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I really like the book Aliens in Underpants save the world and have used one similar in my class before. This would be a great stimulus for discussion on space travel. I like the idea of integrating English writing where the class could write a procedural piece of writing about how to make the spacecraft or a writing piece about the space landing to display with the rockets.
In second class, we will design and make a spacecraft in small groups. This could be used as a follow on to a science lesson on planets or a history lesson on the space landing. Firstly I would spend a week teaching all about the first moon landing in SESE. We would discuss Apollo 11 and the eagle lunar module and the characteristics of a spacecraft. The children would then be split into small groups and be asked to draw and design a spacecraft that they will later make. I would ask the children to bring in recyclable materials from home so each child would use bottles, cardboard, caps etc to make the space craft. I would then facilitate the children making the spacecraft together. The children could gather any materials needed and using tape make their spacecraft as a STEAM activity. This could be furthered by filling spacecrafts with baking soda and vinegar to cause a fizzing reaction to resemble takeoff. Children could also design their spacecraft similar to a paper airplane and could see which one goes furthest and link to forces.
I really like your idea about lying on the yoga maths and looking up at the sky. This could be done in the winter months in particular when mornings are darker and they could see star constellations clearly
I liked the activity set for weather on what clothes to wear. This could be used in 2nd class and could be adapted to be more challenging for the children. I would begin the lesson by discussing the different seasons of the year. Focussing on Winter and Summer, I would discuss the most common types of weather in Ireland (Sunny, Cold, Rain etc). Firstly, I would do different experiments on the different materials of clothing. Using pipettes after making predictions, I would check which materials are waterproof or absorbent. We would then discuss which materials would be best for different types of weather and what materials would be best if we were designing a coat.
This could be furthered as a STEAM activity in the classroom to make clothing for different seasons. An activity like Junk Couture would be a brilliant way of incorporating this. In the classroom, children could be split into small groups to discuss and design an outfit using recyclable materials for a certain type of weather or season. This could be furthered as a whole school STEAM activity where one child walks along a runway in the school hall where another child or children could speak about the outfit and introduce their idea to the school.I really like your idea Yvonne, it sounds like a very fun and engaging lesson. I really like how it could be integrated into lots of different subject areas.
Activity Set: Space and Aliens.
I like this activity set and feel that it could be easily taught in second class. I particularly like this activity as it integrates drama, science, art and English and has endless possibilities in the class. I would start by explaining that Earth is a planet in space. Ask what they would want to show visitors from other planets about Earth. Encourage ideas about special objects or animals and how they might look to someone not from earth. Have them draw and act out a message to share Earth’s wonders.I would then expand to discuss aliens. Currently in second class, we spend each term focussing on different writing genres in English. Using this lesson on drawing aliens and acting out different scenes and stories, it links in great to narrative writing. In my classroom, I would use the drawing and descriptions on their aliens as a base for a narrative story on the theme of space. A book I have used before, ‘Aliens love underpants’ could be used a stimulus to get children thinking about aliens and different images of them. Pictures of aliens from popular children’s films, Monsters Inc, ET or Space Jam could be explored to create oral discussion.Hi Saoirse,
That sounds like a great lesson. I really like the idea of the kahoot quiz. I’d love if you could share it if you have one?
Spherical Earth:
I really liked the ‘Earth Mosaics’ activity which aims to highlight to the children that there is no real ‘up and down’. I would teach this activity to second class. Space is something which children in second class have great interest in and are amazed by. Often, children find it hard to visualise earth as a sphere and I have answered questions on people being upside down many times before. In my own classroom, I have a large world map on the wall which sometimes can confuse children into seeing the earth as flat. The earth mosaic is a great starting point when teaching about earths spherical nature as it creates a visual for the children to see earth as a sphere from different viewpoints but also that it is not a perfect sphere and what is below the earths surface. This could be expanded to use a globe or a ball to demonstrate the shape of the Earth. Discuss how the Earth looks from space and explain how its round shape affects day and night.
Hi Irene,
Thank you for sharing that lesson. It sounds very interesting and engaging. I will be trying this in my class next year.
Teaching second class students about push and pull forces through an inquiry-based activity can be engaging and effective. It is a topic that is already taught in second class and this has made me think more critically about this topic. You could start by introducing the concept of push and pull forces using simple language and relatable examples, like pushing a toy car as mentioned. Encourage students to share their own experiences of push and pull in everyday life to make the topic more relevant and understandable.
Next, set up hands-on activities where students can explore push and pull forces. For example, provide materials like toy cars, ramps, strings, and balloons for students to experiment with different scenarios. Ask guiding questions to prompt critical thinking, such as “What happens when you push the car harder?” or “How can you make the balloon move faster?” This could be furthered by using a ramp to explore push forces or expanded to include friction from different materials when pushing/ pulling.
Encourage students to work in small groups to observe, test, and record their findings. Whiteboards could be used to plan or sketch diagrams of experiments or to record predictions. Finally, gather students together to discuss their observations, share their conclusions, and reflect on their learning experiences.
Hi, my name is Seán and I teach 2nd class. My favourite space fact is that scientists estimate there are about 500,000 pieces of space junk today, including fragments from rockets and satellites, and everyday items like spanners dropped during construction of the International Space Station!
