Surrounding the Earth, like a blanket, is the atmosphere. Without it we couldn’t survive. The atmosphere is a layer of gases, the air, which plants and animals use to respire. It is made up of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, as well as many other gases in much smaller quantities.

This unit gives children a...

This booklet provides a range of activities which look at the Earth and what we can find out about it. Cross curricular activities encompass science, geography and literacy and include facts, question sheets and practical activities, all designed to provoke interest and awareness of the Earth and its place in the...

Combing satellite and ground-based imagery, this cross-curricular learning resource for primary teachers explores planet Earth from a range of perspectives.

The activities are intended to build map skills and recognition of many physical geography features in familiar and unfamiliar locations. Mathematics...

In this activity, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, students are introduced to the rotating Earth and the concept of longitude. They will carry out simple arithmetic that relates the 24 hour clock with the Earth’s rotation. The questions in the activity require an understanding of angle: one hour being equal to...

Aimed at primary level, this pack contains a range of different activities based on the theme of ‘Earth’. The activities cover a mixture of topics including: weather, gravity, plants, fossils, energy and soil. Designed for use in class or as part of a science week or club, they promote investigative work and...

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Describe constellations of stars in the night sky.
• Describe the planets that can be seen with a telescope.
• Describe evidence that shows the Earth is shaped as a sphere and...

Produced by the Hamilton Trust, these resources give details of seven lessons on space. This includes lesson plans, practical activities and all student materials. Students find facts about the Sun, Moon and Earth. They develop an understanding of day and night, the four seasons and the Moon’s phases. The Sun and...

This resource from Physicists in Primary Schools (PIPS) supports the teaching of Earth and Space at Key Stage Two. A presentation introduces Earth and the planets of our solar system, with an activity in which children help demonstrate the relative sizes of planets and the distances between them. It moves on to...

This activity looks at the shape of the Earth and the reasons why we have day and night. It includes a game “The Earth goes on a Spin”; in which children role-play the Sun and the Earth. In other activities children think about the sounds that are heard during day and night. The activities require the use of an...

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Describe how the seasons change through a year.
• Describe the movement of the Earth through a year.
• Describe evidence that shows the Earth moves in a circular orbit...

Earth Observation (EO) scientists collect information about the Earth – the land, the sea and the atmosphere – using sensors carried on satellites, aircraft, ships, buoys floating on the ocean and thousands of weather stations around the world. There is now a great deal of data available and scientists are finding...

In this activity, pupils compare Earth and Mars in the context of geography and science. They will begin by comparing the positions of both planets in the solar system, and end by designing their own life forms that could potentially survive on Mars.

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...

This creative writing exercise asks your space apprentices to choose a place on Earth that they have never been to, and imagine what it might be like to visit. They will use a selection of images that Tim Peake took while on...

The Science Processes and Concepts Exploration (SPACE) project research report on Earth in Space was conducted at two centres: at the University of Liverpool and King’s College, London and published in 1994 by Liverpool University Press. Each centre took responsibility for research in particular concepts and for...