What's Your Limit?

Conditions on other planets are unlikely to be within the same ranges as that experienced by Earth. However, a degree of variance from ‘ideal’ ranges may be tolerable for a small number of organisms known as extremophiles. This investigation looks at the effects of subjecting a living organism (yeast) to some...

Ice Cores

In this practical activity students analyse ice cores extracted from the icy worlds of Enceladus or Europa. This resource provides information about Enceladus and worksheets for both qualitative and quantitative analyses. In the video, Steve Althorpe explains how ice cores containing minerals can be made and then...

Rates of Reaction and Activation Enthalpy

High levels of ultraviolet radiation out in space drive reactions that can turn white beads into their coloured form. Students investigate how temperature affects the rate at which the beads turn back to white. At Key Stage Five, students can use the results sheet template to find the activation enthalpy. In the...

Molecules of Life

This resource includes a suite of games designed to promote thinking, learning and understanding as well as being enjoyable and engaging. They are all based around molecules that play key roles in life on Earth.

In the ...

Life in the freezer *suitable for home teaching*

If there is life elsewhere in our solar system it’s likely to live in a pretty cold environment. In this resource, students investigate the effect of antifreeze on the freezing point of water and how it can allow fragile cells to survive extreme cold. In the video, Judith Green explains how students can plan an...

Is There Life In There?

All life forms on Earth are based on organic biochemistry. This activity requires students to analyse an unknown soil sample (just recovered from a space mission to another planet!) and look for signs of possible indicators for life. Curriculum areas covered: • Cell biology • Food tests, including starch, sugar,...

Exo-planets

Finding exoplanetsExoplanets are planets outside our own solar system. Find out how scientists use ingenious methods to spot them.

Goldilocks zoneFinding the right conditions to support life is a delicate...

Life in Our Solar System

Life in the extremesMicrobes 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...

Are We Alone?

It really is a small worldWe 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 oneSo...

Sunlight and Space Travel

This resource from Physicists in Primary Schools (PIPS) supports the teaching of Earth, Sun and Moon...