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Activity Set: Space and Aliens
This activity is based on the hugely popular picture book Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman. Begin with a shared reading of the book, the children participate in a guided discussion with questions such as “Why do the aliens love underpants?” and “What would your alien look like?” helping to develop comprehension and imagination. The story’s humorous and colourful illustrations provide a fun entry point for learning about space and creativity.
Then the children can design their own alien and a matching pair of crazy underpants. They draw their alien and decorate underpants using art and craft materials on a large page (or use a teacher designed template). This task promotes visual expression and fine motor skills, while allowing the children to explore their own imaginative ideas inspired by the story. To extend the activity, older or more advanced children can write a short sentence or paragraph about their alien, describing its name, what kind of underpants it wears, and why.
Extension Activity: Wax Crayon Underpants Painting.
Large underpants template, white wax crayons, watery paint, paint brushes.
Children draw/design shapes, pictures or patterns on a template using white wax crayons. Ensure they press hard with white crayon; chunky white crayons work best.
Talk about what the children notice, can they see their drawings? …. explain it’s difficult to see as both are white.
Now do some magic painting to make their drawings appear, the children paint over the top of their drawings with watery paint.
They describe their drawings.
Why can they see their picture now?…….Watery paint doesn’t stick to the wax from the crayon.The children can share their creations with the class, building confidence in speaking and listening. The artwork and writing pieces can be displayed in a themed wall display titled “Alien Underpants Parade.” This activity integrates English, Visual Arts, and elements of Science, encouraging playful learning through storytelling, creativity, and collaboration.
Hi Sorcha,
Using iPads and Padlet is a great addition to the lesson and it encourages independent research and peer learning, making the lesson more interactive and engaging. A useful app for this activity is Explain Everything, which allows children to record their voice, add drawings, images, and text to create short presentations. They could use it to explain what they’ve learned about the Sun or shadows in their own words, then upload their videos to Padlet for the whole class to watch and learn from each other in a fun, creative way.
I would use the Sun and Shadows activity to help children understand how light from the Sun creates shadows and how those shadows change during the day. We would begin by going outside in the morning to look at our shadows. The children could take turns tracing each other’s shadows on the ground with chalk. They could label the time and talk about the size and direction of the shadows. Later in the day, they go back out to the same spot, stand in the same places, and trace the shadows again. They could compare the new shadows with the morning ones and notice how they have moved and changed in length.
Throughout the activity, I would encourage the children to ask questions like, “Why is my shadow longer now?” or “Why did it move?” We would discuss how the Sun appears to move across the sky and how that changes the light and the position of our shadows.This activity not only supports science learning (light, the Sun, Earth’s rotation) but also builds skills in observation, comparison, and recording changes. It’s active, engaging, and it helps the children relate what they see and do to real world natural events. It also supports cross-curricular learning through drawing, measuring, and using time words, helping to make science fun, hands on and easy to remember.
Hi Niamh,
I love the idea of drawing or building a Moon home, it’s very imaginative. The children could think about what a home would need on the Moon, like air, warmth, and strong walls. They could come up with creative ideas, eg, like floating beds or space gardens. It also gives them a chance to make and share their own designs, which helps them learn by doing and builds their confidence.
Inquiry based activity Junior Classes – Start by engaging the class with a playful “Drop Zone” game, the children guess what will happen when different objects are dropped, eg, ball, paper, feather. Turn it into a “Will it fall fast or slow?” challenge.
Introduce the word gravity as the “invisible helper” that pulls everything down. Set up a Gravity Play Area where the children explore the idea of gravity; dropping various classroom items and talking about what they notice; race two objects at once and see which hits the ground first.
Get the children to make paper parachutes, mini paper helicopters, or use scarves to float and catch. Ask: “Can you slow gravity down?” Let them run a mini contest to see whose parachute or helicopter stays in the air the longest.
Add a “Moon Walk” roleplay; “You’re on the Moon, jump in slow motion!”
Carry out some drawings….“What would happen if there was no gravity?”
Storybooks……Papa Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle or Whatever Next by Jill Murphy.
I agree Colin, exploring the visual impact of urban heat islands with the children and how it affects their own school or local community is very important. They will become more aware of how cities can get hotter than the nearby countryside, for example, buildings, roads, and footpaths soak up and hold heat from the sun. They might notice that the playground or yard feels much hotter than grassy or shady areas. They may also observe that some rooms in the school feel warmer than others. Seeing this helps the children understand how towns and cities can change the temperature and why it matters for people’s comfort.
Climate Detectives Research Question Planner
1. Research Question
How has increased rainfall over the past decade affected the frequency of flooding in low-lying areas, for example, Cork City?2. What is the climate issue?
Cork City is experiencing more frequent and intense rainfall events, contributing to urban flooding, especially in low-lying areas near the River Lee. Climate change is believed to be intensifying these weather patterns.3. Why is it important?
Flooding in Cork causes significant disruption, damaging homes, businesses, and transport routes. It also places stress on emergency services and city infrastructure. Understanding the link between rainfall and flood frequency is crucial for improving flood defences, city planning, and climate adaptation strategies.4. Who is affected and how?
• Residents and business owners in the city experience property damage and economic losses.
• Local government and emergency services face increased pressure to respond to frequent flood events.
• Commuters and students are affected by road closures and service delays.5. What data could you use or collect to investigate it?
