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...

A lesson from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)'s Seeing Science. Students investigate sulphur dioxide, its sources and its impact on the environment and on life. In the main activity, students create a animated presentation to tell the story of sulphur dioxide. Images and graphics for each act...

Basketball Earth
This resource uses a basketball as the Earth to set up a scale model to the distance to the Moon, satellites and distances such as the thickness of the...

Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the S unit called ‘Keys and detection’. This S unit provided enough material for eight double periods during a single-certificate science course. The teachers’ guide included two worksheets to supplement the...

Produced by the Centre for Science Education, this Science Assessment Task for More Able Students, comprises of two investigations with a space-related theme. Students investigate what needs to be considered if humans are to colonise our solar system.

They look at:

* forces and the force of gravity...

This text, produced by the Geological Society, investigates igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, the rock cycle, erosion and weathering. The book contains a series of classroom activities for earth science at Key Stage Three. Each unit provides preparatory information for the teacher, information sheets for...

From the Institute of Physics, this resource provides extensive teacher guidance and suggested classroom activities to support the teaching of:

* Gravity and space

* Orbits and satellites

* The solar system and beyond

* Sun, Moon and Earth Each topic is explored from the following...

Volcanoes can be found on many planets and satellites in the Solar System, although not all volcanoes are the same as those found on Earth. It is the conditions on the planet and its composition that determine the shape of the volcanoes and the material that is erupted.

Students will use topography data to...

Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the S unit called ‘Earth, air and water’. This X unit provided enough material for eight double periods. It could be selected to complete either a Science or a Further Science course. The teachers’ guide included...

The loose fragments of material on the Moon’s surface are called regolith. This regolith, a product of bombardment by meteorites, is the debris thrown out of the impact craters. By contrast, regolith on Earth (called ‘soil’ as it contains organic material) is a product of weathering. ‘Weathering’ describes all the...

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...

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 National Strategies study guide from the Department of Education is one of a suite designed to support the development of aspects of subject knowledge. It has been designed to link with both the Progression Maps, the ...