The A to Z Project

A couple of years I decided to do an A to Z project with my class. Each week they completed a project based on a letter of the alphabet. Each student presented their project on Friday for the class. Sometimes I chose the topic for the children. For example, we were learning about Ireland, so the children researched a county for the letter C.

They also did some group projects. When learning about Europe, the children researched Germany and France in groups. It helped to improve their teamwork skills and organisational skills as they needed to make sure they had focused on different areas such as food, sport, landmarks.

We also did some practical hands on projects such as teepees for the letter T and bridges for B (click here to find out more about this project). I photographed the children's work and printed it for their scrapbooks where they had their A to Z projects stuck in. 

Project work proved very beneficial to the children as they they has the opportunity to learn a lot from each other, improve their presentation skills and organisational skills (as they have the week to complete the project). Also it gave them the opportunity to improve their ICT skills, giving them the choice to type their projects.

3, 2, 1...Blast Off! (Science Rockets)

Science Week is fast approaching and this year I am going to do something very similar to last year as the children really enjoyed it.

I had attended an excellent science course during the summer and got lots of new experiments and ideas. So last year, I decided to use rockets as my theme for science week.

Click here to download

Each day we constructed a different type of rocket so by Friday we had made 5 different rockets.

• Mouse rocket
• Straw rocket
• Balloon rocket
• Foam rocket
• Fizzy rocket

I had 4th and 5th class last year so they also guided the younger classes to make some of the rockets once they had learned to do it. Two senior children worked with two children in the junior room to help them make the straw and mouse rocket. My class loved being the 'teachers'!

We also had rocket launches and races outside which the children really loved. It was one of my favourite science lessons as a teacher as all the children were excited to get involved and they had rockets to bring home at the end of the week.

I have put together a pack which contains detailed outlines of how to make the different rockets, prompt questions to challenge the children and get them thinking, an ideas page to integrate it with other subject areas as well as activity sheets for the children.

Just click on the image below to download it!

Happy Science Week everyone!

Here is a nice video that explains rocket launches and landings for children!

Books Worth a Look #3 'The City of Ember'

This is the third post in Books Worth a Look. (I have purchased these books myself and do not receive sponsorship/freebies for reviewing them!)

Next up is 'The City of Ember' by Jeanne DuPrau. It has been made into a movie aswell so it could be a good one to read with the children and then compare and contrast the film.



I had never come across this book before until the summer when I ordered it online. I feel it is most suitable for the senior end of the school. (It is important to note that the main character has lost her parents and also loses her grandmother during the story).

Theme/Overview
The book is set in the fictional city of Ember which has been built to be self sufficient from any outside world. However, the city is now running out of supplies and the generator is having more and more failures as the city is plunged into darkness repeatedly.  People are becoming more anxious about the future. The main characters need to try and find an escape route to see what lies beyond the city boundaries.

Activities

• Science: explore Electricity and how it works

Check out http://www.primaryscience.ie/ for experiments based on Electricity.

This link has some videos that are worth a look.
http://www.primaryscience.ie/activities_activity_movies.php

Discuss ways to conserve electricity and different ways to generate electricity.

Explore the different sources of light, both natural and artificial.

Image source

• Art: create city scapes of buildings.

I really like these ones make using newspaper.

Image Source

Image Source

• Visualisation: This book would be good to challenge children to visualise it in their heads and illustrate it. They could contrast 'the City of Ember' and the land they arrive in.

• Get creative and plan their own city (Maths and Art). In groups they could construct a city using a variety of materials

• Pack your bags! Discuss what treasured belongings you would bring if you had to move to a new home.

Image Source

Check out the other Books Worth a Look posts:

Books Worth a Look #1 The Dot

Books Worth a Look #2 Pax

Building Project

Following on from the students' enthusiasm and engagement with the 'Bridges Project' last year, we did a 'Building Project' this year.

I did it in a similar way to the bridge project. First of all, we looked at different types of buildings all around the world and how they have changed over the years.

Then we looked at the types of materials that are used and why (for example why we use blocks in Ireland compared to mud huts in Africa).

We also looked at famous buildings around the world to give the children some inspiration and ideas.

The children then had to complete their project booklet and construct a building of their own!
                                         

Take a look at a few of the finished projects.

The students presented them to the whole school after presenting them to the class.

Integration Ideas

Science: Materials (and how they can be used in construction)
Art: Construction
English: Oral Language, Procedural Writing
Geography: Homes Around the World
History: Change of Buildings over time (contrast photos of your locality: now versus long ago)
SPHE: Differences

Other Project Ideas:

Bridge Project

Bridges Project

I previously posted on my Facebook page about a project my students carried out this year on bridges.  I have outlined below how it ties into the curriculum and scope for integration. The project comprised of both a research booklet (available on my TpT store) and making their own bridge following studying Bridges in Science.

Theme: Transportation/Overseas Adventures

Subject: Science
Strand(s): Materials/Energy and Forces
Strand Unit: Properties and characteristics of materials/Forces

Brief overview of Lesson:

-Show children a range of bridges (from locality/famous bridges)
-Discuss the various functions of bridges and the types of bridges
-Investigate through experimentation the strength of various bridges (arch, plank, walled & corrugated). Record results as a class and compare. (Equipment-jenga blocks or similar as bridge wall, dominoes or counting cues, ruler to measure distance between blocks, paper to make arch/wall etc.)

Integration:

English: Oral Language, Procedural Writing based on experiment
Art: Construction of bridges
Maths: Measurement, lines & angles, weight
ICT: researching various bridges

Then the children completed their own project on bridges. Have a look at some of the finished products below!