• Rainfall data from Met Éireann or Cork City Council over the past 10 years.
• Flood incident reports and response logs from local authorities.
• Elevation maps of Cork showing flood-prone zones, eg, River Lee catchment area.
• Land use and drainage maps showing surface types and water absorption capacity.
• Tide and river level data, as tidal flooding also plays a role in Cork.Elevator Pitch:
EO Browser is a powerful, user-friendly online tool that lets you explore up-to-date satellite imagery from multiple Earth observation missions all in one place. It offers easy access to high-resolution images and data about land, water, vegetation, and atmosphere, helping users visualise environmental changes over time without needing advanced technical skills. It can be used to track deforestation, monitor urban growth, or study weather patterns. EO Browser makes complex satellite data accessible and interactive for anyone.Using EO Browser in the Classroom:
I would use EO Browser to bring real-world Earth science and geography concepts to life. The children could investigate local environmental changes by comparing satellite images from different dates, analyse effects of natural disasters, or monitor vegetation health. It deepens their understanding of remote sensing, climate change, and human impact on the planet.Encouraging the children to create their own weather experiments helps them learn by doing and makes the topic more interesting. For example, they could observe cloud cover by noting the types of clouds they see, estimating how much of the sky is covered, and recording changes throughout the day. These activities provide direct experiences with real weather data, helping them understand how weather works while building their observation and measuring skills.
• The film Home is a breath taking documentary that uses aerial footage from over 50 countries to highlight the beauty and fragility of our planet. The film explores the interconnectedness of life on Earth and highlights the severe impact of human activity, especially deforestation, pollution, overconsumption, and climate change.
Narrated in a reflective tone, it highlights how we are living in a critical time; how we have limited time to change our behaviour before the damage becomes irreversible.
While the film presents the problems, it also encourages collective responsibility and sustainable solutions. It’s a powerful visual reminder that Earth is our shared home, and we must act to protect it.• I found the carbon footprint questionnaire interesting. Everyone should be encouraged to complete one to better understand their impact on the environment. It certainly highlights how our actions impact the planet, and it allows for smarter choices to cut emissions, slow climate change, and care for the planet long-term.
• Introducing climate change facts in the classroom:
Storybooks (e.g. Somebody Swallowed Stanley or Greta and the Giants).
Songs and rhymes about nature and helping the planet.
Visuals – simple pictures showing clean vs. polluted places.
Hands-on activities – planting seeds, recycling games, turning off the lights.Hi Diarmuid,
Encouraging the children to reflect on their actions helps build awareness and responsibility. Exploring simple, age-appropriate ways to reduce their carbon footprint, like turning off lights or walking to school, empowers them to make a real difference, even at a young age.
Hi Tara,
I like the idea of getting the children to apply their learning by creating a short climate report using a format that suits them. Comparing scenarios and discussing local impacts builds critical thinking and helps them see how climate change affects their own lives. It’s engaging, personal, and encourages real-world connections.
Paxi’s Video is engaging and age-appropriate video that’s a powerful educational tool that helps children understand one of the biggest challenges of our time.
How could it be used in class? (Junior Classes)
• Assessing Prior Knowledge:
“What do you think makes the Earth warm?”
“What happens when we drive cars, run factories or burn things?”
• Paxi’s Video:
“What did the sun do?”
“Why did the Earth get warmer?”
“What makes the Earth too hot?”
• Natural vs. Human-made Greenhouse Effect
Give a simple explanation: “Some gases are always in the air – they help keep Earth warm. That’s good! But when people use too much energy, cut too many trees, or burn things, we make too much of those gases – and that makes Earth too hot.”
Create drawings – a happy Earth (natural balance) and a hot Earth (too much gas).• The Earth Under the Lid Activity is a great hands-on activity designed to help children understand the greenhouse effect using everyday materials.
1. Two clear jars placed in sunlight.
2. Thermometers inside each container measure temperature change.
3. Jar with a lid = Earth with greenhouse gases.
4. Jar without lid = Earth with fewer gases.
“Which one got hotter?”• Understanding Climate Predictions – Exploring Scenarios with Teal
Group Activity – Give Scenarios: “Imagine the Future” (Great way to build empathy and thinking skills).
“It’s hotter – what happens to animals?”
“There’s less rain – what happens to plants?”
“What can we do to help Earth?” Ideas: plant trees, walk to school, turn off lights, recycle.Hi Lousie,
I agree….learning experiences can be enhanced by setting up a simple weather station on the school grounds allowing the children to see how easy and efficient it is to use everyday items to design and create simple instruments to record the weather, eg, a rain gauge or a windsock, helping them track weather patterns over time in a fun and engaging way.
Dr. Maeve Liston’s article highlights the need for integrated approaches that combine science, technology, engineering, and math through authentic, design-based learning. She emphasizes the need for better teacher training and resources to make STEM more meaningful and impactful in the classroom.
I loved the idea of the simple song for the younger classes where the children can practice their scientific skills of observing and communicating. Also, the idea of keeping a weather log in the classroom helps to build observation skills, notice patterns, learn weather vocabulary, and connect daily experiences to science. It also encourages curiosity about the world around them.
Getting the children to ask parents or grandparents for traditional weather proverbs could spark discussions about how people predicted weather in the past compared to modern methods.
