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Hi Louise,
I really like the sound of your lesson. The questions would definitely get the children thinking and talking. I also like how you’ve used music to support the theme. I was thinking of using Catch a Falling Star and adding some simple movement. It could work well at the start of the year when talking about hopes or wishes as part of SPHE and wellbeing.For art, I might link it to Van Gogh’s Starry Night and have the children create their own night skies using paint or pastels. I also thought of the book Laura’s Star, which ties in nicely with the idea of caring for something and using your imagination.
I really like your plan — it sounds very interactive and fun. My class love anything involving getting messy or eating! Your idea made me think of the old Jaffa Cake ad. Instead of biscuits, you could try using different sized paper plates or craft foam circles to represent the moon phases. The children could use paint, chalk, or fabric to show the light and dark parts. Another idea is using shadow puppets with their hands to mimic the moon phases.
Your moon surface activity sounds very hands-on too. I was thinking I might do this using a tuff tray and supply materials like crumpled foil or bubble wrap to represent the rocky, uneven surface, alongside sand or small pebbles. Adding a few flashlights could help the children explore light on the moon’s surface.
I also think incorporating a simple dance or movement game to show the moon’s orbit around Earth might help make the concept stick. My class love Danny Go and his ‘Space Race’ dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sv-CXY2soo
I would like to explore the activity set The Sun and Shadows with my class in September. I would start by bringing the class outside to the yard on a sunny day and let them explore freely. They could try running, waving, or doing star jumps — just observing how their shadows copy every movement. We could move to different locations in the yard (e.g., shaded areas) to see what changes we notice and encourage discussion about how the light source (the sun) creates the shadow. I would ask questions like, “Where do you think the shadow has gone now that we’re inside?” or “Can we make shadows without the sun?”
I would then ask the children to work in pairs to suggest other ways of making shadows, with the hope of opening the door to indoor exploration using torches, toys, or even our own hands to create different shadow shapes and sizes. I’d also encourage the children to draw or colour shadows as just outlines or solid black — helping them see that shadows don’t have details or colours.
To bring a story element into it, I think Moonbear’s Shadow, a story shown in the video, would be a lovely book to introduce the concept. It’s a gentle and engaging way to start the conversation and can really help children relate to the idea in a fun, story-based way. After reading, they could go out and try to “catch” their own shadows just like Moonbear does, or recreate parts of the story using shadow puppets behind a sheet.
I remember a teacher of mine reading a story called Laura’s Star, which sparked my interest in space at a young age. It shows how powerful stories can be in inspiring curiosity.
It’s a simple, active, and creative way to bring science, literacy, and drama together — and it’s always one of those lessons they remember!
I really like how you’ve linked gravity with Jack and the Beanstalk. Using a story the children may already be familiar with lets them focus on the higher-order concepts, like gravity itself, rather than getting caught up in understanding the story.
The questions you ask are simple but get children thinking about what’s happening and why. The “What Falls Faster?” experiment sounds like a fun, hands-on way for them to see gravity in action. Using props from the story helps make the science feel relevant and real. This year, my class grew sunflowers, and we often called them our “beanstalks,” so it would be lovely to tie that in with this activity.
I think combining stories with experiments like this is a great way to introduce tricky ideas. I will definitely try this with my class next year.
Hi everyone,
My name is Shauna and I teach First Class. My favourite space fact is that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. It sounds unbelievable, but scientists estimate that it’s actually true — with around a septillion stars up there!
This year, one of the most rewarding inquiry-based activities we completed in First Class focused on waterproof materials. The children were tasked with helping our class teddy bear stay dry by designing and creating a raincoat. They made predictions, tested various materials, observed the outcomes, and discussed why some materials performed better than others. This simple activity was highly engaging and provided a great introduction to scientific thinking, sparking curiosity and meaningful conversation.
Building on this, I would love to adapt the activity next year by having the class design a spacesuit for a teddy astronaut. This would enable us to explore related concepts such as insulation, waterproofing, and durability in a fun, imaginative context. I think drama could also be integrated here to deepen engagement, by role-playing scenarios like astronauts preparing their suits or scientists testing materials.
