Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Using the Star Lantern activity in my Senior Infant classroom would provide an engaging and meaningful way to introduce children to the wonders of space. The activity encourages curiosity, observation, and discussion as children explore how stars appear in the night sky and how light travels through small openings.
I would begin by reading a story about the night sky and constellations to spark children’s interest before introducing the lantern-making activity. We would then look at some constellations on the IWB. As the children carefully create their lanterns, they would develop fine motor skills through cutting, colouring, and assembling. Once completed, we would darken the classroom and use torches inside the lanterns to observe the patterns of light, encouraging children to describe what they notice and make predictions about how the light changes. They could bring these lanterns home and explore further with their parents/guardians at night.
This activity would promote scientific inquiry through questioning, observing, and communicating findings while also integrating visual arts, oral language, and mathematics through shape recognition and pattern making. Working collaboratively would encourage social development as children share ideas and help one another.
I think the Star Lantern activity would create a memorable, hands-on learning experience that nurtures children’s natural curiosity about space while making science enjoyable, accessible, and relevant to their everyday experiences.
I really like this idea. I recently taught about shadows in my classroom and your idea is a lovely way to extend the learning. I particularly like the use of different material.
Activity set: The Planets
In my senior infant classroom I would use this activity set in the following way. I would use this lesson to make abstract scientific concepts more concrete by incorporating movement, discussion and hands-on activities. The introduction encourages children to connect their own lives to the wider world by thinking about where they live, progressing from their town and country to the planet Earth. The practical activities would be particularly effective in a Senior Infant classroom, as children at this age learn best through active participation. The Planet Game allows pupils to reinforce their knowledge of the eight planets while developing listening skills and following instructions. The Planet Dance also integrates mathematical language by practising positional vocabulary such as left, right, behind etc. which aids integrated learning.
I would differentiate the lesson by providing visual aids, picture cards and repeated modelling for children who need additional support, while encouraging more confident learners to recall the planets independently or place them in the correct order. Overall, this lesson promotes collaboration, communication and physical activity while fostering an early interest in space. It reflects a child-centred approach that is both enjoyable and developmentally appropriate for Senior Infant pupils.
My name is Rachel. I will be teaching Senior Infants in September. I love teaching the children about space so I chose this course to extend my own learning
As a member of my school’s Green School Committee, I recall learning about sustainability vividly as a child and it has stayed with me throughout my life. Nowadays, sustainability is even more emphasised. For example, daily household practices such as engaging with the return scheme of bottles and cans open up a conversation about sustainability and children find great novelty in their recycling. In my locality, the Tidy Towns committee takes great pride in the upkeep of the community and there is a community garden with vegetable patches that locals can help with and eat from. The local school is also involved in this garden. I would engage pupils to explore sustainability further in school by advocating WOW days (Walk on Wednesday) and carpooling. I would also teach the pupils how to recycle properly by discussing what items go into which bins. I would further this by learning about sustainable food packaging and challenging the pupils to make a lunch with sustainability in mind. We could use some vegetables from the community garden in lunches to witness sustainability in-action.
When I was at school we were encouraged to walk or carpool to school and it has stayed with me ever since. For example, if going to the local shop nine times out of ten I will walk. I think this shows the important role that teachers have in being influential on their pupils in terms of sustainability.
This module was of huge interest to me as I have just begun a fitness programme in which I have to track the amount of protein I eat daily. I now rely heavily on fish as a protein source in my diet. I have recently learned about the amazing nutritional benefits of seafood. For example, the iron in shellfish is heme iron which your body absorbs more easily than the non-heme found in plants. It also boosts the immune system, and cognitive function and supports healthy skin, hair, and nails. Further, salmon is an excellent source of vitamin D. This is important to know as in Ireland 80% of the population lacks vitamin D. Omega 3 supports heart health and is found in all fish but is especially high in salmon. In the classroom, this knowledge can be applied by creating a 3-D food pyramid by bringing in empty packaging or making paper mâché foods. This hands-on active lesson could span across several lessons including science, art, and SPHE. To study the nutritional information, the pupils may also bring in food packaging from home. They may be assigned a task to pack their own healthy lunch including a seafood source and present it to the class.
I love the idea of showing the children what is in your lunch box. This may help them take ownership in packing their own healthy lunch or opening up a discussion between them and their parents about what to pack in a lunch.
The ARC online lessons and resources are an excellent tool to support children to gain an understanding of aquaculture. They are pupil-friendly, informative, and broad. I will be using and sharing these resources in the upcoming academic year. I especially enjoyed Lesson 2: The Nutrition of Seafood. In my classroom, I would use this lesson to ignite the pupil’s interest in aquaculture, nutrition, and healthy eating. The pupils would be split into groups and encouraged to choose the fish they are least likely to eat to research. They would create a project on how it is farmed and its nutritional benefits. We might even try some of the seafood they research. This would encourage the pupils to try new fish and understand the health benefits they provide. From an SSE viewpoint, the pupils could present their projects to different class groups within the school, and the teachers could assess the knowledge their pupils obtain concerning aquaculture. This knowledge could then be extended upon as a school community.
I really liked the idea of using the ‘Salmon of Knowledge’ too and it is something that the children may already be familiar with.
Along the west coast of Ireland in counties such as Mayo, Cork, and Kerry, aquaculture is the predominant type of farming. The landscape, including poor land and highlands, makes it less suited to agriculture. Living in Leinster, I am more familiar with agriculture but this module has sparked an interest in aquaculture. On the West Coast, aquaculture occurs in bays, inlets, and shorelines where there is shelter from the full force of the Atlantic Ocean. Local coastal communities are socio-economically supported both directly and indirectly by aquaculture. It creates employment in these communities in various roles such as aquaculture engineers, scientists, and technologists. It therefore aids community development by creating this range of jobs. It also provides premium seafood to an area to sustain healthy living. While in these coastal regions, many people including myself purchase fresh fish to consume either from a local restaurant or fishmongers. This also economically benefits these areas.
The introduction to this course has really interested me. I chose this course as I used to love fishing with my father on holidays as a child, however coming from a landlocked county, I have little to no knowledge of aquaculture and how it is conducted in Ireland. I believe educating our young people on aquaculture is so important as we are an Island and the Aquaculture Remote Classroom provides an interesting, motivating, and engaging way to do this. I would be excited to engage with this tool myself. The health, nutrition and sustainability component of this tool is vital for pupils to have knowledge about in today’s society. It may even open their eyes to aquaculture as a future career. I know the pupils in my school would love the inside of this facility and it may encourage them to eat more fish as part of a balanced diet.
Module 3:
For this assignment, I choose the star’s activity. I would begin by getting the children to sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and design a star during an art activity. We would discuss when stars can be seen. I would use the ‘Seeing Stars’ video from SFI as a resource for teaching the pupils about constellations. I would also use the ‘Draw your own constellation’. Focusing on lines and the eight stars of the plough, the pupils would design a constellation while integrating a mathematical element. The pupils could then name and present their designs. In groups, the pupils can recreate their constellations using their bodies.
