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I think you’ve planned a brilliant Space Week with lots of fun, hands-on activities that would really capture the children’s interest. Starting with a story is a lovely way to introduce the topic and get them excited to learn more. I especially liked the idea of making moon craters and building rockets from recycled materials because the children would be learning through doing, which is always so engaging. Using Aistear to extend the learning through role play and construction is a great idea too, as it gives the children plenty of opportunities to use their imagination and develop their language skills. I also like that you’ve included songs, rhymes and non-fiction books to introduce new vocabulary in a fun way. Finishing the week by letting the children share what they learned is a lovely way to encourage reflection.
ACTIVITY SET: Rockets
Strand: Energy and Forces
Strand Unit: Forces (exploring pushes, pulls, and how air affects movement)
We would design, make, test and evaluate our own foam rocket while learning about the science of how rockets move.
– First, I would discuss what a rocket is and discover that rockets need a force, called a push, to move.
– When I blow through a straw or use a launcher, the air creates a pushing force that sends my rocket into the air.
– I will also learn that gravity pulls everything back towards the ground and that air resistance slows moving objects down.
– Next, I will look at different rocket designs and predict which shapes will fly the furthest. I will get the children to think about how pointed nose cones, straight bodies and fins help a rocket travel smoothly and stay balanced in the air.
– We will then draw plans of our rockets, choosing the shape of the fins, the nose cone and the colours we want to use. Using foam, cardboard, paper, glue and sellotape, we will carefully cut, join and assemble the different parts before decorating my finished rocket.
– Once the rockets are complete, we will launch them several times and observe how they fly. We will measure how far they travel and compare results. We will investigate whether changing the size of the fins or the length of the rocket affects its flight.
– Finally, we will evaluate the designs by explaining what worked well and suggesting one improvement. I will encourage the pupils to use scientific vocabulary such as force, push, gravity, air resistance, balance, and prediction to describe their observations. I would have these words written on the board to help them with their evaluation.ESERO Lesson 7- Animals in Cold Climates
Strand: Living Things
Strand Unit: Plant and Animal LifeI would use ESERO Lesson 7, Animals in Cold Climates, with an Infant class to introduce children to animals that live in very cold environments and help them understand how living things adapt to their surroundings. The lesson would encourage children to develop curiosity about the natural world and explore how different animals survive in places such as the Arctic and Antarctic.
– I would begin the lesson by discussing children’s prior knowledge of cold places and animals.
– I would ask questions such as “What animals do you think live where there is lots of snow and ice?” and “How do these animals stay warm?”
– I would use photographs, videos, and stories to introduce animals such as polar bears, penguins, seals and Arctic foxes.
– During the main activity, I would encourage children to observe and discuss the features of these animals, such as thick fur, feathers, layers of fat, and camouflage.
– Children could take part in drawing activities, movement activities or role-play to explore how these animals move and survive in cold climates.
– To conclude the lesson, I would review the main learning through questioning and discussion.
– I would assess children’s understanding by observing their participation, listening to their explanations and examining their drawings.
This lesson would help children develop an awareness and appreciation of animal life and the ways living things adapt to their environments.ESERO 19: Special Life- Life in Space
Strand: Energy and Forces
Strand Unit: Forces
I would introduce the lesson by asking the children the following questions.– Where do we live?
– What is Earth?
– What other planets are in space?I would explain that
– Earth is a planet in space.
– There are many other planets, but as far as we know, there is no confirmed life on other planets.
We would then discuss the following.
– If an alien visited Earth, what special thing would you show them?
– What animal, plant, place, or object makes Earth special?
I would encourage the children to share a variety of their ideas.
Main Activity- Draw something special
I would give each child:
– A4 paper
– Colouring pencils
I would ask the children to secretly draw one special thing from Earth.
I would remind them not to show their drawing to others.
I would encourage the children to think about:
– Why their chosen object/animal is special.
– How they could represent it using actions.
Then we would act it out. The children would sit in a circle. One child at a time would act out their drawing without showing it. The class guesses what is being acted out. The child reveals their drawing after guesses.
We would then discuss…
– Was it easy or difficult to act it out?