I enjoyed the water spill investigation shown in the slides—encouraging children to come up with their own ideas for cleaning up a spill is a straightforward yet powerful way to foster problem-solving and creativity. This activity is easily adaptable across different class levels. I look forward to using this approach when we return to school, as it encourages active learning through discovery and discussion.
1st Class Plan to Incorporate Space Week:
English:
Reading:
Explore space-themed picture books and read-alouds, including titles such as Aliens Love Underpants, Laura’s Star, and the inspirational storybook Shooting for the Stars by aspiring astronaut Norah Patten.Writing:
Children can enhance their questioning skills by brainstorming questions they would like to ask Norah Patten or the space station. The children could use a KWL chart to help them.The children could also create a travel brochure for space, practising descriptive writing by detailing the excitement of space travel, essential items to bring depending on which planet, and share new space facts.
Oral Language/Drama integration:
The children could role-play as astronauts, scientists, or aliens. They can have conversations about their “space missions,” describe their roles, and answer questions from their classmates.
Pair students up to conduct mock interviews where one plays the role of an astronaut or alien and the other is a reporter. They can prepare questions and practice responding in character, enhancing their speaking and listening abilities.
Maths – Children create their own star constellations by arranging star stickers or cut-outs on paper and connecting them with string or yarn to make patterns. They learn about distance by measuring how far apart the stars are with rulers and practice counting by tallying stars in pre-drawn constellations on worksheets. Outside, they can use star-shaped cut-outs and chalk to create constellations on the ground, measuring distances between stars with measuring tapes. They count stars scattered around the playground and play a star distance game, finding and measuring distances between star markers.
Irish – integrate weather/travel with the theme of space. Counting down a rocket launch as Gaeilge.
Geography – Children explore facts about the planets by learning interesting details about each one, such as their sizes, colours, and unique features. They use books, videos, or pictures to gather information and discuss what makes each planet special. After learning, they create their own planet dioramas using shoeboxes, paint, and craft materials to represent the planets and their features. They arrange their dioramas to show the planets in order from the sun. Each group could present their diorama to the class, sharing interesting facts about their chosen planets.
Science – Children could explore crater formation by creating their own models. I have witnessed a teacher doing this lesson before using a tuff tray, flour and coco powder. Drop different-sized balls from various heights into the tray to see how craters form from impacts. Talk about how the size and height of the balls affect the craters. Afterward, children compare what they observed and discuss their findings.
History/Art Integration – Children learn about the history of space exploration by discovering how astronauts first traveled to the Moon. We could explore Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission, highlighting his famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” They could watch a short video or look at pictures of rockets and spaceships from the past. Children create their own space rockets/rocket mice using craft materials.
Music/PE integration – Listen and respond to the theme tune of StarWars/Rocket man. The children could make their own “space music” using rice shakers and other instruments.. They can also dance or move like astronauts or aliens to the music
I completely agree. I think thematic planning works so well in junior classrooms due to the shorter day and sometimes shorter attention span. The children really invest in the themes and there are great opportunities for language development. Some great ideas here that I will note for the next space week.
If I were to teach a lesson on different types of houses to junior, senior, first, and second classes, I would incorporate hands-on activities to engage the students fully. I would start by using an excerpt from David Walliams’ novel “Space Boy” as a stimulus, sparking a discussion on how we might introduce our “home” to an alien visitor.
We would then talk about the different types of homes in Ireland and around the world. I would invite children from different countries to share their experiences, allowing for a rich exchange of cultural perspectives.
For the hands-on activity, I would provide materials such as play dough, lollipop sticks, sugar cubes, pipe cleaners, and junk art supplies. The students would build houses for new inhabitants, which would offer a fantastic opportunity to link with science by discussing the properties of the materials used and determining which options were the best and why.
To extend the learning experience, I would invite the more senior classes to get involved by having them act as mentors for the younger students. They could assist in the construction process, offering guidance on design and material selection based on their advanced understanding. Additionally, the senior students could prepare short presentations on different architectural styles from around the world, further enriching the discussion on global housing.
