Combining both the physical props and the laptop to create an interactive imaginative rocket experience is a creative way to intergrate ICT into the curriculum. Not only are the children observing and understanding how to use online programs, but we are able to explore and learn about space in a much more engaging way.
Exerpt from a Daily Reflection of ICT Intergration
Throughout the morning, the laptop was left open with a current live stream feed from the International Space Station of the Earth to continue sparking the children's interest and explorative nature. Many children gathered around to view our Earth from space.
Moving on from here, Mr Mack invited the children in small groups to join him at the mission control space shuttle area. Using this mission control board as a prop in front of the laptop, we pretended to go on a rocket trip through our solar system to look at each of the planets using an interactive 3D model solar system app called the 'World Wide Telescope'. This cool website allowed us to get a 3D perspective of each of the planets, and also helped to give us a better understanding of how only half the planet is lit at any point due to how the suns light shines. For each planet, we identified which half of the planet was in day time and which was night time, as well as trying to point which direction the sun would be shining from. Check out - worldwidetelescope.org/..if you'd like to have a look at this interactive solar system model at home
Daily Reflection
For this mornings group time, we took a quick look through our Bee book and had our children share some of the facts about bees that we learnt earlier on in the week. Not only were our friends really excited to share their new knowledge about bees, but teaching and learning from their peers is a great way for children to retain information, as they hear the different bee facts in easier to understand language. Since many of the new words and concepts we are learning are a bit complex, a bit of repetition will be needed to ensure that we solidify this new knowledge.
Soon after, we continued our bee learning focus with a treasure hunt, but with a superhero twist! BatMack gave the Possums a rundown of the sitch!
'There has been a problem! Joker has visited our school and stolen all of Miss Valerie's honey out of the kitchen!’ In order to make some more honey, the children needed to find a bee and cup and take these out through the yard, searching for any flowers that have nectar in them! Once found, the children were required to use pipettes to collect nectar from as many flowers as possible and return it back home to our bee hive! Each jar had a number from 1-5 on it and the children could only take the specified amount of squirts with their pipettes. To make it a bit more superhero themed, BatMack told the children that they were locked up in 'Joker's prison', and they needed to complete the obstacle course in order to escape before they could collect any nectar at all!
In this experience, we have tried to incorporate a variety of different play-styles and learning focuses, combining them into one interactive learning experience! Through the experience we focused on our bee learning topic, actively acting out the process of creating honey through a numeracy experience; gross and fine motor skill development and building confidence and creativity through dramatic play. Although some of our children have already done this experience earlier in the week, it was a whole lot of fun to do again, as well as giving another opportunity to cement our knowledge on how to make honey!
Once we finished, our children were super excited to go downstairs and give Miss Valerie all the nectar we had collected for her to make us some delicious honey!
Daily Reflection
Another Fantastic Friday rolls around once more!
This morning for our group time, we had our initial discussion outside, looking at our 3D model planets and trying our hardest to name each one! Mr. Mack gave hints as we went along to give some assistance.
After we had finished naming all of our planets, we went inside to create our very own 3D model solar system! Mr. Mack had already taped down 8 rings onto the carpet, which the Possums sat in a circle around. He explained that each ring on the carpet was the circle that each of the planets travelled along. But what do they travel around and why?
“The Earth is always spinning!” Rory pointed out.
“They travel around the sun because it has so much gravity and it pulls them!” Donald called.
This prompted Mr. Mack to explain that the planets are all always spinning around in a circle as well as travelling in a big circle around the sun!
Donald was then called upon to pick which one of our 3d models was the sun. He picked it up and placed it in the centre. Together we used Mr. Mack’s book and the 3D planets to assist us in deciding which planet goes where. The children were described each planet after naming them, and then children would choose which of the planets they thought fit the description. Once the right planet was selected, we counted the rings out to decide how far away from the sun that planet should be. One child would place the planet on the ring they thought fit and the other children would give their opinion on whether it was right or not!
Once we finished ordering all of the planets, Mr. Mack rolled some of the planets along their ring around the sun to show the children how each of these planets would travel in its orbit.
Next, off went the lights! After ordering the planets, Mr. Mack put a torch on the sun and shined it right at the Earth. He asked the children what time it would be for the people on the Earth that are facing the light.
“Morning time!” -“Day time!” Our Possums called.
"Well what about the people on the other side of the Earth? Is there any light there?"
"No, it's night time! Like in England!" Ollie T announced. "And people in America like my cousins are sleeping" Jimmy said.
"And Africa too!" Jack added.
Mr. Mack agreed and explained that when one side of the Earth is facing the sun it is day time, so for the other side of the Earth it's night time! But why does the moon shine light? Mr. Mack used a mirror to pretend to be the moon, he shined the light from the sun onto the mirror and pointed out the reflected light that was moving on the ground as he moved the mirror. He explained and modelled that when the light from the sun hits the moon, it reflects back to the Earth, causing moonlight! Without the Moon, it would be completely dark at night time!
After this experience was finished, Mr. Mack taped string from the sun to each of the planets where the children were able to pick their favourite planet and walk it around the sun, feeling the 'gravity' of the string pull from the sun to keep the planets travelling in the circle.
Now, time for questions! at least 7 or 8 hands shot straight into the air! Love the enthusiasm!
Finn - "How did the Moon get there?"
Mr. Mack - "The moon was created when another planet flying through space smashed into the Earth causing a big explosion. A large chunk of the Earth blasted off and became the moon."
Sammy - "Why is there half moons and full moons?"
Mr. Mack explained while showing with the torch and the model planets how when the moon is in a certain position, only half of the light can be seen from Earth, where as other times it receives the full amount of light from the Sun making a full moon!
For those parents that made it this far into this essay of a daily reflection, sorry and thank you!!! Haha. I guess there is just too much to learn about space! Feel free to ask your children about some of the planets or concepts we learned about and help them if needed. Our children are not going to be space experts at this point, but you can help foster their interest and learning by being just as curious as they are!
What's Next?
- Create a solar system hat to assist in learning the names of our planets!
Mr. Mack