This resource supports learning about the ExoMars rover, which will travel across the Martian surface and drill up to two metres below the surface to collect and analyse samples in the search for evidence of life. These activities support children in finding out how more about the rover and the ExoMars mission. The...

This Catalyst article uses physics to investigate the possible causes of the sinking of the Titanic. Mike Follows explains how the hull of the Titanic was constructed to be watertight, however, the strength of the rivets used on the ship were inadequate.

The article shows how the alignment of the sun, Earth...

Produced by the National Schools Observatory, this PowerPoint workshop and accompanying flash animation explains tidal activity on Earth. The workshop takes the form of a PowerPoint presentation that explains why tides exist, why there are two tides each day and covers related topics such as spring/neap tides and...

The last unit in the Geology: Structure of the Earth series, produced by Northumberland County Council, pulls together all that students have learned from Units 1 to 5, relating the different features of the Earth's structure to each other and developing further the theory of plate tectonics. The unit investigates...

Rockets are used to launch satellites, probes and even astronauts into space. A rocket launch is extremely impressive. Thousands of kilograms are burned in just a few minutes in order to provide the force that the rocket needs in order to overcome the gravity of the Earth. Rockets provide an exciting context to...

These resources from the European Space Agency climate change initiative education resource pack allow students to learn how a built up environment can lead to the urban heat island effect, so called urban hotspots. This phenomenon leads to temperature rises in cities that exceed those in surrounding rural...

This podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) looks at how the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland gave scientists an unparalleled opportunity for research, and why sediment from rivers like the Thames can act like time machines to bygone...

The spacecraft that have orbited around Mars and landed on its surface have shown us (via images and data) that there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars. However, these satellite images have also revealed to us features that appear to have been created or carved out by flowing water. In fact, scientists feel...

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...

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The best teaching draws on the best evidence. 

Amid increasing calls for evidence-based practice in classrooms, teachers’ lives are usually too busy for them to comprehensively access and implement the best evidence we can find emerging from education research.

Best Evidence Science Teaching for...

This issue of Catalyst includes the following articles:

Life Beyond Earth

This articles looks at the methods used to detect if there is life elsewhere in the universe.

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ESA Climate Detectives is a competition that is open for students from the ages of 8 to 19. Teams of...

These resources use real satellite data from different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to provide an introduction to scientific image processing techniques. They link to elements of GCSE science specifications as well as supporting aspects of the curriculum for...