Scale of the Universe

This film, from Twig World, looks at how big the universe is.

The key points made in the film are:

•The Universe is constantly expanding.

•The Universe is already billions of light years across.

•Our Solar System is part of the Milky Way galaxy.

•Beyond our galaxy lie many more...

Telescopes

This film, from Twig World, looks at who invented telescopes and how they have developed throughout history.

The key points made in the film are:

•The first optical telescopes were made around 1608. •Early telescopes consisted of a convex lens and an eyepiece.

•Later telescope designs used...

The Search for Dark Matter

This film, from Twig World, looks at the work of scientists, deep underground in a disused mine in Yorkshire, searching for particles that can't be seen and have never been detected, but might bind our Universe together.

The key points made in the film are:

•Dark matter is believed to make up about...

What is a Light Year?

This film, from Twig World, looks at what a light year is, how it is measured and why we measure distance in terms of time?

The key points made in the film are:

•Light travels through space at 300 million metres per second

•A light year is the distance that light travels in one year

•...

ATV – Jules Verne

The book, From the Earth to the Moon written by Jules Verne, describes firing the explorers from a canon to reach the Moon. This video explores Newton’s equation for gravitational force and how these forces change over distance. Anu Ojha explains how the International Space Station is in freefall, and how this...

ATV – Johaness Kepler

This video explains the historical context of observations and the different models of the solar system, that led to Kepler’s theories of elliptical planetary orbits. Both the Copernican and Ptolemaic models required the use of epicycles to explain retrograde motion. Kepler spent six years developing his three...

Rocket Game

This space themed maths game provides an opportunity for children to practice working with number bonds to 10. It can be played either as a board game in pairs or used within an interactive whiteboard page.

To play the game the 10 number cards are shuffled and placed face-down near the board. Players take it...

Marble-ous Ellipses

In order to understand the orbits of planets, comets and other celestial bodies, it is necessary to examine the principles of how gravity, and the velocity of an object, interact to produce an orbit. It is a common misconception among students that planetary orbits are circular. This practical activity gives a...

Cooking a Comet

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...

ATV – Amaldi

The physicist Edoardo Amaldi was instrumental in the development of CERN and of ESRO, which eventually became the European Space Agency. One of the European Space Agency’s Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) is named after him. This video focuses on the low Earth orbit radiation environment and cosmic rays. The...