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I really like the idea of bridge building. Children love these STEM challenges and displaying all their ideas at the ned for feedback
The children would love the gallery walk as they love to see everyone’s work. A great way to finish off the topic and get them chatting and giving feedback
That is a lovely idea to be able to use a telescope
The enquiry based activity based on gravity has given me great inspiration.
Science Week – Infant Classes
I would do some simple daily activities with infant classes for 5 days for science week.
Monday:
We would begin the week by talking about space and discussing what the children already know. The children could create their own planet earth using paint, crayons or collage materials. Their work would be displayed together to create a class space display. We could also look at our class globe.
Tuesday: Stars Day
We would learn about stars and the night sky – looking at some constellations, their names etc. The children could create star pictures using black paper and star stickers or chalk. They could also explore a space-themed play area and sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with actions.
Wednesday: Alien Day
The children could imagine an alien has visited our classroom. What questions would they ask the alien? Hot seating etc might work well. They would design and create their own alien and give it a name. We would display all the aliens together to create an alien planet.
Thursday: Astronaut Day
The children would take part in astronaut training challenges such as moon jumps and a space crawl. They would then build simple rockets using paper, cardboard and recycled materials and test out their designs.
Friday: Space Day
We would look back at everything we learned during the week. The children would visit our space display to view all of their work and take part in a fun space quiz I would make on kahoot. We would finish the week by sharing our favourite activities and facts.
It would be nice to incorporate some stories, such as The Smeds, I love you to the Moon and Back. Also we could incorporate some youtube clips abou space.
I would begin the lesson for infants by showing a short PowerPoint presentation featuring animals that live in cold environments, such as polar bears, penguins, seals, arctic foxes, and walruses. The presentation would include colourful images and simple prompts to encourage discussion. I would ask the children what they notice about each animal and where they think it lives. We would talk about how these animals live in very cold places and discuss simple adaptations such as a polar bear’s thick fur or a penguin’s feathers that help keep them warm.
The children would then take part in a sorting activity. Working in small groups, they would sort pictures of animals into two categories: animals that live in cold places and animals that live in warm places. We would discuss their choices and encourage them to explain their thinking. Following this, the children would complete a simple colouring and drawing activity. They could colour a polar bear or penguin and add features that help the animal survive in the cold, such as fur, feathers, ice, and snow.
To conclude the lesson, we would share our work. The children would identify one cold-weather animal and describe one feature that helps it survive. Through discussion, observation, and hands-on activities, the children would develop an awareness that different animals are suited to different environments and that animals have special features that help them survive in their habitats.
For an infant class I would use the ‘Stars activity’ as part of a space-themed project. Young children are naturally fascinated by the night sky, making this an engaging topic that encourages curiosity and imagination and a great conversation starter.
To introduce the topic, I would read The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson. We would discuss the story and talk about the different planets, stars, and space settings featured in the book. This would provide a fun and engaging context for exploring the night sky.
Following the story, the children would create their own night sky picture using black paper and materials such as paint, chalk, glitter, or star stickers. To extend it I would show them simple constellations and their names which some might like to copy. They could arrange their stars into a simple pattern and talk about what their pattern looks like. The completed artwork could then be displayed together to create a class night sky, celebrating the children’s creativity and interest in space.
I would use the “What does the moon look like?” activity to introduce the topic of the moon to my class. I would begin by showing the children pictures of the moon and encouraging discussion about what they already know. I would ask questions such as:
Have you ever seen the moon in the sky?
What colour is it?
Does it always look the same shape?
What do you think the moon is made of?
This week there was a lunar eclipse, so I would also ask: Did anyone see the eclipse? What did it look like? How was it different from the moon we usually see? Why did we have to use special glasses or make viewing boxes? We could record the information on the whiteboard.
For the main activity, the class could create their own moon picture. They could colour a large grey. They will then use cotton buds dipped in paint to add craters to their Moon. As the children work, we will discuss what the moon looks like and why it has so many craters. We would then cut out the circle and back it onto black card and add some star stickers, At the end of the lesson, the children can share their artwork and talk about one new thing they learned about the Moon.
To finish the lesson we would listen to the story on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjxT86bw9Cc – How the Moon Found his Glow
Investigating Waterproof Materials for a teddy bear for Infants Classes
Children will investigate different materials to discover which are waterproof and explain their findings.
Resources needed would be the following: Teddy bear and raincoat, samples of plastic, paper, fabric, foil, cotton wool and tissue, tissue paper, spray bottles or droppers and a record sheet
Show the children a teddy bear wearing a raincoat.
Discussion based questions with the class: Why do we wear raincoats? What does waterproof mean? Which materials might keep Teddy dry in the rain?
Which material is best for keeping Teddy dry?Children examine the different materials and predict which one they think will be the most waterproof. They record their prediction.
Working in groups, children:
- Wrap a piece of tissue (“Teddy”) in each material.
- Spray or drop water onto the material.
- Open the material and check if the tissue is wet or dry.
- Record their results in their groups
Groups can then share and compare their findings with the class.
- Which materials were waterproof?
- Which materials absorbed water?
- Were your predictions correct?
- Why do some materials keep water out better than others?
Result – Waterproof materials do not let water pass through them and help keep things dry.
Drawing Activity
Children draw a picture of Teddy wearing a raincoat made from the material they found worked best. They can label their drawing and complete the sentence:
“I discovered that __________ is waterproof because it kept our teddy bear dry.”
Assessment
Recording and sharing findings.
Draw a picture of the results.
I really like the question you’ve chosen! It’s a great way to help students think about how weather affects the world around them. The activities you’ve planned are perfect—they’ll get to observe real changes in plants and animals, which makes learning fun and hands-on. Using tools like thermometers and rain gauges is a great idea too, and I love that they’ll get to share their findings with a class display. It’s a great way to make science feel exciting and relevant!
I like the idea of using the weather proverbs seen as it is always a much talked about topic in our general conversations. It might be nice to do an art activity around the proverbs too.
The Nose Up High in the Sky ESA resource is fun, hands-on, and easy for children to use. The worksheets are clear and simple, which makes them great for learning. I really like how it links Science, Geography, and Maths together, as this makes learning about weather and climate more interesting for older classes. I especially enjoyed Activity 2, Sensing the Weather, and Activity 3, Building a Weather Station. These activities get children to look closely at the weather, talk about what they notice, and join in with creative, practical tasks. Building a weather station is a real favourite, as it lets students make something themselves while also practising Maths skills like measuring and recording data. By putting the children into groups they take ownership of the setting up and collecting of data each day over a period of time.
The resources and very easy to use and so child-friendly. I’m also looking forward to using these with my class this coming year. Excellent opportunity for integrating maths and art too.
Research Question: How can we make our school roads less busy and safer?
Easing Congestion at Our School. A few activities we could come up with along with the green schools committee.
Watch and Count
Count how many cars, bikes, scooters and walkers come to school in the morning drop-off at the school gatesTalk about ways to have fewer cars at the school gates — walking, cycling, carpooling, parking further away and walking from the church or safe parking area or joining a group walk – for example our walk on Wednesdays
Start “Walk on Wednesdays” from the school church — meet there and walk together – maybe extend it to other days
Encourage families to park further away and walk the last part to school every day.
Make posters to promote these ideas and show how they help clear the avenue.Discussion at the end of a certain period – what worked well? What didn’t work well? Possible findings: Has anyone noticed less cars on the avenue. It can be quite sociable for children and parents to walk in groups. Children might feel more energized having exercised on the way to school. Also the climate might affect travel. On rainy days people prefer to drive.
The groups might like to retake the survey to see if things have improved