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Hi Orla – I have never heard of the book daddy on the moon so I will definitly be searching for this. I think in the junior classes it is so important to have a book to link in with as it engages pupils from the beginning and can be read over again if needed.
This lesson for my Junior Infants class introduces the exciting topic of Rocket Launches by exploring how rockets travel into space. The lesson begins with a class discussion using pictures or a short video of a rocket launch, encouraging children to describe what they notice, such as the bright flames, loud noise and the rocket moving upwards into the sky. I would explain in simple language that rockets are powerful vehicles used to carry astronauts and satellites into space. Children would then predict what they think a rocket needs to fly and discuss where rockets travel. For a hands-on activity, each child would design and decorate their own paper rocket using coloured cards, crayons and stickers before taking part in a simple straw rocket launch. Children would attach their paper rocket to a straw and blow through another straw to make it fly, investigating how different amounts of force affect the distance travelled. As an extension, children could measure and compare whose rocket travelled the furthest using simple language such as near, far, longer and shorter. The lesson would conclude with a discussion about what they discovered during the investigation, encouraging children to talk about how rockets move and what they learned.
Hi Susan I really like your ideas for this lesson – particulary using the vaseline as blubber! I think this would be fantastic for sensory seeking pupils and even the oral language opportunities and questioning that could come after mixing the vaseline with water when washing their hands.
For my junior infant class I would choose the activity “Where Do We Live?” to help children develop an understanding of their homes, journeys to school, and the local community. The lesson would begin with a class discussion about how each child travels to school, encouraging them to talk about whether they walk, travel by car, bus or bicycle and to describe the things they see along the way, such as parks, shops, traffic lights or playgrounds. Using Google Maps on the interactive whiteboard, we would locate the school and, where appropriate and with parental permission, identify the general location of each child’s home to help children understand that people live in different places within the same community. Children would be encouraged to describe the area around their homes by identifying nearby buildings and landmarks, such as shops, churches, schools, parks or community centres.
We would then move onto exploring different types of homes by looking at and discussing pictures of detached, semi-detached, terraced houses, apartments and bungalows. Children would compare the different houses, identify similarities and differences, and talk about which type of home they live in. As a follow-on activity, children would complete a hands-on sorting task by matching pictures of rooms in a house, including the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room, with everyday household objects that belong in each room, such as a bed, sofa, cooker or toothbrush. Throughout the lesson, children develop their understanding of homes and communities while strengthening their oral language, observation, classification and geographical awareness through discussion, visual resources and practical activities.Hi Sarah I chose stars as my activity however having looked at all your ideas I think the space and aliens would be a lovely topic also. I love the activity of creating your own alien – this could also be done as a group activity and maybe displayed in your schools reception area? It could be opened up to other classes by having games such as ‘guess the aliens name’ etc. We love entering art competitions throughout the year as a class and this would be a perfect idea for this.
For my junior infant class I would use the topic of stars through discussion, storytelling, art, and music. I would begin with a class discussion using a picture of the night sky, where the children are encouraged to talk about what they can see and share any experiences of looking at the stars. I would explain that stars are very far away and shine brightly in the night sky. The main activity would involve each child creating their own starry night picture using dark paper and art materials such as yellow crayons, paint, or star stickers, while also practising counting and describing their stars. My lesson would be supported by singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with actions to encourage movement and engagement, followed by reading a star-themed story, such as How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers, to develop language and imagination. We would recap with children discussing what they have learned, identifying that stars are seen in the night sky and describing them as bright or twinkly.
Hi Aisling I love the idea of using the torch to represent the sun – how much fun the children would have with this! I had thought about exploring shadows with a partner outside however using a teddy or their favourite toy and a torch is another great way of engaging the children or for using with the children who work better on their own than in pairs or groups.
The children will investigate the inquiry question, “How does the Sun make shadows?”
The activity will begin with a fun song about the Sun and shadows to introduce the topic and encourage discussion. I would use the song ‘Mr Sun’. For my junior Infants class I feel “Mr. Sun” would be the best choice because it naturally leads into discussing sunlight and how it helps us see shadows. After singing, I would ask:
“What happens when the Sun shines on us?”
“Can you see your shadow?”
“What do you think makes a shadow?”The children would then predict when and where they might see shadows before going outdoors to observe their own. Working with a partner, they would explore how their shadows change as they move and will trace each other’s shadows with chalk. The children could then take pictures of their shadows using the Ipad’s. They would compare their observations and discuss what they notice using vocabulary such as Sun, shadow, light, dark, predict, and observe. Through my questioning and shared discussion, the children would discover that shadows are formed when an object blocks light and that shadows change depending on the position of the Sun.
Hi Niamh this sounds like a great lesson – I love the link to the three billy goats gruff story and how it is so cross curricular with many subjects e.gl shape in numeracy and the projects that could be completed for visual arts.
Hi my name is Shauna and I will be teaching junior infants in September. I have no experience teaching space to this age group but feel it will be an amazing topic for this age group. I am fascinated myself by all things space however do not have a fun fact at this stage. Hoping to have many by the end of the course!
For my lesson:
The children will explore the inquiry question, “What makes some things float while others sink?” They will begin by examining a variety of everyday objects and predicting whether each will float or sink when placed in water. Working in small groups, the children will test their predictions by carefully placing each object into a water tray and observing what happens. They will discuss their observations using simple scientific vocabulary such as float, sink, predict, and observe. After testing, the class will sort the objects into floating and sinking groups and compare the results with their original predictions. Through teacher questioning and discussion, the children will be encouraged to think about why some objects float while others sink, helping them develop curiosity, observation skills, and an understanding that scientific investigations involve making predictions, testing ideas, and sharing findings.