balls fell the same way, why and why not. Did they land together? Would this also be the case if deflated? If on the moon?
Take the next step;
To follow up we could test out any new theories/questions that may arrise.Reflect;
Refer back to our first recorded information.
Set up a tuff tray for free experimenting throughout the week.Domahan tarraingt – use some slides from this. https://padlet.com/s4mjames/eola-ocht-rang-4-1nng0ygyud2dvbc3/wish/x5m7aowNqJVYakAV
Cúla 4- Is eolaí mé. https://foghlaim.tg4.ie/ceacht/f-kyX9EZSwo
Space camp rte https://www.rte.ie/player/series/space-camp-challenge/10001300-00-0000?epguid=IP10001301-01-0001
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I love the idea of the cornflour and conditioner as part of the lesson. Plaster of Paris and a large walking boot imprint would also be a brilliant tool. Thanks</p>
Hi, I’m Niamh. I’ve been teaching SET in a large Gaelscoil for the past few years and have Science as one of my Post subjects. I’m always looking for suggestions for space week etc and have seen some terrific suggestions here already.
Fact-Venus rotates backward compared to most other planets — a phenomenon known as retrograde rotation.
