Below are four options for modules, however other combinations may be possible.
Options for Module Combination
| Module | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar System | Solar System | Celestial Phenomena | Properties of the Planets |
| 2 | We are Stars | Stars & Galaxies | We are Stars | We are Stars |
| 3 | Workshop (Creative Circuits or Rockets) | Workshop (Creative Circuits or Rockets) | Workshop (Creative Circuits or Rockets) | Workshop (Creative Circuits or Rockets) |
Detailed Content of the Modules
| Syllabus Item | Syllabus Summary | Content Taught | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth and Space 1 Building Block | Students should be able to describe the relationships between various celestial objects including moons, asteroids, comets, planets, stars solar system, galaxies and space. | Solar System: Earth, Moon, Sun, planetary orbits, Mars, Jupiter & moons, Saturn, Pluto, Ceres [Minor Planets], Asteroids, Comets, exo-planets [Trappist 1]. Stars and Galaxies: Stars, Stellar birth, Stellar death: planetary nebulae, supernovae, The Milky Way Galaxy, Nearby galaxies (Andromeda, Magellanic Clouds), Large Scale Structure of the Universe, Slice through the Universe to the first Galaxies. | Planetarium presenter-led show. Two separate 30 min shows (Solar System, Stars & Galaxies) |
| Earth and Space 2 Building Block | Students should be able to explore a scientific model to illustrate the origin of the universe. | Origin of the Universe - Big Bang, Gravity. Formation of the first galaxies, the first stars (nuclear fusion), the elements in stars. Evolution of stars – supernovae. Formation of the stars from stellar debris, Sun and Earth, complex molecules in seas Evolution and Life. | Planetarium dome show “We are Stars” [30 min] |
| Earth and Space 3 Building Block | Students should be able to interpret data to compare the Earth with other planets and moons in the Solar System, with respect to properties including mass, gravity, size and composition. | Interiors of Planets: - Rocky planets [Earth, Moon] - Gas giants [Jupiter] - The Sun [a star] Size Comparisons: - Inner planets orbits - Earth and Moon - Earth and Sun - All the planets and some stars Workshop: - Relative sizes of planets - Relative gravities of planets | Planetarium presenter-led show: Properties of the Planets + Mini-workshop [30 min] |
| Earth and Space 4 System Interactions | Students should be able to develop and use a model of the Earth–Sun–Moon system to describe predictable phenomena observable on Earth, including seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses of the Sun and Moon. | - Daily cycles of Sun, Stars - Cause of day and night - The Pole Star - Years and Seasons: Earth’s orbit, days of winter, days of summer, seasons - The Moon and its day - Phases of the Moon - Solar eclipse: from Earth, from space, from the Sun - Lunar eclipse | Planetarium presenter-led show: Celestial Phenomena [30 min] |
| Physical World 5 System Interactions | Students should be able to design and build simple electronic circuits. | - What is electricity? - Drama – the “Current Café” - Simple Circuit - Series Circuit - Parallel Circuit - Building Circuits The Creative Circuits workshop encompasses the basics of electricity and circuit making. What conducts and what does not? Do you know the difference between a series and parallel circuit? Act out a visual story to help explain the processes of electricity and then build your own circuit. | Workshop: Creative Circuits [30 min] |
| Physical World 7 Energy | Students should be able to design, build, and test a device that transforms energy from one form to another in order to perform a function; describe the energy changes and ways of improving efficiency. | Workshop: Rocket Building. Students build and launch a water rocket from a plastic bottle and card using compressed air. The rocket is launched following inflating, first converting potential energy in the compressed air into kinetic energy of the rocket. As the rocket rises gravitational potential energy is gained as the kinetic energy is lost. Energy is also lost due to friction between the moving rocket and the air. | Workshop: Rocket Building [30 min] |
