Planetary Scientist

Sheila Kanani is a PhD student at University College London (UCL), and analyses data from a spacecraft currently orbiting Saturn. This Department for Education clip gives students insight into the world of space science.

Sheila describes how her involvement in space science has taken her to Russia, to see...

Science In a Social CONtext: Teachers' Guide

The SISCON teachers guide gives planning help and suggested approaches to each of the units. It includes sample questions, references for further study, suggestions for field trips, experiments and discussion questions. 

Exploring the Nature of Science: Key Stage Three

This Exploring the Nature of Science book is divided into units each of which deals with an episode in the history of science. The units involved a variety of teaching and learning methods. 

Aims

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Rocket Science Activities

From NASA, these activities look at the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical foundations of rocketry to provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on experimentation. Rockets have formed the basis of space exploration.

Extensive teachers' notes, guidance and lesson plans...

Episode 400: Preparation for Gravitational Fields Topic *suitable for home teaching*

This series of sessions, produced by the Institute of Physics, develops the idea that Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation is precisely that; universal. Every single object with a mass in the universe gravitationally attracts every other object with mass. By following the learning episodes in this topic, students...

Episode 402: Fields, Field Lines and Field Strength

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, introduces the notion of a field of force and how it can be diagrammatically represented using field lines. The actual strength of the field at a point in space is defined by the field strength. The activities include: • discussing fields and field lines •...

Episode 403: Orbital Motion

Through discussion and worked examples, this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, enables students to combine concepts of circular motion with Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation to understand the motion of satellites. It includes an explanation of Kepler’s third law.

The activities look at:...

Episode 404: Gravitational Potential Energy

From the Institute of Physics, this resource uses discussion, worked examples and modelling to help students appreciate the energy changes that take place as a body moves in a gravitational field. The learning episode is quite extended and gives a good grounding in these ideas.

The activities look at:...

Episode 405: Preparation for Electric Fields Topic *suitable for home teaching*

This topic, from the Institute of Physics, explores electric fields and draws the comparison between these and gravitational fields. They both follow inverse square laws, and so their equations look very similar. The topic includes a series of learning episodes which are self-contained and last one or two lessons...

Episode 406: Fields, Field Lines and Equipotentials

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode introduce students to electric fields, field lines and equipotentials. Similarities with gravitational fields are highlighted, but with the need to take account of the of charge.

The activities include:
• discussion and demonstration of field...