The Benefits of Bringing Space to the Classroom

Filmed at the ESERO-UK Secondary Conference, in 2014, this video shows teachers talking about the benefits of attending the conference, networking with other teachers and learning about the different contexts that can be used to teach STEM subjects. The video also features UK European Space Agency astronaut Tim...

Earth and Space

This short film follows Brendan Owens, as he hosts a workshop at the Royal Observatory with a group of schoolchildren to teach them about Earth and Space. He puts right common misconceptions about the moon, and gives his top tips on teaching Earth and Space. Using his rotating model, he brings the orbit of the...

Build the Station Simulation

With just a few materials, building a paper model of the International Space Station (ISS) can become a class project. This publication contains a brief overview of the ISS, its parts, the science that occurs on board, instructions, and extension fact sheets. Learn about the ISS, explore fun facts, simulate...

Where Will Philae Land? Rosetta in Orbit

Following the successful rendezvous of the Rosetta spacecraft, with comet 67P, this Catalyst article explains how a smaller spacecraft will land on the surface of the comet. Philae is due to land on the comet on 12 November 2014, the first ever attempt to land an object on the surface of a comet.

The article...

Universe in a Box

Aimed at primary level, this book provides a comprehensive range of practical activities relating to Earth and Space, light and astronomy. ‘Hands on’ activities include: creating a lunar landscape, Moon storytelling, modelling a solar eclipse, building a sundial,...

Card Games

This resource contains three ideas for card games involving Planets of the Solar System. It includes instructions for playing the games and the cards of the Planets with key facts about them. The games are Trump Card, Snap and Families. This activity has been provided by European Universe Awareness (EU-UNAWE).

Telescope Guides

This resource, aimed at primary level, links to work on light and Earth and Space. Looking first at the principles behind how a telescope works, it provides activities in which children explore the nature of light, the role of concave and convex lenses in focussing light to form an image and on making a ‘Home TV’....

Solar System activities

This resource, aimed at primary level, contains three activities relating to the Solar System. In the first activity children create a solar system flip book to show that the four planets closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) revolve around the Sun in the...

Safe Sun Viewer

In this activity children are introduced to safe solar observation. Using everyday materials, the activity provides a step by step guide to create a safe sun viewer. A second activity investigates ‘sunspots’ and looks at how to use binoculars as a projector to see 'sunspots'. ‘Sunspots’ are areas of the sun which...

Radioastronomy

This resource contains 12 lessons, for students aged 8 to 12, that look at radio waves and other invisible forms of light. Lesson 1: Looking at radio telescopes and objects that do and do not use radio waves Lesson 2: Making an antenna dish from paper to amplify your voice Lesson 3: A discussion on X-rays Lesson 4...