Space-related educational resources
These include lesson plans for teachers, other resources for the classroom as well as exercises and activities for home learning for both children and adults.
John McFall, Aerobility training
Free resources from the Education & Future Workforce programme
UK Space Education and Resource Office
The European Space Education Research Office, UK branch, (ESERO-UK) offers teachers and parents resources that use space as a context for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including:
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a library of curriculum-linked teaching resources on space, including primary and secondary resources. Resources range from early years to further and higher education
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access to teacher Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
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access to Space Ambassadors through the Space Inspirations programme
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access to space challenges and activities including Climate Detectives, CanSat, Mission X – Train like an astronaut and Moon Camp Challenge
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live, full-day, online space days: Mars Day and Protecting our Planet Day.
National Space Academy
The National Space Academy (NSA) runs the Space to Learn project funded by the UK Space Agency. Led by local experts, the project features high-quality, curriculum-based activities free of charge to UK schools.
UK Space Agency YouTube channel
The UK Space Agency YouTube channel features videos on space, missions, astronauts, careers and much more.
Tim Peake-related links
Tim Peake: Principia
Principia was British ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s 6 month mission aboard the International Space Station in 2015/16. There are a wide range of space-related educational resources related to the mission, including:
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Tim Peake’s video responses to pupils’ questions, hosted by STEM Learning. Choose from a set of pre-selected questions put forward by school children and hear Tim’s pre-recorded answers to hear about micro-gravity, tea-making and toilets aboard the ISS
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Tim Peake’s written responses to frequently asked questions and his Principia blog, hosted by ESA
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a full live lesson Tim Peake delivered from the ISS in 2016, watched by nearly half a million pupils
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Principia: Tim Peake’s mission to the ISS features YouTube videos of Tim’s time aboard the International Space Station
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STEM subject teaching resources related to the Principia mission, curated by ESERO-UK
The Usbourne Mini Astronaut’s Handbook
Have a look inside The Usbourne Mini Astronaut’s Handbook featuring a foreword by Tim Peake.
Tim Talks Space
Tim features in the seven videos of the Tim Talks Space series on YouTube.
Further resources
Here you’ll find a wider selection of additional resources, activities, challenges and opportunities.
Astro Pi
- Astro-Pi is a free challenge where kids run their code in space.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
The IET hosts free, STEM-related teaching resources and classroom activities, with lesson plans, handouts and film clips:
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primary teaching resources for students aged 5 to 11 years
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secondary teaching resources for students aged 11 to 19 years.
Borrow the Moon
Get a box containing a slice of moon rock, meteorite samples and related learning activities for up to a week through the Borrow the Moon programme. The scheme books up well in advance, so apply early.
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
Make radio contact with the International Space Station (ISS) through ARISS. Your students can use amateur radio to ask astronauts aboard the ISS up to 20 questions through ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Europe. There is usually a waiting list of 6 to 12 months, so apply early.
Get pictures from the ISS and learn about radio communication
Astronauts aboard the ISS regularly transmit images back to earth using amateur radio. Watch this video from ESA to learn how to receive these in real-time at home using a browser-based radio receiver.
Check out the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) website for upcoming SSTV (Slow Scan Television) image events: Upcoming SSTV events.
Escape from the International Space Station!
In this satellite-themed escape room challenge, children ages 7 to 11 solve puzzles while they learn about satellites. Created by the Centre for Satellite Data in Environmental Science (SENSE), this resource supports the science and geography curriculum.
Connect with an astronaut
Invite a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to participate in an interview, video or public appearance through the Public Appearance Request Organisation System (PAROS). Astronauts are in high demand, so make sure to inquire well in advance.
Explore the ISS in augmented reality
Download AR Adventure in Space, the app that takes you on a multilayered walk-through of the ISS, narrated by astronaut Tim Peake. The app is free to download.
The Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics (IOP) hosts resources for the classroom on IOPSpark, its online home for educational content. There’s a wide variety of teaching resources covering topics including exoplanets, astronomy and space, medical physics and ‘Physics in Concert’ – an activity to encourage more students, particularly girls, to consider careers related to physics.
