Plan your own space week and learn how space exploration can inspire your primary school science students to work scientifically.
- Duration3 weeks
- Weekly study3 hours
- LearnFree
Teaching Primary Science: Exploring Space
Explore the Moon, Mars, and deep space with your primary pupils
The thrill of space exploration is an exciting context for teaching the primary curriculum.
On this course, you’ll learn how to use examples from space exploration to teach science and technology in school, and discover hands-on activities for your pupils to enjoy.
You’ll address common misconceptions about space, and explore current and future space missions.
As you explore the solar system and beyond, you’ll learn effective ways to engage pupils in science and wider STEM activities, and build a curriculum plan using the context of space exploration to support your pupils’ learning.
Syllabus
Week 1
From 27 Apr 2020
Exploring the Moon
Introducing space exploration
Welcome to Teaching Primary Science: Exploring Space.
Understanding the Earth and Moon
Over the next few steps we'll look at the Moon, but first we look at how to identify and address misconceptions about the Earth in space.
Activities with the Moon
We've discussed subject knowledge about the Moon and considered where the Moon could feature in lessons. Now, let's look at some practical activities using the Moon as the context.
Week 2
From 4 May 2020
Our solar system
Understanding our solar system
To start this week, we'll look to provide some subject knowledge on the solar system and ways to model some of the big concepts.
Exploring Mars
Over the next few steps, you'll discover the missions to Mars, understanding the landscapes and the search for life.
Landing and roving on Mars
Now you are more familiar with the landscape of Mars, we look at how we can explore it.
Elsewhere in our solar system
There are other planets and bodies in the solar system that may harbour life. For the final part of this week you'll become a little more familiar with other planets, moons, asteroids and comets.
Week 3
From 11 May 2020
Exploring outside our solar system
Introduction to beyond our solar system
To start our final week, we look at what we mean by exoplanets and the Goldilocks zone.
Exploring deep space
Telescopes allow us to explore beyond where we can currently travel. In this part of the course you'll learn more about the different types of space telescope.
Space weeks
The UN World Space Week takes place annually between 4-10 October. However, you can run a space week at any time of the year in your school as part of a cross-curricular topic.
Taking your development forward
In the final part of this course, we ask you to reflect back on what you have learnt, identify where you are going to go next and to consider the Space Education Quality Mark.
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more
Available now
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Investigate opportunities to link space exploration and space missions with your lessons to excite and inspire your pupils.
- Develop lesson plans that involve working scientifically, using space as a context.
- Explain using models, some of the scientific concepts and ideas involved in space exploration.
Who is the course for?
This course is for primary teachers of children aged 5-11 years. The course is aligned to the English National Curriculum, but teachers of other curricula will be able to explore how the topic of space exploration supports your pupil’s learning.
Who will you learn with?
ESERO-UK Teacher Fellow, working for STEM Learning, York. Using the context of space to inspire STEM teaching and learning. Teacher of physics, satellite engineer, father of two.
I spent 10 years working as a primary classroom teacher, 7 as a science subject leader. I've also supported schools as a leading science teacher before joining STEM learning as a primary specialist.
Who developed the course?
National STEM Learning Centre
The National STEM Learning Centre provides world-class professional development activities and resources to support the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
ESERO
ESERO-UK, also known as the UK space education office, provides free resources, support and information for teachers to enhance the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) using space as a context.
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