Exo-planets
Finding exoplanets Exoplanets are planets outside our own solar system. Find out how scientists use ingenious methods to spot them. Goldilocks zone Finding the right conditions to support life is a delicate balance, and scientists are on the look out for exoplanets in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ – Not too hot, and…
Life in Our Solar System
Life in the extremes Microbes can survive in the most hostile and inhospitable environments. Might similar places in our solar system be able to support them too? Why are scientists interested in Mars? Why are scientists interested in Mars? Four scientists talk about why they are interested in the red planet, and how they plan…
Are We Alone?
It really is a small world We live in a global network of diverse communities, sharing resources, ideas and technology. As a species, we have always looked to the sky and asked ‘are we alone?’ A sample of one So are we alone? The simple answer is ‘yes’. Right now, we are alone. Despite all our searching…
Leading Space: Raising standards in STEM and other subjects
This publication is a report from the Leading Space Education Programme (LSEP). This is a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funded project that has worked with 30 schools in England with the aim of enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in secondary schools and using space to: excite;…
Raising Standards in STEM and Other Subjects: Using Space-related Contexts and Applications
The Leading Space Education programme has been funded by the STFC since September 2008. A network of schools was established and supported by SSAT, to develop and embed high-quality, space-themed educational practice. All schools started from different prior experiences of engagement with space education and are from a wide range…
Ashton Community Science College
This resource focuses on the activities that Ashton School used as part of the Mission X – Train Like An Astronaut programme, developed by NASA and run by the UK Space Agency, in the UK. The physical activities undertaken are associated with training activities for astronauts and link in to nutrition and health. Schools…
4/5- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Activity sheet
Sound Survey
Using the context of what it would be like for a child with hearing difficulties in school, children develop a set of survey questions to assess the noisiest places in school and work in small groups to survey the site and map their findings. The activity encourages children to reflect on the experiences, needs and feelings…
Sportscience and Engineering in Education
This interactive resource explores the roles played by engineering, science and technology in today’s sports. The four modules are: Forces and motion (for students aged 9 to 11 and above); Sports shoe design (for students aged 11 to 14); How high will it fly? (for students aged 11-14); and Making waves (for students aged 14…
- 5/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Interactive resource
Magic Melting Ice Cubes
Simon Quinnell, from the National Science Learning Centre, shows how to carry out some ‘magic’ at the Christmas dinner table using ice cubes, a plastic chopping board and a frying pan. When asked to feel the plastic and the metal, people usually describe the plastic as warmer to the touch. They are then surprised…
Flying Tinsel
Simon Quinnell, from the National Science Learning Centre, demonstrates static electricity and charge using a balloon and a piece of plastic tinsel. Rubbing the balloon on a jumper builds up a negative charge on its surface. When the positively charged tinsel is dropped onto the surface of the balloon it is first attracted to…
Physics and the Earth Sciences for Middle Schools
Physics and the Earth Sciences for Middle Schools is one of the titles in the series of ASE Lab Books that were published in the early 1970s for the Association for Science Education by John Murray. Each title covered one or two topics and brought together the best of the teaching notes and experimental ideas from members of the…
A Day in the Life of UK Space Scientists and Engineers
These videos provide an insight into the working lives of seven different space scientists and engineers in the UK. Each video has an associated file with suggested ideas of how you could use the videos in a lesson, posing questions to the students based on the videos and presenting ideas for research projects and class activities. Mat…
Phases of the Moon
This resource, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, challenges students to explain the phases of the Moon by linking the movement of the Moon around the Earth with our perspective from Earth of light and shadow on the Moon. The two files are identical, apart from the curriculum links stated in the teachers' notes. The…
The Sky’s the Limit! Introducing GCSE Astronomy at Glyncoed Comprehensive School
Edexcel’s GCSE Astronomy syllabus provides an opportunity for students to develop their understanding and enthusiasm for astronomy, as well as to complement and extend the reach of their study of Key Stage Four science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. This article from School Science Review is based…
Teaching Astronomy in UK Schools
This School Science Review article attempts to summarise the good, bad and (occasionally) ugly aspects of teaching astronomy in UK schools. It covers the most common problems reported by teachers when asked about covering the astronomy/space topics in school. Particular focus is given to the GCSE Astronomy qualification offered…
Resources for Teaching Astronomy in UK Schools
This School Science Review article looks at a selection of resources currently available for use in the teaching of astronomy in UK schools. It is by no means an exhaustive list but it highlights a variety of free resources that can be used in the classroom to help engage students of all ages with astronomy and space science. It…
The James Webb Space Telescope: Inspiration and Context for Physics and Chemistry Teaching
This article from School Science Review, describes the design, delivery, evaluation and impact of a CPD course for physics and chemistry teachers. A key aim of the course was to use the context of the James Webb Space Telescope project to inspire teachers and lead to enriched teaching of STEM subjects. The authors are: Dan Hillier,…
Evaluation of the European Space Education Resource Office
NFER has been commissioned by the National STEM Centre to evaluate the effectiveness and early impacts of the European Space Education Resource Office for the UK (ESERO-UK). ESERO-UK aims to promote the use of space as a context for enriching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning in schools…
Short Astronomy Related Activities
Alkaseltzer rockets Instructions on how to make a rocket using an effervescent tablet and ideas of how to discuss the activity with reference to Newton’s Third Law. CD Spectrometer Students can make a simple spectrometer using a CD and a cereal box. There is an explanation in terms of the distinct spectral produced by…
Aircraft Structures
Produced by Innovate Educate and Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire, these materials allow students to investigate forces, motion and the use of resistant materials to make structures. There are four activities which can be used in sequence or individually. Helium balloons and lift Students look at the development of flying machines…
Case Studies on Education-Industry Partnerships
From CIEC Promoting Science, this information booklet is useful for those wishing to develop successful partnerships between schools and local science-based industries. It is a collection of papers that describe how different groups have encountered and handled major issues and problems while developing their education-industry programmes.…
Industrial Encounters: Good Practice for School Links
From CIEC Promoting Science, this guide aims to help schools and science-based companies make the best use of their opportunities to liaise together. It concentrates upon using link activities to enrich aspects of the school science curriculum but there are many principles in the guide, with a more general application. There…
Electrical Circuits
Produced by Teachers TV, in this video two teachers show the experiments they find useful in teaching students about electrical circuits. Dr Phil Scott, professor of science education at the University of Leeds, believes it is important to find out about what children know about an electric circuit before any effective teaching…
Transit Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at transits, eclipses and occultations. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science…
Space Weather Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at space weather. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
Electromagnetic Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at electromagnetic radiation. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and…
Earth Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at the Earth and its atmosphere. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and…
Magnetic Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at magnetism. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 14 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering issues,…
Radiation Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at radiation, and will make the student familiar with many forms of radiation, how it is measured, and what different doses can lead to over time. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and…
Image Scale Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at image scaling, which is an important first step that all astronomers perform when looking at image data. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 14 years.…
Lunar Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at Lunar exploration. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 19 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
Solar Math
This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at the Sun-Earth system. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from age 11 to 16 years. The problems were created to be authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering…
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