Searching for Signs of Life on Mars

This resource is set in the context of soil tests in a Martian environment. Students begin by researching suitable criteria for defining the presence of life. They analyse soil samples in tests similar to the experiments on the Mars Viking Lander and use their operational definition of life to determine whether...

Global Warming

Scientists say that the average global temperature has increased by around 0.5^oC over the last century. Is this evidence of global warming, initiated by the excessive production of greenhouse gases? Students will look at real monthly maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall data taken in Southampton...

The Temperature on Mars

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...

Can You Get Fat in Space?

As part of the The Great British Space Dinner competition, celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal, asks us the question, “Can you get fat in space?”. He explains that, due to being in a weightless environment, astronauts' muscles do not need to work as hard as on Earth, and so the fat on their bodies could increase....

Cows in Space

As part of the The Great British Space Dinner competition, celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal, asks us the question, “Can you take cows into space?”. Heston explains how the weightless environment can cause loss of bone mass, and so calcium will be important in an astronaut’s diet. Heston suggests that a cow in...

Dinner Party in Space

As part of the The Great British Space Dinner competition, celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal, asks us the question, “Can you have a dinner party in space?”. Heston explains that, in the weightless environment on the International Space Station, you cannot have foods that can float around and get into people eyes...

Myths

This selection of eight short stories from around the world shows how myths have arisen which explain the formation of star constellations, phases of the moon, the creation of the Earth and the Sun and Moon. Whilst linking to learning in literacy about myths and legends...

Cooking with Astronauts

This video features celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal, describing how preparing food on the International Space Station (ISS) is different from that on Earth. Water is used to rehydrate foods and the food cannot be heated with ovens or microwaves. This video was prepared as part of the Great British Space Dinner...

Food Texture

As part of the The Great British Space Dinner competition, celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal, asks children to think about textures of food when they design their meal for astronaut Tim Peake to eat on the International Space Station. He suggests experimenting and mixing textures together to give the best...

I Wouldn’t Send a Dog Out on a Night Like This!

In this resource, students attempt to apply their understanding of heat transfer (convection, conduction and radiation) to the novel case of the Beagle 2 Lander.

Students are set the challenge of creating the best...