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This module focused on SSE and developing Science skills provides children with valuable opportunities to explore the world around them, develop curiosity and build confidence as young scientists. Through Working Scientifically observe carefully, make predictions, investigate and experiment, estimate and measure, sort and classify, recognise patterns, record and communicate their ideas. These skills encourage children to become active participants in their learning rather than simply receiving information. Designing and Making further develops creativity, problem-solving and independence as children explore possibilities, plan what they want to achieve, make and adapt their ideas, and evaluate the finished product. In a special-school setting, these skills can be developed through highly practical, sensory and play-based experiences, with pupils demonstrating understanding through looking, reaching, touching, choosing, communicating, manipulating materials and participating alongside others. Science helps children develop curiosity, critical thinking, communication, perseverance, creativity and a positive attitude towards learning, while giving them meaningful opportunities to understand and influence the world around them.
There are strong opportunities to establish links between the revised Primary Mathematics Curriculum and Science, particularly through play, investigation, questioning, measurement, patterns, data and problem-solving. This is especially valuable as I teach in a special-school as maths can be taught through real, meaningful experiences rather than as isolated skills. I really like the examples you have shared such as “Estimate First – Display a jar filled with stars” and hope to employ them in the next school year.
The revised Mathematics Curriculum encourages children to develop mathematical understanding through meaningful contexts, reasoning, problem-solving, exploration and communication. Science provides an excellent context for this. We can create engagement with scientific reasoning by asking thought provoking questions such as “Which plant has grown the most?” “What happens after day? What comes next?” and “What shapes can we see in the Moon, Sun and stars?”
This creates a much more integrated, purposeful and engaging curriculum, where pupils experience Mathematics as a tool for understanding and investigating the world around them.
I will definitely encourage my school to take part in Space Week in October. It provides a wonderful opportunity to make Science exciting and accessible. It can also be adapted beautifully for children with additional learning needs through sensory experiences, art, music, movement and hands-on exploration.
My chosen class activity from this module would be creating a Star Lantern. We could explore the idea that the night sky contains many stars, even though we can only see a small number from Earth. First decorate a paper cup or paper lantern with stars, moons and planets, making star shapes using stickers or sponges. Then add holes or cut-out star shapes before placing a battery-operated LED tea light inside. Use a star projector or sensory night light to enhance the experience. For children with severe or profound learning needs, the activity could become a wonderful multi-sensory experience. Pupils could choose between different tactile materials, activate a switch to turn the light on, explore star-shaped objects, look at projected stars and enjoy the changing light.This is a lovely, age-appropriate activity for Junior Infants. I particularly like how the Moon phases observation at home is a particularly strong way of connecting classroom learning with children’s everyday experiences. I think the combination of Science, Art, oral language and home-school learning makes this a very engaging way to introduce the Moon and encourage children to become curious young scientists.
I also like to using visual prompts, photographs and simple choices such as “smooth or bumpy?” and “light or dark?”. This opportunity also encourages communication, cooperation and listening.
Activity: Exploring how light and darkness represent day and night for children with Special Needs
Initially I would turn off the classroom lights and allow pupils time to experience the change from light to dark. Simple language to be used throughout the lesson include “Light – day. Dark – night.” Given time to encourage students to explore a torch and lights. Show two visual cards for: sun on bright card for day and moon on dark card for night.
Now showing the globe and pointing the torch light while asking “Where is the light?” “Day or night?” Reinforce the key concept through repetition: “When it is light, it is day. When it is dark, it is night.”
We continue to develop understanding through a simple day/night sequence:
Wake up → Day → School → Dinner → Night → Sleep by matching pictures and objects to day and night routines and show a simple visual schedule showing sun → day → moon → night.I like the idea of “Can You Find a Star?” using the image of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. We include sensory exploration for my class with complex learning needs
- A textured star
- Soft dark-blue fabric
- Yellow/gold fabric
- Star-shaped objects
- Glow-in-the-dark stars
- A sensory light
- A textured moon
We will now try using dark blue or black paper with sponge stars yellow or metallic paint and star textured rollers to create their own night sky. Finally turning the classroom lights down again encouraging everyone to look at the finished artwork and star light. “There are billions of stars in our galaxy — and we now made our own little piece of the night sky!”
I work in a Special School for children with Moderate learning difficulties, Severe to Profound learning difficulties and Autism. I am hoping this course will give me simple and motivating ways to explore science. Science lends itself to sensory exploration which the children particularly enjoy. We have included STEM as one of our prioritised subjects as part of the Primary Curriculum Framework, with the redeveloped primary curriculum specifications. I also hope to promote Space week in our school next year.
Interesting facts I’d like to share is the time each planet takes to rotate once on its axis or one day length
• Earth = about 24 hours
• Mars = about 24½ hours
• Jupiter = about 10 hours
• Saturn = about 10½ hours
• Uranus = about 17 hours
• Neptune = about 16 hours
• Mercury = about 59 days
• Venus = about 243 days
Jupiter has the shortest day, less than 10 hours.
Venus has the longest day about 243 days.