The IOP also produced an illustrated storybook titled Mimi’s Space Adventure with funding from the UK Space Agency. Mimi is a girl who has lots of questions about the universe and wins a trip to mission control. Download the storybook for free, join the family adventure, discover what it takes to go to space and explore the amazing real-life science role models at the end of the book. Suitable for all ages, it can be read together as a family with 5- to 7-year-olds or solo by readers aged 7+.
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society hosts education and outreach resources covering topics such as Mars, solar eclipses, careers case studies and booklets, astronomy projects, and supporting GCSE Astronomy.
ESA Kids
The European Space Agency (ESA) hosts educational resources under themes including Things to do, Games, and Multimedia.
NASA Learning Resources
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hosts learning resources for kids and students, colleges and universities, educators and professionals.
RAL Space
RAL Space’s public engagement webpage has links to public and schools resources, space videos and talks.
The Association for Science and Discovery Centres
The Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) hosts project resources from its Our World From Space programme, such as ‘Build your own satellite’ and ‘Penguin Poo from space’.
Logo Lift Off!
Logo Lift Off! was a UK Space Agency education programme, where children submitted designs for a logo inspired by climate change to be place on rockets lifting off from UK spaceports.
The programme has now ended, but there are some educational resources that teachers may find useful. Please find links to pages with teacher resources below:
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How to spot a hurricane for teaching children about hurricanes, weather, satellites and climate change
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Orbit investigation for teaching children about orbit, planets, climate and the Solar System
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Satellites and seawater for teaching children about how climate change impacts the ocean
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What we can see from space for teaching children about how small satellites help us understand climate change.
Spaceport Cornwall
Spaceport Cornwall hosts education resources including activities, worksheets and videos.
Spaceport UK
Teachers of primary science and maths can download the UK Space Agency’s Spaceport UK resource from the STEM Learning website. Its 8 activities focus on the development of a UK spaceport and the launch of satellites into orbit and involve geography, science and engineering.
The Scouts
The UK Space Agency partnered with the Scouts and helped develop a series of space-themed badges. If you’re a Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer, why not earn an activity badge?
Even if you’re not in Scouts, you can learn a lot about space by completing free activities like:
Richard Garriott: Experiments in Space
The UK Space Agency hosts Richard Garriott’s experiments in space on its YouTube channel. Richard Garriott flew aboard the International Space Station as a private astronaut in 2008.
Browse a collection of space facts
The independent Space Facts website gathers a collection of scientific, historical and cultural facts about space, galaxies, the planets and other objects in the solar system.
James Webb Space Telescope
Learn about the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021 to study the formation of galaxies and the composition of distant solar systems. A resource network on the project’s UK website includes packs for teachers, STEM programmes, classroom exercises and educational videos.
Webb’s First Images - NASA Science
Have a look at Webb’s very first science images released by NASA in 2022.
Curved House Kids Discovery Diaries
These comic book activities get primary students engaged in STEM subjects by focusing on Tim Peake’s Principia Mission, a Mars mission and the James Webb Space Telescope. They’re available to download, chapter by chapter, for free on the Curved House Kids Discovery Diaries website.
Watch OAK National Academy videos about space
Teachers can use these video lessons as part of distance learning for STEM subjects. Just search the Oak National Academy website for terms such as ‘space’, ‘the solar system’, ‘stars and constellations’ or ‘satellites and rockets’.
Take a free online space science course
Open Learn offers free online courses in astronomy, engineering and technology, including Microgravity: Living on the International Space Station.
Updates to this page
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The page has been refreshed with a change of section titles and video, the addition of new material and rearrangement of resource links. The reference to the purchase of Curved House Kids’ diaries has been removed as the programme has ended. Book chapters are available to download for free. Future Learn’s courses have been removed as they are not currently running. The Astro Science Challenge activity has been removed as the website no longer exists. The UK Space Agency-funded scholarship programme for the International Space University has been removed as the application window is closed. The Awards and competitions section has been removed as the Space for All scheme and SatelLife competition are no longer extant.
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Under the 'Get classroom resources' heading, a subheading for Logo Lift Off! has been added. It links to a page with teacher resources covering topics relating to climate change. The activity 'Exercise with Tim Peake aboard the ISS' has been removed.
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Added date of close for open call.
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Added rocketry competition call.
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First published.