Duration: 45 minutes

SPIRIT Skills:

• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness
• Critical Thinking
• Flexibility
• Resilience

Brief Description:

Students listen to the story of Mari the Little Scientist, discuss personal experiences with rainbows, and formulate initial hypotheses. The teacher collects key vocabulary and ideas, creating a shared starting point for investigation.

How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness: Storytelling and questioning spark curiosity, encouraging students to explore personal experiences.
• Critical thinking: Children analyse observations, challenge assumptions, and develop hypotheses.
• Flexibility: Students consider multiple explanations and remain open to revising their ideas.
• Resilience: Students are encouraged to express ideas, try out hypotheses, and value each contribution in the learning process.

What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

What we aim for in terms of student understanding and behaviour:

• Students can formulate questions related to a natural phenomenon.
• They understand that it’s okay not to have immediate answers, solutions can be discovered.
• Their verbal expression improves: narrating experiences and using scientific vocabulary (e.g., light, refraction, reflection).
• They become aware that scientists ask questions and experiment, they are not expected to know everything from the start.

Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

• Environmental Studies: Weather phenomena, the role of light and water in nature
• Language and Literature: Listening comprehension; expressive speaking
• Self-awareness and Identity (cross-curricular): Sharing personal experiences; valuing others’ ideas
• Science: Forming hypotheses; revealing prior conceptions.

Materials and tools needed for implementation 

• Projectable or illustrated story of “Mari the Little Scientist” (on A3 paper, digital format, or as a puppet)
• Printed or projected images of rainbows (from books or the internet)
• Blackboard or poster to collect keywords
• Chalk or markers; optional note sheets for children who wish to write.

Preparation notes

• The teacher should rehearse how to tell Mari’s story engagingly (e.g., with role-play, images, or puppets)
• Prepare rainbow images and place them where students can easily see them
• Plan in advance which open-ended questions to use for discussion
• Foster a supportive atmosphere: all answers are valid starting points
• Consider recording students’ initial hypotheses (written or verbal) for future reference during experimentation. 

Guided Questions

• Where have you seen a rainbow before? What were you doing then?
• What do you think causes those colours?
• What happens to light when it goes through water or a window?
• How could Mari begin her investigation to discover the rainbow’s secret?
• Can you think of anything that looks like a rainbow but isn’t?

Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

• What was the most interesting part of Mari’s story for you?
• Did you think of something you’ve never said out loud before?
• Why might it be helpful to ask questions before we experiment?
• Do you think it’s a good thing when someone doesn’t know the answer right away but decides to go and find it?

Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

• For shy children: Allow them to draw or just listen, they can join in later
• For overly active students: Use images or storytelling with movement to channel energy
• For quiet classes: Direct questions to individuals (e.g., “Anna, what do you think?”)
• For different ability levels: Accept varied responses; adapt questions from simple to more abstract depending on the student.

Duration: 45 minutes

SPIRIT Skills:

• Critical Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• Curiosity
• Creativity

Brief Description:

Students work in small groups at three pre-set science experiment stations. The goal is to explore light refraction and understand how rainbows are formed. Stations: 1) Mirror + Water + Light: A transparent cup is filled with water, and a small mirror is placed inside at an angle. A flashlight shines onto the mirror. Students observe how light reflects and what colours appear. 2) CD or Prism + Light Source: Students shine sunlight or a flashlight onto a CD or through a prism and observe the splitting of light into colours. 3) Water Spray + Sunlight: Using a spray bottle, students create a fine mist in direct sunlight (outside or by a window) and try to spot a real mini rainbow. Each group fills in a worksheet with drawings and short written responses to guided questions.

How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

• Critical thinking: Students analyse experimental outcomes, compare them with initial hypotheses, and draw reasoned conclusions.
• Problem-solving: Students repeat experiments, adjust tools or methods, and find solutions when results are unclear.
• Valuing people and nature: Groups divide tasks, support each other, and work together to make discoveries.
• Creativity: Students represent observations visually, exploring imaginative ways to present data.
• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness: Students explore phenomena, ask questions, and remain engaged in discovering new aspects of light and water interaction.

What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

Through this activity, students are expected to develop the following skills:

• Critical thinking: Draw conclusions based on observations and relate them to initial hypotheses.
• Problem-solving: Understand that scientific results require repetition, adjustment, and precision to achieve reliable outcomes.
• Valuing people and nature: Improve communication and teamwork skills through group interaction and shared experimentation.
• Creativity: Represent observations visually and explore imaginative ways to explain phenomena.
• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness: Remain engaged, ask questions, and explore the natural behaviour of light and water.

Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

• Environmental Studies: Light, water, and natural phenomena
• Digital Literacy / Technology: Use of light sources and optical tools
• Mathematics / Logical Thinking: Drawing conclusions, sequencing
• Social Learning: Group work, joint decision-making, argumentation

Materials and tools needed for implementation 

• Paper, coloured pencils, direction arrows
• Transparent cups, water, small mirrors, flashlights
• CDs, prisms
• Spray bottles, sunlight (or strong lamps)
• Worksheets with pencils and coloured pencils
• Station instruction cards with pictures and simple steps
• Visual aids for inspiration
• Paper towels for spills or water accidents.

Preparation notes

• Test each experiment in advance! Try them before the session to ensure feasibility
• Ensure proper lighting, ideally natural sunlight for best results
• Provide clear, illustrated instructions at each station (one per group)
• Organize and lay out all materials beforehand, clearly sorted by station
• Check for safety and stability (e.g., make sure cups are steady, flashlights are charged)

Guided Questions

• What happens to the light when it passes through water or hits a mirror?
• How does the light change when you shine it on a CD or prism?
• Did you see colours in the water spray? What conditions were needed?
• Which experiment did you like the most? Why?

Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

• Which experiment was the most spectacular or exciting for you?
• Did any result surprise you?
• What answers did you find to your questions? Do you think you’ve understood the secret of the rainbow?

Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

• Water spray experiment: Best outdoors in sunshine; if rainy, use a video projection of the spray effect indoors
• Lighting issues: Shade the room or use darker spaces for flashlight-based experiments
• Group participation balance: Assign rotating roles (e.g., “light operator,” “observer,” “recorder”)
• Shy students: Let them observe first, then try when they feel more comfortable
• Tool difficulties: Provide alternatives, e.g., CDs if prisms aren’t available or too tricky to handle.

Duration: 45 minutes

SPIRIT Skills:

• Critical Thinking
• Valuing people and nature
• Curiosity
• Creativity

Brief Description:

Based on the experiences gained during the experiments, students individually or in pairs create a rainbow-themed drawing that illustrates how the rainbow was formed, what they observed during the experiments, and which tools they used. They may add a short written or oral explanation next to their drawing. This is followed by a class discussion, where students share their experiences, and the teacher facilitates guided reflection and self-assessment through open-ended questions!

How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills

• Critical thinking: Analysing observations, connecting them to prior knowledge, and correcting misconceptions.
• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness: Engaging with new phenomena and exploring multiple perspectives.
• Valuing people and nature: Sharing creations respectfully and appreciating diverse interpretations.

What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?

Through this activity, students are expected to develop the following skills:

• Critical thinking: Describe and interpret observations, connect them to prior knowledge, and refine understanding of natural phenomena.
• Creativity: Express understanding and observations through art, exploring imaginative ways to represent concepts like light, refraction, and colours. Students interpret experiences freely and explore imaginative ways to express observations.
• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness: Engage actively with natural phenomena, asking questions and exploring how rainbows form.
• Valuing people and nature: Reflect on observations, appreciating both the natural environment and diverse perspectives from classmates.

Academic/Curriculum Objective connection

• Visual Arts: Depicting gradients, forms, and light effects
• Environmental Studies: Processing natural phenomena
• Language and Communication: Oral or written summaries, vocabulary expansion
• Self-awareness and Identity: Sharing experiences, self-assessment.

Materials and tools needed for implementation 

• White drawing paper or watercolour paper
• Coloured pencils, watercolours, brushes, water cups
• Example rainbow photos
• Sentence starters for reflection (e.g. “In the experiment I saw that…”, “The rainbow was formed because…”).

Preparation notes

• Prepare sample drawings in different artistic styles
• Support students who struggle with writing by offering sentence starters or templates
• Allocate time for peer or class-level presentation
• Display student artwork as posters on the classroom wall or bulletin board.

Guided Questions

• Which experiment did you choose to draw? What did you observe in it?
• What happens to light when it meets water?
• Why do we see the colours in an arc shape?
• What would you explain to a friend who wasn’t here today?
• Which tool did you find most interesting and why?

Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)

• What did you learn about rainbows that you didn’t know before?
• What was your most surprising observation?
• Which tool helped you understand the most?
• If you could do it again, what would you try differently?

Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges

• For students with weaker drawing skills: Provide templates or pre-printed outlines
• For fast finishers: Encourage them to add extra explanations or draw a second experiment
• For shy students: Use pair-sharing instead of whole-class presentation
• To maintain motivation: Hold a short “gallery walk” at the end where students view each other’s work
• Simple assessment idea: Use emotion icons (🙂😕🤔) for self-evaluation of understanding or enjoyment.