– What clues helped others guess?
– Did actions help explain the idea?
Then we would design an alien. I would ask the children…
– What do you think an alien might look like?
– Would it look like humans or something completely different?
The children would draw their own imaginary alien.
Then, we’d discuss…
– Why did you choose those features?
– What made you imagine your alien that way.
I would explain that…
– No real aliens have been discovered, so we do not know what they look like.
Conclusion
I’d review the key ideas of the lesson:
– Earth is a planet.
– Earth has many special forms of life.
– Scientists have not found confirmed alien life.
I’d ask…
– What makes Earth special?
– What would you show an alien visitor?
– What did you learn today?
Breaking this lesson up over three stints is a great idea to allow for thorough development of the many component parts.
I especially love the idea of planning and creating homes for the aliens. There are also many books on this topic that could link nicely with literacy. Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort was a firm favourite with my Junior Infant class.
Activity Set: Investigating How Light Affects Shadows
Class: Fourth Class
Strand: Energy and Forces- Light
I would begin the lesson by asking the class what they already know about light and shadows. We would discuss different sources of natural and artificial light and talk about why shadows change throughout the day. I would ask the pupils to predict what factors might affect the size and direction of a shadow.The pupils would work in small groups with a torch, a ruler, a range of objects, and a large sheet of paper. Each group would investigate how changing the distance and angle of the torch affects the shadow. They would measure the length of the shadow, record their results in a table, and identify any patterns they notice. I would encourage them to explain their findings using scientific vocabulary such as light source, opaque, shadow, angle, and distance.
If weather permits, we would continue the investigation outdoors by measuring the length of our shadows at different times during the school day. The pupils would compare their measurements and discuss why the shadows changed as the sun moved across the sky.
To finish, each group would present their results and explain what they discovered. As a class, we would conclude that shadows are formed when an opaque object blocks light and that the position of the light source affects both the size and direction of the shadow.I really liked this lesson because it combines storytelling with hands-on learning in a way that is engaging and meaningful for infant pupils.
Using ‘Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?’ provides a gentle introduction to the topic while also supporting literacy and emotional development.
I think the outdoor shadow investigation is particularly effective as it allows children to explore scientific concepts through play and observation.
The use of prediction, questioning and discussion encourages active participation and inquiry.
Hi Emer.
I did this activity with my Senior Infant class a few years ago. They absolutely loved it!!
My name is Valerie and I teach 4th class.
Strand: Living Things
Strand Unit: Plant and animal life
What plants need to grow
For my inquiry-based activity, I would have the children investigate what plants need to grow.
I would begin by dividing the class into small groups and give each group three identical seeds to plant in separate cups. Each group would change just one condition, such as the amount of light, the amount of water or the type of soil, while keeping everything else the same.
Before starting, I would ask the children to make predictions about which plant they think will grow best and explain the reasons for their ideas.
Over the following two weeks, I would encourage them to observe their plants carefully, measure their growth and record any changes they notice in a simple chart.
At the end of the investigation, each group would present their findings to the class and compare their results with their original predictions.
I would guide a class discussion where the children reflect on what they learned, ask questions about any unexpected results and suggest ways they could improve the investigation if they were to carry it out again.
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Develop a lesson plan incorporating AI concepts and write about how you plan to use it and other AI tools in your teaching.
Subject: History: Discovering Ancient Egypt with AI- “What would it be like to live in Ancient Egypt?”
4th classLearning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:-explain the key elements of Ancient Egyptian life (e.g. pyramids, gods, daily life, hieroglyphs)
-use an AI tool to generate creative content based on their historical knowledge
-reflect on how AI can help us explore and imagine the past
Lesson Introduction
“What if you could talk to someone from Ancient Egypt? What would you ask?”
Briefly explain what AI is in child-friendly terms:“AI is like a robot brain that can help us answer questions, write stories, and imagine new ideas.”
