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...

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...

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.

This resource, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, begins with a video that names and describes some the different layers of the atmosphere, with the aim of explaining where the ...

In this logbook resource pupils will learn about a typical week in the life of an astronaut. They will identify how life is different on Earth than it is in space and compare their daily activities, exercise and nutrition to that of ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

In this resource, pupils will create a solar system mobile and learn about the inner and outer planets in our solar system. They will learn that the outer planets are less dense than the inner planets and the planet with the highest density is Earth. Then will then carry out their own density experiment using...

This resource, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, explores magnetism and how it is used in a compass. It is aimed at key stage 2, but the activities would also be suitable for introducing magnetism to key stage 3.

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This curriculum linked resource, for primary children and their teachers, is based on the exciting real-life launch of the Euclid space telescope. Through simple models and practical activities, the children are introduced to the work of space scientists seeking to discover more about our universe.

The...

‘Why do we send humans and robots into space? What will Mars be like, compared to Earth?’

In this introduction chapter students find out more about Mars, including:

• comparing Earth to Mars
• describing past, present and future missions to Mars
• writing a diary to Tim Peake...

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...

‘Before you set off on your next space adventure, tell the people back on Earth why Mars is worth a visit.’

In this concluding activity students are encouraged to summarise their findings from the other five chapters, by:

• creating a poster about space tourism,
• drawing/writing a comic...

This activity, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, is designed to help students find out all about the Moon, and some of the other 200+ moons that orbit other planets in the solar system.

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This resource, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, helps students to understand how we see things, and in particular how light travels.

There is a short video introduction accompanied by two suggested activities.

In the...

‘Design a city that has everything you'll need for a happy, productive and safe life on Mars.’

In this chapter students work out they could overcome Martian conditions to create a sustainable habitat, including

• mapping what is required by a community,
• designing buildings/domes that...

‘Work with your rover to collect scientific samples then head to the lab. It's time to experiment!’

In this chapter students think about the challenges of running experiments on Mars using a robotic rover, including

• programming the rover to navigate,
• decrypting coded messages,
• ...