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I really enjoyed reading your idea. I think starting with a real rocket launch video is a fantastic way to capture the children’s attention and get them excited about the topic. I also love that you are using a real air-powered rocket to encourage the children to make predictions and test their ideas. Giving them opportunities to change the force they use and compare the results is a great way to develop scientific thinking in a fun and meaningful way.
Finishing with the Rocket Mouse activity is an excellent idea as it allows every child to design and launch their own rocket. It is a wonderful lesson that combines curiosity, hands-on learning and problem-solving. I’m sure the children would be fully engaged from start to finish!
I have chosen to reflect on the Rockets activity from Module 5. I would introduce the topic by showing the children a picture of a rocket and asking them what they think it is and where it might go. We would talk about space and the different things that rockets can do. I would then read the story Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton to help introduce the theme in a fun way.
Next, we would make simple paper rockets. Each child would decorate their own rocket before launching it using a straw. Before we started, I would ask the children to guess which rocket they think will travel the furthest and why. After everyone has launched their rockets, we would compare the results and talk about what happened.
To develop the activity further, we could see what happens if we change the size of the rocket or the length of the straw. The children could test their ideas, make simple observations and decide which design worked best. We could measure the distance the rockets travelled using cubes or footsteps.
As a follow-on activity, the children could build a rocket from recycled materials during Aistear. They could use the rocket in imaginative play by pretending to travel to different planets and recording what they “discover” in a simple space journal.
This topic gives children lots of opportunities to ask questions, make predictions, test their ideas and talk about their results. It is a fun way to introduce simple science concepts while encouraging creativity,teamwork and problem solving.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how you start by finding out what the children already know using the “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” activity. This is a great way to encourage curiosity and gives the children a chance to share their own ideas. I also think the constellation activity is lovely as it combines science with art and storytelling, making the learning more enjoyable. The stargazing diary is another great idea because it encourages the children to continue their learning at home and involve their families. Using digital tools like Seesaw or Book Creator is a nice way for the children to record and share their work. It sounds like a fun and engaging way to teach about stars while developing a range of skills across the curriculum.
I chose the Activity Set: Space and Aliens because I think it is a topic that really captures children’s imagination. As I will be teaching Second Class, I would use this activity to encourage the children to ask questions, think creatively and develop their science skills through play and investigation.
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about space and whether they think there could be life on other planets. We would discuss their ideas and record their questions. The children could then work in small groups to design and create their own alien using recycled materials. They would decide what planet their alien lives on and explain how its features help it survive in that environment. This would encourage the children to think about habitats, adaptation and the different conditions that might exist in space.
To extend the learning, we could read a story about space, create alien fact files and use tablets to research the planets in our solar system. The children could also present their aliens to the class and explain the reasons behind their designs.
I think this activity would be a great way to link Science, Art, English and STEM. It encourages creativity, teamwork and problem-solving while allowing children to use their imagination. Most importantly, it makes science enjoyable and helps children become more confident in asking questions and exploring new ideas.
I really like this idea. It links science with play, art and music, which makes the learning more meaningful and engaging for young children. The Vaseline experiment is a great hands-on activity and gives the children a chance to make predictions and see the results for themselves. I also like how you’ve planned to spread the learning over a few days, giving the children time to explore the topic in more depth. Tying it in with Christmas songs and activities is a lovely way to make the learning fun and relevant. It would keep the children interested while developing their understanding of how animals adapt to survive in cold environments.
I chose the Hands-on Classroom Themed Activities because I think children learn best when they are actively involved. As I’ll be teaching Second Class, I would use these activities to make science fun and encourage the children to ask questions and work together.
One activity I would use is a bridge-building challenge using paper, card and recycled materials. First, I would ask the children what they think will make the strongest bridge. They would then work in small groups to design and build their bridges before testing them to see how much weight they could hold. After that, they could make changes to improve their designs and test them again.
During the activity, the children would be using lots of science skills such as predicting, observing, testing and talking about what happened. They could take photos of their work and record their results with simple drawings or on the tablets.
This activity would also support a STEM-focused School Self-Evaluation. We could collect photos of the children’s work, their results and their reflections to see how they are developing their science skills. As a school, we could then plan to include more hands-on STEM activities across the different class levels.
I think activities like this help children enjoy science because they are learning by doing. They also encourage teamwork, problem-solving and creativity, while making science more meaningful and enjoyable.
I really like this idea. I think using stories from different cultures is a lovely way to get all of the children involved and make the learning more meaningful. I also like how you’ve linked it with art, writing and a Kahoot quiz at the end. It sounds like a fun way to encourage discussion while helping the children learn about the Moon.
I would choose the Sun and Shadows activity as I think it would work really well with my Second Class. The children are naturally curious, so I think starting the lesson outside would really grab their attention. I’d ask them to stand in the yard and look at their shadows before tracing them with chalk. I’d ask questions like, “Why do you think your shadow is so long?” or “What do you think will happen to it later in the day?” I wouldn’t give them the answers straight away but instead encourage them to chat with each other and make their own predictions.
When we come back inside, we’d talk about what we noticed and whether our predictions were right. I’d then use a torch and small toys to show how shadows are made and let the children experiment themselves by moving the light source. I think they’d really enjoy seeing how the shadows change depending on where the “sun” is.
To finish the lesson, I’d get the children to draw what they discovered or write a few sentences about what they learned. I think this is a lovely activity because it gets the children actively involved in their own learning instead of just listening to the teacher. It also encourages them to ask questions, work together and explain their thinking. I can see this being a lesson that the children would really enjoy and remember.
I really like this idea. It’s such a simple activity but it gets the children thinking and asking questions straight away. I also like how you’ve brought the investigation indoors afterwards with the flashlight experiment, as it gives them a chance to test their ideas and make connections. I think this would be a really engaging way to help children understand how the Sun affects shadows while keeping them actively involved in the learning.
Hi everyone,
I’m Treasa, a primary school teacher from Cork. I’ll be teaching Second Class this year and I’m really looking forward to getting some new ideas from this course that I can bring back to my classroom. Space has always been something I’ve found really interesting, so I’m excited to learn more.
My favourite space fact is that a day on Venus is actually longer than a year on Venus. I always think that’s such a strange fact, and it’s one that really grabs children’s attention. It’s the kind of fact that gets them asking lots of questions, which is a great starting point for learning.
One inquiry-based activity I think would work well with my class is a “Guess the Planet” investigation. I’d put the children into small groups and give each group a set of clues about a mystery planet. They would have to work together, ask questions, discuss the clues and decide which planet they think it is, explaining the reasons for their choice. At the end, each group could share their thinking with the rest of the class before we reveal the answer.
I like this activity because it encourages children to think for themselves instead of being given all the information straight away. It also develops teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills. I find that children in Second Class love working together and enjoy the challenge of figuring things out. I think this approach would make learning about space much more enjoyable and memorable, while also helping them build confidence in sharing their own ideas and listening to others.
