Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
That sounds grea Lisa, I like the idea of measuring how far the rocket had travelled, I hadn’t thought of that link back to Maths. I looked through all the Marvin and Mile cartoons in the last module and there are some really engaging, simple experiments in them that could be very useful to help students understand the scientific process.
I can see myself using the activity set on rockets in my junior infants class. I think that they would probably love the “Aliens in underpants” book series, as they of course seem to find any reference to underpants hilarious. I would begin by reading one of the stories, drawing particular attention to rockets or any other space craft in the story. I would then ask them to draw their own spacecraft, discussing what features make it a good rocket or spacecraft for exiting earth and exploring. We could then make 3D models of the spacecraft. I could ask parents to send in cardboard boxes, toilet rolls etc and build up materials over the course of a week. We could then attempt to create our rockets. This is a good STEAM activity and would involve lots of problem solving and reflection on design etc. There are also lots of lovely cross curricular links with rockets and Maths, particularly shape. We could play games where I call out certain shapes eg. 3 triangles, 1 circle, 1 rectangle and students have to draw a rocket on a whiteboard using those shapes. I would also do the rocket mice (from the science museum in London) investigation with them as it is a good link to forces and would naturally raise questions about how to launch the rocket mice farther. I also feel they would really enjoy launching the mice so engagement would be good.
Hi Brona, yes I’d agree that continuity is so important for students and something that could be highlighted in an SSE. The skills can be built on year to year but what is needed is a school wide buy in to the scientific process and teachers who see the value in performing experiments and encouraging students to think scientifically.
I think I would use the Marvin and Milo cartoons in the online resources section. There is a wide variety of experiments that can be either teacher demonstrated or done by the students. They are simple and could be done by a junior infants class. What I think they would be very useful for is getting students to make predictions and give reasons why. There are over 150 experiments so you could easily do 1 a week. Some of the activities would also be helpful for junior infants with respect to their fine motor skills as they involve cutting and sticking, but with more purpose than just a cutting worksheet for the sake of it. Additionally the experiments don’t require too many resources and those required would be readily available in most primary schools. I also think that the stellarium resource from the online resources section could be useful for showing students the rising and setting of the sun and to further their understanding of why night and day happen.
Some lovely ideas here Megan. Quite a few cross-curricular links with Maths and Art which is always nice and I think really drives home topics for students. Finding stories related to stars or constellations for read alouds or shared reading could give the opportunity for even more cross-curricular links.
I would use the activity set on Space and Aliens, particularly the “create an alien” activity as it is available in Irish and I teach in a Gaelscoil.
I would do this activity having given some background on what Mars is like as a planet and what features it has eg. it is covered in rocks and sand, it has no oceans and lakes. I would begin by asking students what they think a Martian looks like and give them time to sketch their own martians, then students could share their drawings with the class and I’d draw attention to particular features asking why they chose those features and try to get them to relate back to how these features might be useful for life on Mars.
The following day I would ask them to make their drawn Martian using 3D Materials and allow them to adapt based on what they have heard/learned from their peers. I like the opportunity for cross-curricular links here, where the martians could later be used for sorting and counting.
Further cross-curricular links could be made through reading stories about Mars aloud eg. “The boy from Mars”
Hi Sarah, I agree with you that it can be difficult to find exploration questions appropriate for junior infants, but found some great ideas in this module. The bear and his shadow his activity sounds lovely too and I’ve just done a post on this. I like your idea of them creating their own dance moves and I think it could be interesting and funny too to ask them what they think the name of the planet is before revealing it to them.
I liked the activity related to the bear and his shadow. The book Moonbear’s shadow is one in a series and I had another in the series while I was in school called “happy birthday moon” so that could perhaps be related back to an activity at the moon at some stage. I like the literacy element of it and think it’s a good way to engage the students. I am teaching in a Gaelscoil so I would be translating the book to Irish as I read, but that’s quite easy to do with a basic text like that.
