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A guide to how we might plan for Space Week in our school would involve comming up with an action packed week in order to spark curiosity and learning through fun, hands-on activities. We would with the help of Science Week Ireland website plan a week of engaging activities suitable for infants up to sixth class which would span the curriculum e.g. science, art, literacy, and more. We could invite in parents with links with space science or contact local science museums, observatories, or universities for visitors or virtual talks that might be availble.
Mon – Planet Explorers Day
Assembly Kickoff: Space-themed assembly with a dramatic countdown, music, and fun facts.
Tues – Rockets: Blast off!
Rocket Building : Rocket Mice
Wed – Astronaut Training Day
Physical Activities: Obstacle course simulating astronaut training (e.g., crawling through tunnels, balance beams, “zero gravity” challenges).Design a Spacesuit: Research what astronauts wear. Let students draw and label their own designs.
Food in Space: Sample or create “space snacks” (e.g., dried fruit, marshmallows), talk about how food changes in space.Thurs – Moon and stars day
Constellation Creation :
Make constellations with black paper, chalk, and star stickers.
Plough two ways activity from PrimaryScience.ie
Fri – Our Future in space:
Letter to an Alien:Write a creative letter to an alien describing Earth.
Dress Up & Showcase Assembly: Dress as astronauts, aliens, planets, or stars.This I agree is a great activity. I love it when the resources/materials required are so practical.
It is a great one to explore in the classroom as it can be easily replicated by the children at home for all the family also.
My updated Coggle link:
Brilliant Eimear the sorting of clothes activity could lead on to a labelling activity or a language learning activity in Gaeilge or other Modern language.
Building on What Clothes to wear we could find hot, warm and cold places and identify a warm place in the classroom for a classroom teddy to keep comfy.
What pupils are looking for is a place that is ‘just right’ (i.e. warm) for teddy, as in the Goldilocks story.
To do this task we would need to:
• Talk about how the classroom feels pn that day.
• Teddy is feeling cold today and wants to be kept nice and warm but not too hot.
• What would be the best place in the classroom for Teddy?
• Go around the classroom to the places listed on the chart and decide whether they are hot, warm or cold.
• Talk to the pupils about how they will tell if a place is hot, warm or cold (i.e. by feel).
This gives a real world problem solving approach to scientific investigaion.Looking at the Plough and the Stars in two different ways was fascinating as it was such an active learning experience. It would be ideal in third to fourth class.
I would open the lesson with Coldplay Skyful of Stars and then we could use Coggle to explore our current knowlege of the stars and if they had any prior knowledge of the Plough.
It is a great way to integrate maths into an SESE lesson and give practical use of measures in action.
We could paint our stars with glow in the dark paint and experience a class full of handmade Ploughs!That Zoom to the Moon book sounds great and it would be great and sensory rich resource and stimulus for discussion in the infant classroom. Thank you.
Sun and Shadows activity: Pupils will investigate the relationship between shadows and distance from a light source. This would be suitable for fifth or sixth class.
The concepts behind the activity are: The size of a shadow can be changed. There is a relationship between the size of the shadow and the distance between the light source and the object making the shadow.
Materials:
• Torch
• A 5cm sq. card on a stand (e.g. a card on a stand made with a clothes peg stuck into a ball of plasticene).
• Screen on which to form a shadow of the card e.g. large white card, a white wall.
• Metre stick.
• 30 cm ruler.
The main body of the activity for the children:
Their task is to find out how the size of the shadow changes as they move the card and the light.
• Keep the card and screen in one place and move the light closer to the card.1. What happens to the size of the shadow when you move the light closer to the card?
• Keep the card and screen in one place and move the light away from the card.
2. What happens to the size of the shadow when you move the light away from the card?
• Put the card 5cm from the screen. Put the light 10 cm behind the card.
3. How wide is the shadow?
• Put the card 10cm from the screen and move the light until the shadow is twice as wide as the card.
• Measure the distance from the light to the card.Design a way to protect an “astronaut” (an egg or a small toy) from breaking when dropped from a height.
We have explored the following active learning activity a few times in 3rd and 4th class and it is always a big hit. Design a way to protect an “astronaut” e.g. an egg from breaking when dropped from a height!
This simulates landing on a planet or Moon with gravity.
We would explore the idea around what happens when you drop something on Earth? What would be different on the Moon or Mars?In groups the children will plan and design a capsule or parachute that will protect an egg or toy from a fall. To make it fair, each group would get the same materials (e.g., straws, cotton, paper, tape, rubber bands, etc.)
The children could be encouraged to reflect and explore these questions:
What forces acted on your design?
What would be different if there was less gravity?
What did you change and why? Create a gravity simulation using a slow-motion video app.
We have lots of fun tossing our designs out the classroom window.Hello Frances & everyone!
Zoe here a primary teacher in Dublin. I have fourth class next year and I look forward to learning new ways to promote STEM activities in the classroom.
My fun fact is that Saturn inspired the name for Saturday.
