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Hi Clare, I love the idea of linking a rural and a urban school or even links between schools in different countries too. This would really encourage further exploration and engagement for everyone.
Hi Ciara. I love the idea of linking it back to play doh and mala and making it really engaging for the children.
I would teach about the planets to my senior infants classes. I would do this in the autumn term as most planets as on view from September until November although Venus would not be visible. I would introduce it in fun way using dr Seuss book “There’s No Place Like Space”. I would also do a planets song and link it to art but model the scale using my old class in 6th to do the scale part and peer teach. It would be linked to home learning and looking in the sky at night, which could be shared on seesaw or through Aladdin. We could come up with our own phrase to learn all the planets. During integrated play we could explore the planets further through making in play dough, drawing, acting out astronauts, making planets, art work, even a listening/ reading station on songs/ books about space /planets. I would us Stellarium to engage, teach and show children the planets and encourage home activity. We could make telescopes with 6th class to take home.
I like the garden also but I love the idea of working with some older children to support the infants in which I will be teaching. Children learn so much from their peers and this project would be a great opportunity for children from different year groups to work together in a menaingful way.
How to Make a sundial.
Class: Junior Infants
Resources: 1 paper plate
1 pencil
Play dough or tape (to hold pencil upright)
crayons
Optional: stickers or number stamps1. Check their understanding prior to the lesson starting with questions such as?
“Where does the sun go during the day?”
“Have you seen your shadow before?”Main Lesson:
Show a sample sundial and explain:
“A long time ago, people used shadows to tell time!”Make the Sundial
Poke a hole in the center of the plate.
Push a pencil through the hole.
Use play dough or tape underneath to keep the pencil upright.
Children to decorate the plate with sunshine, numbers, or their own art!Outside:
Use the Sundial
Go outside to a sunny spot.
Place the plate on the ground with the pencil standing up.
Have children mark the tip of the shadow with a dot or sticker.
Every hour, come back and mark where the shadow has moved.Children to draw times around the clock.
Assessment for learning:
Where is the shadow? What happened to it? What happened and why do you think it? What happens to the shadow? Can they recognise patterns?
I like the idea of linking some activities around an area such as Aliens. I would start with a story to engage them such as: Here come the aliens.
They could then make the alien a welcome drink using components such as: baking soda, food dye, vinegar, washing detergent and water. By combining these substances, the children could see the cup fizzing and foaming.
I could adapt the mice rocket to be alien rockets experiment. I would include key questioning as we could have a competition about whose alien goes the furthest distance and which alien goes the highest in the air. We could see if bigger or smaller bottles work better and which size of alien works best.
Another experiment which I have previously done would fit in well with the theme would be finding a rubber egg (alien egg experiment). The children would have great fun examining the egg and seeing what is happening. An alternative to this is putting the egg in different liquids and examining the reaction:
http://www.nickarnold-website.com/experiments/alien_egg_experiment.pdf
Aliens could be given skittles but first they want to put warm water on them to eat them in a different way. Another experiment which could be incorporated would be the magic milk experiment where milk, food colouring and washing up liquid are combined. Children can make predictions, carry out the experiment and discuss the findings and begin to say why something has happened. They may start to use prior knowledge to help predict also. They could suggest alternatives to the experiment or amendments which could be made.
Animals in the Cold & Weather *possibly link to Santa and North Pole.
I would love to do this as an Aistear topic possibly in November as I would also like to do Space (looking at planets and stars also).
I would try to do a hook which I did with my own son where some animals are stuck in ice and the children have to chip away at the ice to set them free.
We would look at some footprints and see if they could recognise which animals they come from..
They could then learn about the different animals that live there and look at how they keep warm. What is their fur? Coats. What do humans use and why?
This would then link with weather and weather in different places/countries. Try to get children to identify where the artic and Antarctic are and if they can recognise on a globe.
Some of the aistear stations which I would have: Playing with the animals in white rice (ice), role playing visiting an area to work as a scientistic and needing lots of clothes, experiment station (have ice water and fat), junk art (making animals), another station could be interactive games on white board to do with weather/animals.
