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I chose the Paper Rockets activity because I think it would be a fun and engaging activity for the children while also developing their science skills. I would begin by showing the children different types of rockets and talking about how rockets are launched. I would then ask them to design and make their own paper rocket.
Before launching them, I would encourage the children to make a prediction about which rocket they think will travel the furthest and why. They could then launch their rockets and measure the distances travelled, recording their results. We could compare the results and discuss why some rockets travelled further than others.
I like this activity because the children are actively involved in the learning. They are designing, making, testing and improving their rockets rather than just learning about rockets from a book. It would also give them an opportunity to work together and share ideas.
There are lots of opportunities for cross-curricular learning too, particularly through maths when measuring and recording distances. The children could also redesign their rockets after seeing the results and test them again. This would help them understand that making mistakes and trying again is an important part of scientific investigation. Overall, I think this activity would be a fun way to develop curiosity, problem-solving and teamwork.
I really like the link here to animals, I think this would be a very engaging lesson for the children.
I chose the activity “Investigating Children’s Coats” as I think it would be a practical and enjoyable science activity for my class. It would give the children an opportunity to investigate something that is part of their everyday lives while developing important science skills.
I would begin by asking the children which coats they think would keep them warmest and why. They could make predictions before carrying out the investigation. We could then look at different coats and materials and discuss their properties. The children could work in small groups, making observations, taking measurements and recording their results.
I particularly like this activity because it encourages the children to find things out for themselves rather than simply being given the answer. They would have to think about whether the test was fair and use the results to decide which material worked best. We could discuss whether their predictions were correct and why.
The activity also provides opportunities for maths through measuring and recording results, as well as literacy through discussion and explaining their findings. It could also lead into a STEM activity where the children design a coat suitable for keeping someone warm and explain the materials they would choose. Overall, I feel this activity would encourage curiosity, teamwork and problem-solving while developing the children’s understanding of science.
One activity from this module that I would use in my classroom is the “Create an Alien” activity. I think this would be a fun activity for younger children as it allows them to use their imagination while also learning about space. It could also be used across a number of different subjects, which would make it a useful activity in the classroom.
I would begin by talking to the children about aliens and asking them what they think an alien might look like. I would show them some examples and encourage them to come up with their own ideas. The children could then design and draw their own alien, thinking about things such as how many eyes, arms or legs it might have and what kind of planet it could live on.
I would encourage the children to explain their alien to the rest of the class and talk about why they chose certain features. They could also give their alien a name and write a few sentences about it. I think this activity would help children develop their creativity, communication and language skills while also encouraging them to be curious about space. It would be a simple but enjoyable way to introduce the topic of space and aliens in the classroom.
Hi Una, I really like the idea of using the story you mentioned above as part of the lesson. I think this would be very engaging.
One activity from this module that I would use in my classroom is the “What Makes Shadows?” activity. I think this would be a fun and simple way for children to learn about light and shadows while also giving them the chance to investigate things for themselves.
I would begin by asking the children what they think a shadow is and where they have seen shadows before. I would then show them a torch and different objects and ask them to predict what will happen when the light is placed behind each object. The children could work in small groups and use torches and different objects to make their own shadows. They could move the torch closer and further away and see how this changes the size of the shadow.
I would encourage the children to talk about what they notice and to make their own predictions before testing them. At the end of the activity, we could discuss what they found out and compare their results with their original ideas. I think this activity would work well with young children because it is hands-on and allows them to learn through experimenting. It would also help develop their curiosity, observation and communication skills.
Hi Sarah, I will also be teaching junior infants and I really like the sound of your ideas – very age appropriate.
Hi everyone, my name is Éadaoin and I will be teaching junior infants this year. My favourite fact about space is that one million earths could fit inside the sun. I find that incredible!
I would like to use inquiry-based learning in my classroom because I think children learn best when they are given the opportunity to explore things for themselves. One activity I could use is the “Mighty Materials” investigation, where the children find out which material is best at absorbing water.
I would start by creating a simple situation, such as pretending that a drink has been spilled on the table. I would ask the children what material they think would be best for cleaning it up and why they think this. The children could then make their own predictions before testing different materials, such as kitchen roll, tissue, cloth and newspaper.
I would put the children into small groups and let them carry out the investigation together. They could see which materials absorb the most water and record their results. I think this would be a good way of encouraging children to ask questions, make predictions and talk about what they have discovered.
At the end of the activity, I would discuss the results with the class and ask if their predictions were correct. I would also ask them what they might do differently if they carried out the investigation again. Overall, I think this type of activity would make learning more enjoyable while helping children develop their curiosity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.