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For space week the theme would be incorporated into several lessons throughout the week as well as using some of the live resources available.
To start the week:
Space week would be introduced during circle time and we would start a mind map entitled Space which would be displayed and added to throughout the week. A short video linked to space would be shown each day or we would tune into some of the live videos available that week.
For English:
*A reading comprehension about Astronuats and space would be covered. (This is available in their workbook).
*Write a postcard from space.
For PE:
*The students would complete astronaut training obstacle course. climbing over and crawling under things, running jumping, squatting, bouncing a ball.
Drama:
*Students would watch the moon landing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbTaDOuSePk and in groups would create and role play their road trip to the moon and back again. They bring in their own objects to leave on the moon.
Maths:
*Students could practice addition/subtraction doing a colour by number worksheet with a space themed picture created or a code breaker message/ fact about space.
Gaeilge:
*Vocabulary on Weather and clothing could be discussed followed by animals in the cold and their adaptions.
Art/ Music:
*Recreation of starry starry night by Van Gogh with chalk done accompanied by looking at the words of the song starry starry night and listening to its melody.
*Lesson about Mars, Make the surface of mars out of red clay, make an alien that could live on mars.
* Learn about the planets in the solar system through song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ero4xNzqMQ
SSE:
*Create your own rockets – using string, straws and balloons. Add your own features and race them across the room. Discuss what features would help them travel faster/slower and why they are propelled forward.
Just for fun:
Have an space themed lunch, do a dress up day on the theme space.
The students in my class would love this lesson. I will definitely use this during space week this year. Showing the students a video of how real astronauts train for a mission before hand or after would create even more excitement.
I would do the lesson ‘what to wear combined with animals in the cold’ while also integrating some of the key words as Gaeilge for 1st and 2nd class.
I would start by discussing the weather in Ireland and in other parts of the world incorporating the words as Gaeilge into the discussion. We would then discuss the types of clothes to wear for each type of weather and the seasons that we are most likely to have these types of weather.
To follow this we would talk about animals in both hot and cold weather but concentrate on the cold weather animals linking in to the main location of the animals. Students would think about how they would keep warm in the cold such as wearing more clothes, and contrast this to how the animals can’t just put on an extra layer of clothing, we would then discuss how the animals have adapted in order to survive in the cold including the colour of their fur and feathers.
To assess the students learning they could complete a quiz or make a mind map of what they have learnt including the integration of Gaeilge.
A follow on the lesson could include some native animals in Ireland and how they have adapted to survive in their habitat.
The children love to do the hands on activities. Planting different types of seeds that grow at different paces and have different characteristics and observing these over time is also a way to show them that living things are diverse and develop differently.
I like this lesson and the detail you give about stars- especially being used for navigation. I think in the Disney film Moana they use stars to navigate the way.
Students making and describing their own constellations is a great follow up activity.
I like the lesson about Aliens and Mars.
To introduce we would collectively read the story ‘The Smeds and the Smoo’s by Julia Donaldson.
We would discuss and write down all the characteristics of each Alien, Talk about space travel, and also discuss the different Planets and their characteristics- making links to colours, textures of the surface and
If they think it is warm or cold there.To follow this I would ask students if they can name any planets and concentrating on mars, question in more detail what it is like. We would then discuss the facts about planet mars showing photos or short videos of the planet, we would also discuss Rover on Mars and why humans have not gone to Mars yet.
Students would then be asked to create a 3D model using clay of the surface of mars based on the facts and an Alien of their choice to live on Mars.
A follow on to this lesson would be to discuss the other planets in the solar system and their characteristics.
Inquiry based learning
Investigating how different surface materials effects the speed of a toy vehicle/object travelling down a ramp
Resources – 2 marbles, ramps of a given length, set up to have an equal slope covered with various materials (left over lengths of laminate flooring are great) covered with different materials – (heavy duty plastic, different types of carpet, sand paper, lino, no cover, astroturf etc..)
Introduction – Hold the 2 marbles at the top of one of the ramps and ask the children what will happen when they are let go? Question Why do they think this. Let the marbles go and observe them rolling down the ramp. Do they roll at the same speed?
Investigation – Place a second ramp with a different surface beside the original ramp, hold one marble on the original ramp and one of the second ramp – ask the students what they think will happen when the marbles are let go, will they roll at the same speed, can they justify their answer, let the marbles go observe the results and discuss, repeat this for all surfaces until the fastest/slowest surface is found.
Discussion and conclusion – Discuss the results in groups, why do you think that the marble rolled faster/slower over different materials, introduce the word friction and what it is, can you think of any everyday applications of friction and how it helps us.Follow up- would the changing the angle of the ramp change the speed
Eleanor- that’s a really nice lesson and one that I think all junior classes would enjoy doing. Working together in groups is great too.
Hi Yvonne
This looks like a lovely lesson that students in the infant classes could really enjoy and also do at home, including songs will also make it even more enjoyable.
I would teach the students about the phases of the moon as it is a phenomena that they can see every evening if they look out.
I like the idea of reading them a story which introduces them to the moon and its different phases in a fun way and also that it can link to other parts of the curriculum. I also like the fact that students are asked to observe the moon themselves over a period of time and that they can conclude that we are all looking at the same moon. I would also encourage them to ask family living in other locations to send them pictures of the moon.
At the end of the month when all the pictures are displayed it is a lovely way of discussing how the moon is changing each week and introducing the names of each phase with opportunity to add extra phases in if students are particularly interested. I also like this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz01pTvuMa0 as a way to explain why the moon looks different each night.
