Air pollutants arise from natural processes and human activities. In this SATIS Revisited resource, students investigate air pollution, how it is monitored and some effects on human health. Air pollutants arise from a wide variety of sources, although they are mainly a result of the combustion process. It is easy...

This resource from the European Space Agency climate change resource pack provides background information on the role of Arctic sea ice upon the Earth’s climate system. All activities are set in the context of the Northwest Passage. Changes in the amount of sea ice can disrupt normal ocean circulation, leading to...

In this SATIS Revisited resource students consider the factors that contribute to the greenhouse effect, the possible effects of global warming, and how they as individuals are contributing to carbon dioxide emissions.

Climate change is affecting the natural world. The distribution of some species appears to...

This resource, from the Association for Science Education (ASE) is a Key Stage Four investigation into kinetic and potential energy, based on a real-life context. If a large asteroid hit the Earth, could it cause a global catastrophe? In this unit, on a table-top scale, students simulate what an impact would be...

In this activity, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, students look at the Sun and the Milky Way in different wavelengths. They apply their understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum to astrophysical objects and look at why it is important to use the whole spectrum in astronomy. The images of the Sun are...

In this activity developed by the Institute of Physics, students model the motion of a planet around a star and investigate how day and night and seasons may be different on other planets. Working in pairs or small groups, students demonstrate night and day and seasons to each other. They can then go on to model...

In this activity developed by the Institute of Physics, students use simple diffraction gratings to observe the spectra from different sources, and deduce how scientists can work out which chemicals are present in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. When an exoplanet passes in front of its star, some of the starlight is...

Explore Your Universe is a partnership between the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The vision for the project is to inspire a new sense of excitement amongst young people and their families through telling the amazing stories and...

These two activities, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, involve using the website Galaxy Zoo to classify five samples of ten galaxies. The results are recorded in a table and presented in the form of a bar chart for each sample. These can be drawn on paper or plotted using...

This topic, from the Association for Science Education, allows classes in schools across the world to explore and exchange information about the applications of photovoltaic devices. The version of the topic that can be downloaded here is a trial version and is provided only in English. This resource was edited by...

Scientists say that the average global temperature has increased by around 0.5^oC over the last century. Is this evidence of global warming, initiated by the excessive production of greenhouse gases? Students will look at real monthly maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall data taken in Southampton...

In this resource, students attempt to apply their understanding of heat transfer (convection, conduction and radiation) to the novel case of the Beagle 2 Lander.

Students are set the challenge of creating the best...

There is a minimum size of meteorite that will make it through the atmosphere of a planet (or the Moon) and impact on the surface. If the meteorite is any smaller than this, it will burn up on its journey through the atmosphere and be seen as a meteor or shooting star (obviously if the meteorite is bigger it will...

The kit, from ESA, uses five themed chapters to explore various aspects of the International Space Station, including what it is, how it is being built, living and working on board, and what future voyages will be like.

The ISS Education Kit is aimed at teachers of secondary school students aged 12-15. ESA...

This activity, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, illustrates Kepler’s Third Law for our own Solar System using graphical methods, with a further look at how the same law can be used to derive information about the orbits of exoplanets around their parent stars....