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Rocket Launch Lesson
2nd Class
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:Recognise that a push force can make an object move.
Predict what will happen when air is used to launch a rocket.
Observe and describe how their rocket moves.
Use scientific vocabulary such as force, push, air, move, and rocket.
Resources:
Rocket templates, paper, colouring materials, scissors, tape, straws, and images of real rockets.Introduction:
Begin by showing pictures of rockets and discussing what pupils already know about space travel. Explain that rockets move into space using a very powerful push. Ask pupils to predict what will happen when air is used to launch a paper rocket.Development:
Pupils design and decorate their rockets and attach them to a straw. In pairs, they blow through the straw to launch their rockets and observe how far they travel. Encourage them to investigate whether blowing harder or softer changes the distance or direction. Pupils record and discuss their observations with a partner.Conclusion:
Gather the class and discuss findings. Reinforce that air can create a push force that makes objects move and that real rockets use powerful engines to travel into space. Pupils share what they observed using appropriate scientific language.This is a great lesson Noreen, I think it would really work well in the ASD classroom as its so relatable and ever child has experience with feeling hot and cold etc
Animals in the Cold
2nd Class
Learning Objective:
Pupils will identify how animals such as polar bears and penguins are adapted to survive in cold environments and compare these habitats with their own.Lesson:
Begin by reading Say Hello to the Snowy Animals. Discuss the weather in the Arctic and compare it with the weather in Ireland. Ask pupils how they think animals survive in such cold conditions.Using pictures, explore the adaptations of polar bears and penguins, including thick fur, blubber, waterproof feathers and huddling together. Carry out a simple investigation by placing water on a hand covered with a small amount of Vaseline to demonstrate how waterproof feathers help penguins stay dry and warm.
Pupils then compare the adaptations of each animal using a Venn diagram or sorting activity and explain how each feature helps the animal survive.
Conclude by revisiting the inquiry question: “How do animals stay warm in very cold places?” Pupils share one new fact they have learned and complete a labelled drawing of either a polar bear or penguin, identifying its adaptations for living in the cold.
Space and Aliens
2nd Class
Learning Objective:
Pupils will develop their understanding of space through storytelling while using their imagination to create and describe an alien using appropriate space vocabulary.Lesson:
Begin by reading Aliens Love Underpants. Before reading, ask pupils what they already know about space and what they think aliens might look like or where they might live. Pause during the story to ask prediction and comprehension questions.After the story, discuss the characters and introduce key vocabulary such as planet, galaxy, astronaut, rocket and solar system. Pupils then design and draw their own alien, deciding what planet it comes from, its appearance and any special abilities. They write a few sentences describing their alien and explaining how it survives in space.
To conclude, pupils present their alien to the class and answer questions from their classmates. As a follow-up activity, pupils work in small groups to create a short story or comic strip about a space adventure featuring their aliens, encouraging creativity, collaboration and oral language development.
I like how this lesson can be adapted to all children’s capabilities and also linking it to other aspects of the curriculum
The Sun and Shadows
2nd Class
Learning Outcome:
Pupils will investigate how shadows are formed and explore how the size, shape and direction of a shadow change when the position of the light source changes.Materials: Bear’s Shadow by Frank Asch, torches (one per pair), a selection of toys, large sheets of paper and pencils.
Inquiry Question:
What makes a shadow long or short?Introduction:
Read Bear’s Shadow and discuss Bear’s observations. Ask pupils when they notice their own shadows and what they think causes them. Introduce the inquiry question and encourage pupils to predict what will happen during the investigation.Investigation:
Working in pairs, pupils use torches to shine light on different toys from various angles and distances. They observe how moving the light changes the shadow’s size, shape and direction before tracing several shadows onto paper. If possible, pupils investigate their own shadows outdoors and compare how they change as they move.Discussion and Conclusion:
Discuss what pupils discovered and reinforce that shadows are formed when light is blocked. Explain that changing the position of the light source changes the shadow, and that without light there can be no shadow. Pupils record one new fact they learned about shadows.Exploring Space: The Sun, Moon and Stars
2nd Class
Learning Objectives:
Pupils will recognise that the Earth’s rotation causes day and night, identify the Sun as visible during the day and the Moon and stars at night, and observe and describe the sky using scientific vocabulary.Lesson:
Begin by showing pictures of the daytime and nighttime sky. Encourage pupils to compare the images and discuss what they notice. Use a torch to represent the Sun and a globe to demonstrate how the Earth’s rotation creates day and night. In pairs, pupils sort picture cards into Day, Night or Both, explaining their choices. Introduce key vocabulary including Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth, Day, Night and Rotation. To conclude, pupils draw and label a daytime and nighttime sky and write one sentence explaining why day and night happen. As a follow-up activity, pupils keep a simple sky observation diary at home or school for one week.