Experiment: Gloves on each hand dip one in fat (don’t dip the other) and then put both in bowl with the ice and one gets colder much quicker….why? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XLuhN7L7g
More experiments here on weather which I would change daily for the experiment section.
That is so detailed Sinéad lots of ideas for Science Week. I definitely think trying to create all those links that week is a must. I will try to link my PE and even creat a space dance (although I may use at least one hall slot for doing some maths/science experiments). They could do activities in the hall such as a length activity- How many steps does it take to cross the hall, how many metre sticks across the hall, using the trundle wheel across the hall, measure their heart rate before and after exercise (adults or some older pupils to support). Another activity which could be nice in the hall would be who could build the strongest bridge giving them floor space to complete this (though could be classroom either). Children could use PE equipment to explore gravtiy and forces and motion.
I also really love the idea of a unit/activities around the who done it theme. It would be really engaging to stage a robbery of some sort in the school with a notes and a pen left behind. It could be as simple as sorry. I just really needed some chocolate in my class today! That could leave it open to a lot of teachers.
This is something which I have done previously and it looks at fingerprints (can use powder) to examine the patterns, look at footprint and examine the patterns…have other footprints to compare, examine the writing and look at the handwriting in detail to see which one matches the note, check the ph level (acidi) in the clay off the footprint, use chromatology to see which colours come from the pen and finally could be a maths activity to break a code which could help. Other elements which could be used: leave a mark on a glass (lip stick) and examine clothing fibres!
I love using playdoh or mala as a an area in Aistear. The children are so creative and it improves their fine motor skills. I also think recording the weather would be an interesting activity for the children to do. I love doing experiments such as whihc material would make the best coat, building a shelter for the animals.
Animals in the Cold & Weather *possibly link to Santa and North Pole
I would love to do this as an Aistear topic possibly in November as I would also like to do Space (looking at planets and stars also).
I would try to do a hook which I did with my own son where some animals are stuck in ice and the children have to chip away at the ice to set them free.
We would look at some footprints and see if they could recognise which animals they come from..
They could then learn about the different animals that live there and look at how they keep warm. What is their fur? Coats. What do humans use and why?
This would then link with weather and weather in different places/countries. Try to get children to identify where the artic and Antarctic are and if they can recognise on a globe.
Some of the aistear stations which I would have: Playing with the animals in white rice (ice), role playing visiting an area to work as a scientistic and needing lots of clothes, experiment station (have ice water and fat), junk art (making animals), another station could be interactive games on white board to do with weather/animals.
Experiment: Gloves on each hand dip one in fat (don’t dip the other) and then put both in bowl with the ice and one gets colder much quicker….why? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XLuhN7L7g
More experiments here on weather which I would change daily for the experiment section.
I did a unit on space dancing before! Children loved it. They could create their own dance either to space themed music!
I like this link to aliens to make writing fit in cross curricular and make it purposeful to the children. They would love to explain about themselves and draw pictures to explain to aliens. I also think the idea of an alien detector would be alot of fun for children!
I would love to try the looking at the plough lesson on the stars and definitely think it could be used across the whole school (during Science week).
I love the way it looks at the star from different perspectives.
Hook: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (to engage children and draw them in).
Discussion/Predictions: What do they already know about the stars. Where are they? How many are there? What is their purpose. Allow them to draw some on paper or offer them tool to do it.
Teach them some interesting facts about stars. Introduce them to the star plough. Go through the shape of stars (link to maths with the sides and corners).
Explain that they are going to be making one (in groups to start: 3 children), Model making it. Go through the steps and support groups (may need adult to support 2 groups).
I would encourage children to then discuss the stars and why they might look different from different directions.
This could be linked with Van Gogh Starry Night (should also be a winter lesson). I would also link it to the story Toys in Space.
Furthermore I would create stars in a jar using glass bottles, tin foil and tea candle led lights, scissors and drawing pin (under supervision).