Quick Review of Ancient Egypt
Recap key facts: pyramids, gods, food, clothing, hieroglyphs
Use a short video or Kahoot quiz to activate prior knowledgeAI-Powered Creative Task
Activity: Create a “Day in the Life” of an Ancient Egyptian child using AIThe pupils will use an AI writing tool to help write a short story, journal entry, or comic about being a child in Ancient Egypt
They could input prompts like:“Write a diary entry from a 10-year-old in Ancient Egypt who is learning to write in hieroglyphs.”
They could use Khanmigo for guided writing and idea generation or Curipod for AI-powered interactive slides. They could also use ChatGPT (school-supervised) foror brainstorming story ideas or Scratch + AI-style prompts so pupils can animate their story using simple coding.
At the end, pupils could read or present their story/comic/animation and we could reflect together about how AI helped and what things did they decide on vs. what the AI suggested.
I feel this would be a very good use of incorporating AI concepts as by asking an AI to help them imagine life in Ancient Egypt, the pupils are engaging with history in a personalised and interactive way. It helps make the past feel real and relatable. Pupils learn not just historical facts, but also how to ask thoughtful questions, analyse suggestions and reflect on the difference between human and machine thinking.
Most importantly, I will continue to guide pupils to use AI ethically, responsibly and critically- helping them to understand that it is a tool to support their learning – not to do the thinking for them.
Like you, I lean towards Kahoot also but can see the many benefits of Quizizz now also. I like that it has adjustable or self-paced timers compared to Kahoot’s strict timer per question. I also like that there is instant feedback after each question as opposed to Kahoot’s limited feedback during a quiz.
I think I would use Kahoot when I want high-energy review sessions with a competitive, whole-class game format or a live classroom buzz and quick recall quiz but would lean towards Quizizz when I want a slower pace with more reflection or a variety in question types.
Consider one of the AI application examples highlighted and explain how you would introduce this to your pupils.
I would like to introduce Scratch to my 4th class.
Scratch introduces pupils to the foundations of programming:
Sequences (the order of instructions)
Loops (repeating actions)
Events (like when something is clicked)
Conditionals (if/then rules)Scratch is easy to integrate with other subjects like literacy, maths, science and art.
This is how I’d go about introducing them to Scratch.
– Show a short Scratch demo
– Briefly explain Scratch
-Have a guided walkthrough to make the cat move and say hello
-Encourage independent exploration with a challenge such as “Can you make your cat tell a short joke, dance, or move across the screen?”
– Share and reflect by inviting volunteers to show their project on screen
Vikki, I totally agree with you about checking the school’s AUP and GDPR policies. It’s essential to ensure compliance and safeguard students’ data. That’s a very responsible and thorough approach- a step that’s easily forgotten. Covering online safety alongside AI fundamentals, including both its potential and risks, will help students develop a well-rounded and critical understanding- a key part of digital literacy today.
Orla, I also agree with you that Speaker Coach is a very useful tool. I can see myself getting great use from it with my 4th class next year. There are so many benefits. Like you said, it builds student confidence by allowing students to practise presentations in private, reducing the pressure of speaking in front of others. It also enhances language and communication skills, especially for EAL pupils and students with speech or language challenges by helping improve pronunciation, fluency, tone and pacing through repeated, guided practice. Lastly, it’s easy to use and very accessible. It can be used at home or in school with minimal setup.
It empowers students to take ownership of their learning and presentation skills, linking in nicely with UDL principles.Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.
I really liked Diffit. It allows you to generate differentiated reading materials and questions tailored to different reading levels. When covering a topic like climate change or Ancient Egypt, I can use Diffit to create three versions of the same text- simplified for lower-ability readers, standard for the majority, and advanced for high achievers. This ensures that all students access the same content but at a level they can understand, making lessons more inclusive. It also supports assessment by allowing me to track comprehension across ability levels with tailored questions. It simplifies differentiation hugely. I can see myself making great use of it with my 4th class next year.
I also liked Twee. It helps create engaging literacy and language activities such as vocabulary games, comprehension tasks, and grammar quizzes. I can see myself using Twee to generate fun, context-based vocabulary exercises linked to a class novel or topic in SESE. This will make literacy activities more interactive and less time-consuming to prepare. For assessment, I can use the generated questions to check understanding or track progress over time.