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I would use the “Dancing Raisins” experiment with my Second Class class as part of our Space Week activities. I think this would be a fun and simple experiment that would really engage the children and encourage them to develop their scientific skills. I would introduce the activity by talking about space and asking the children if they think there is life on other planets. We could imagine that we are scientists exploring a new planet and have discovered some strange “alien” objects that appear to be moving!
Before carrying out the experiment, I would ask the children to make predictions about what they think will happen to the raisins when they are placed in the different liquids. The children could then work in small groups to carry out the experiment and observe what happens. We could discuss why the raisins move up and down and introduce the idea of bubbles attaching to the raisins and making them rise.
The children could record their predictions and observations through drawings, photographs and simple sentences. We could also discuss how scientists use experiments and observations to find out more about the world around us, just as space scientists investigate planets and search for signs of life.
I think this activity would be a great addition to Space Week as it combines science, imagination and space exploration. It would encourage the children to ask questions, make predictions, observe carefully and discuss their findings, while also showing them that STEM can be fun and exciting.I would choose to use some of the online resources and tools from the module to support a space-themed topic with my Second Class class. I think digital resources are a great way of bringing space to life, especially as it can be difficult for children to visualise things that are so far away from us. I could use videos, interactive websites or images of the planets and the solar system to introduce the topic and encourage the children to ask questions.
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about space and what they would like to find out. We could then explore some of the online resources together as a class, stopping regularly to discuss what we are seeing and learning. I would encourage the children to make predictions and share their ideas with each other.
I would also give the children opportunities to work together in small groups to research a particular planet or space-related topic, depending on their ability. They could then share one or two interesting facts with the class. This would develop their communication, teamwork and digital skills, while also encouraging curiosity and independent learning.
I think using these resources would be a good way to develop a STEM-focused approach in my classroom. I would also look at how I could build more opportunities for children to ask questions, investigate, solve problems and work collaboratively across other areas of the curriculum.I would choose the Activity Set: Stars because I think it would really capture the imagination of my second class pupils. At this age, the children are naturally curious about the night sky and love asking questions, so this topic would give lots of opportunities for discussion and hands-on learning.
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about stars and what they wonder about. We could read a picture book about stars and then watch a short child-friendly video to introduce the topic. I would encourage the children to share their own experiences of seeing stars at night and talk about why we can only see them when it is dark.The practical activities would be the highlight. The children could create their own constellations using black card and star stickers or by punching holes in paper and shining a torch through them. We could also make simple star viewers and use these to explore different constellation patterns. I think these activities would make the learning memorable while also developing fine motor skills and creativity.
To link with other curriculum areas, the children could write a few sentences about their favourite constellation or imagine they were an astronaut looking up at the stars from space. In Art, they could create colourful chalk or paint pictures of the night sky. In Maths, we could count, sort and make patterns using star shapes.
I would also encourage the children to become “star spotters” at home by looking at the night sky with their families and sharing what they noticed the next day. This would help strengthen the home-school connection and show that learning can happen outside the classroom too.
Overall, I think this activity set would be engaging, age-appropriate and full of opportunities for play-based and inquiry-based learning. It would spark the children’s curiosity about space while supporting oral language, literacy, art and science in a fun and meaningful way.
I would use the “The Spherical Earth” activity with my Second Class pupils as a way of encouraging curiosity and challenging some common misconceptions about our planet. Children often have lots of ideas about the shape of the Earth, and I think it is important to give them opportunities to explore, question and investigate rather than simply telling them the answer.
I would begin by asking the children what they think the Earth looks like and record their ideas. This would allow me to see their prior knowledge and create a discussion around their thinking. We would then use models, images and hands-on activities to investigate how we know that the Earth is spherical. I would encourage the children to ask questions and make predictions throughout the activity.
I think this activity would work particularly well because it supports active learning and develops children’s scientific skills, such as observing, questioning and communicating their ideas. It also links well with literacy through discussion and recording findings.
As a follow-up, I would encourage children to create drawings or digital records of what they discovered and reflect on how their ideas changed. This activity would help children see that science is about investigating questions and building knowledge over time.
Enquiry Question
“If an astronaut landed on a rocky planet, which material would protect their helmet best?”
Learning Intentions
Children will:
Explore the properties of different materials.
Make predictions and carry out a fair test.
Work collaboratively to solve a problem.
Explain their findings using scientific language.Scenario
Tell the children:
“An astronaut is travelling to a new planet. The ground is very rocky and we need to find the best material to protect their helmet if it gets knocked or dropped. Can you help?”Materials
Hard-boiled egg (or a small plastic ball if preferred) to represent the astronaut’s helmet
Bubble wrap
Cotton wool
Tissue paper
Fabric
Cardboard
Foil
Elastic bands or tape
Recording sheetBefore We Investigate
Ask:
Which material do you think will protect the helmet best?
Why do you think that?
What makes a good protective material?Children record or draw their predictions.
Investigation
In small groups:
Wrap the “helmet” in one material.
Drop it carefully from the same height each time.
Observe what happens.
Repeat with different materials.
Compare the results.
DiscussAsk:
Which material worked best?
Which didn’t work very well?
Was your prediction correct?
Why do you think some materials protected the helmet better?Record
Children can draw:
The material they tested.
What happened.
Their favourite material.
One thing they learned.Reflection
Complete the sentence:
“I thought __________ would work best, but I discovered __________ because…”I think this sounds like a brilliant lesson, I think the children would really engage with it and enjoy it!