Each group could first build their house using ICT, tying in the popular game Minecraft to create digital models of their designs. This would engage students who enjoy playing Minecraft and allow them to explore architectural concepts in a virtual environment before moving on to the physical construction.
To wrap up the lesson, the children would gather to showcase their house models. They would share what they learned about different types of houses, where people live, and how they would explain houses to aliens.
I love your idea of incorporating a Junk Couture project into the weather activity! It’s a fantastic way to combine creativity with practical learning. Engaging students in group work to design and present their outfits would not only enhance their understanding of materials but also foster teamwork and presentation skills. Great suggestion! Could also be a buddy activity where the more senior classes link up with the junior classes.
Activity Set: Stars
I would use this activity in the infant classroom by introducing stars and constellations with some pictures and a simple explanation that stars are like our sun but much farther away. We would learn the song “Catch a Falling Star” and revise “Twinkle Twinkle” in our music lessons. I would like to take the children outside for a space-themed scavenger hunt. Giving each group a constellation card and a flashlight, I would hide star stickers around the yard and have the kids find and place them on their papers to recreate their constellations. After this, I would invite each group to present their constellation and share any stories or myths about it.
For an older class, an extension of this lesson would be researching and presenting on different constellations, including their history and cultural significance. We could also incorporate a night-time stargazing event to identify constellations in the real night sky, deepening their understanding and appreciation of astronomy.
Love this idea and the integration across subjects!
I especially like the “Draw Your Own Constellation” activity. Using black sugar paper, gold star stickers, and chalk is a fantastic, hands-on way for infants to learn. I currently teach first class and will definitely use some of these ideas! I would extend this by incorporating constellation myth stories. Children could research and present short stories about the myths behind different constellations.
I would like to plan a lesson on the planets. I would use Norah Patten’s book, Shooting for the Stars’ as a stimulus.
To start, I would assess the students’ prior knowledge by asking them what they already know about the planets and space. Then we would read “Shooting for the Stars,” sharing Norah Patten’s inspiring journey as an Irish scientist and aspiring astronaut. I think the planet song would serve as an excellent brain break. It would help them remember the names and order of the planets in a catchy way.
Following the song, we could create a large solar system model. The children could be divided into small groups and tasked with making a representation of a planet using a range of materials. We could then sing the song again and place them in the correct order from the Sun while discussing their unique features.
To integrate math, we could compare planet sizes using objects to represent their diameters, helping the students understand scale and proportion. We could end the lesson with a “space walk” where each group presents their planet to the class, sharing interesting facts they learned.
Love the idea of drawing their shadow! I am also excited to create a sun dial. I would integrate drama here by introducing puppets to the children and having them create a drama all about shadows!
Hi Orlagh, that is such a creative and age appropriate idea! I love how you used Paddington Bear and his wellington boots to make the lesson engaging. The hands-on investigation with different materials is a great way to spark curiosity and critical thinking. I could see how this approach could be integrated with maths, like exploring capacity or measurement with the different materials. I’m definitely going to try something similar in my class. Thanks for the inspiration!
Introduction:
Hello, I’m Shauna, and I teach first class. I am passionate about inspiring curiosity and a love for exploring the world around us.
Favourite Space Fact:
If you could fly a plane to Pluto, the trip would take more than 800 years. I like this fact as it highlights just how vast the solar system truly is.
Reflection on Inquiry-Based Activity:
One of my favourite inquiry-based activities would revolve around the Northern Lights. Inspired by my recent sighting, I would introduce the topic by showing images of the Northern Lights as a stimulus and asking the children what they think is happening/causing this.
Using coloured cellophane and flashlights, children could create their own light displays, shining the flashlights through the cellophane to see how different colours appear on white paper. This hands-on activity would help them understand light refraction and the science behind the Northern Lights. For infants, I would focus on the visual experience and a basic explanation of light and colours. I think this lesson would integrate with geography well as we could partake in a country study of Iceland and even art with using black paper and pastels to create a northern lights landscape.