I would begin with a group discussions about what a shadow is at the beginning as shown in the video which would also help to equip students with the vocabulary they need to inquire and ask questions. Then on reading the book I’d ask students to notice the difference in bear’s shadow at difference times of day.
I’d then give students a bear or other figure depending on available resources and a torch to experiment with shadows. I’d leave a variety of materials on the table to use, leaving the task somewhat more open-ended than the video suggested which I would hope would bring about varying results when it came time to discuss at the end of the activity.
Weather permitting and sun available I would then bring the students out to experiment with their own shadows.
This sounds like a lovely lesson Aveen and suitable for the younger years. I have posted an inquiry lesson about stars and I think it’d be nice to do the two inquiries on consecutive days or at least close to each other to broaden student understanding of our skies.
An inquiry based activity that I have done with classes before is one centred on the question “Why do stars come out at night?”
We begin with the question and sharing of ideas as to why, some of the answers are inevitably always pretty funny. It’s a topic students tend to be interested in and it’s always great seeing them share their ideas and process and question those of their peers. Then we do an investigation with a globe and a lamp. We turn on the lamp and spin the globe and we show how one side faces away and one side faces towards it. The message comes across even better if it can be done on a dark winter day with the classroom lights off. Then we explain how the stars are always there, they just can’t be seen because of the sun. We then do a little art activity where the students create their own night sky and get the opportunity to share their creations with their peers and explain to them anything they learned.Hi I’m Órla and I’ll be teaching junior infants in September. My favourite space based fact is that you age slightly slower in space – as per Einstein’s theory of relativity, astronauts aboard the ISS age a tiny bit slower than people on Earth, due to time dilation caused by their speed and lower gravity.
Hi Aoife, some good points made here. I particularly like your suggestion of linking it to bealoideas in Gaeilge. A fun way to teach it.
A great list Susan. Love the more modern songs that would certainly be relatable to the senior classes.
Prepare a school project to collect Piseógs/Traditions/Stories of the Night
To engage my students in exploring local folklore, I would start with a class discussion about piseógs, traditions, and stories related to the night. I’d share examples like beliefs about the moon or stories of nocturnal creatures to spark their interest. Then, I would ask the students to interview family members or neighbours to gather any night-related superstitions or stories, encouraging them to write down or record what they learn.
In class, I’d have them share these stories in a storytelling circle, where everyone could hear and discuss the diverse traditions they’ve uncovered. Afterward, I would guide them to creatively present their findings through illustrations, writing, or by acting out the stories in small groups. To culminate the project, I would organize an evening event where the students could showcase their work through storytelling, art displays, or performances, inviting parents and the school community to celebrate and appreciate these cultural traditions. This project would not only connect the students with their heritage but also foster creativity and a deeper understanding of cultural practices related to the night.
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and
the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.To engage junior/senior infants students in exploring local biodiversity, I would start with nature walks in a nearby park or school garden. I’d let them use magnifying glasses to look closely at plants, insects, and other small creatures. I’d organize a treasure hunt where they search for things like feathers, certain leaves, or animal footprints, using a picture checklist to guide them.
For storytime, I’d choose books about wildlife and plants, such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” After exploring, the students could draw or paint what they saw, make leaf rubbings, or create collages from natural materials. We’d also plant a small garden together to help them learn about plant life cycles and the importance of plants.
I’d set up a bug hotel or use jars with air holes so they could observe insects up close before releasing them. We’d sing nature-related songs and play games like animal charades to make learning fun.
Then in regards to the possible impacts of light pollution we could do a simple experiment with moths or other small insects. We could observe how they are attracted to a light source and discuss how this can be dangerous for them, as it distracts them from their natural behaviours. We could also do an activity where we compare two environments: one with natural darkness and one with artificial light. We could use small boxes create these environments, adding toy animals and plants. We’d shine a flashlight into one box to show how the light affects the animals, discussing how the bright light might make it hard for them to sleep or find food.
