In this unit from the Geology: Structure of the Earth series, produced by Northumberland County Council, students discover more about the Earth's internal structure. In a series of tasks, students investigate the true shape of the Earth, gravity and how geologists use it, movements of the Earth and what happens...

In this lesson, students apply their knowledge of reaction rates, and structure and bonding, to an exciting new context – the chemistry of interstellar space. Having watched an engaging animation, students work in groups to find out about the nature of interstellar space and its atoms, ions, and molecules. They...

Comets are considered to be time capsules containing information about the conditions of the early Solar System. In order to understand what comets are, where they come from, and their influence on the evolution of Earth, it is necessary to find out what material they contain. This teacher demonstration and student...

In this activity from the European Space Agency, students are introduced to the idea of remote observation of the Earth from space. They are asked to match photographs of different landscapes (mountains, lakes, rivers, cities, islands, and deserts) taken from the ground with photos of the same places taken by...

Students will begin by comparing the range of temperatures on the Earth, Mars and the Moon, using the student worksheet ‘Temperature: from one extreme to another!’ They will have to plot the temperature over a ten-day period from 4 September to 13 September, as measured by three different craft that landed on the...

This activity uses satellite images of the Earth to show how a glacier has changed over almost three decades. Children are asked to measure the glacier to find out how much it has changed in size and to compare false-colour images to suggest how this helps us find out more about environmental change. Guidance on...

In this activity children take on the role of Earth observation scientists submitting a request for an image they would like for their research. This gives them the opportunity to consider the possibilities of pictures taken from orbit (and the limitations) and to write scientifically for a specific audience. It...

These activity sheets give pupils the opportunity to look in greater depth at the similarities and differences between Mars and Earth. The activities focus on Mars’ place in the solar system and facts about Mars and Earth before giving pupils the opportunity to design their own Martians using what they have learnt...

This resource looks at extremes of temperature on the Earth, and inside and outside the International Space Station. Students must find data, draw bar graphs and perform conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

This fact sheet for primary pupils explores what fossils are and how they form. It considers why scientists study fossils and what can they tell us about the ancient creatures and plants that once lived on Earth.

A fact sheet from the Geological Society that explores different types of mining and processing techniques for extracting minerals from the Earth. The leaflet also touches on some of the ethical and environmental issues involved in mining. 

From NASA, these high resolution images show separately the planets of our solar system. Images in this resource include: Sun, Earth, Moon, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and the dwarf planet Pluto.