Rockets!: (recommended for Years 2-5)

By designing and launching air powered rockets children are taught how different forces work and in particular Newton’s third law. Using action and reaction children can see why rockets take off.
Students design, make and launch their very own rocket which they will be able to take home with them.

Curriculum links: Forces and Motion.

 Rocket Science: (recommended for Years 5-9)

Students investigate how to make the most successful rocket. By changing different parts of the rocket such as the nose cone, weight, fins, air pressure etc. Working in teams of 3 to 6, children work together to find out what variables influence the speed and the distance their rocket will fly.
Students complete the workshop by competing to see which rocket goes the farthest and then share their results with the other groups.This workshop is accredited by Crest Star Awards for more information on this click on the link Crest Star Awards.

Curriculum links: Forces and Motion, Scientific Investigation.

 Earth, Moon and Sun: (recommended for Years 3-6)

This workshop is split into 3 main parts to discover the relationship between the objects we see in the sky. Each of the parts covers each of the objects through practical demonstration. Students can then construct their own moon wheel, showing each of the moon phases, which they can take home with them.

Curriculum links: Earth, Moon and Sun, The Earth and Beyond, Solar system.

 Racing Rovers (recommended for Years 5-9)

Investigate how to make the best balloon powered rover in this competitive workshop. Students will get the opportunity to design and build their own Racing Rover which they can modify to be the fastest and move the farthest in the final race, whilst learning about different forces that will affect the rover’s movement.

Curriculum links: Forces and Motion, including Friction and Drag, Scientific Enquiry.

 Space Station Challenge (recommended for Years 5-8)

To maintain a long term presence in Space we need Space Stations like Mir or the International Space Station. This workshop is a design and logistics challenge to build and equip a basic ‘working’ space station with budget and design criteria.

Curriculum links: Speaking and Listening, Data Handling, Processes and Living Things, Design and Technology.

 NXT Mars Rover Challenge (recommended for Years 5-9)

Have your class always wanted to be robotics engineers, programming a rover to complete challenges across the surface of Mars? Well now you have the chance to bring your class here to the National Space Centre to do just that, by taking part in the National Space Centre’s interactive Mars workshop. Working in small groups your children will find out more about Mars rover missions, how to programme one of our Lego NXT robots and then compete in some Mars challenges.

Curriculum links: ICT Create Test and Improve Sequences, How Mechanisms Work, Controllable Vehicles, Modelling Effects on Screen.

 Are You Suited For Space? (recommended for Years 4-9)

This is an interactive workshop in which students find out what it is like to be an astronaut in a Space suit. They will investigate the various layers and materials in a Space suit and the function of each of these materials. They will explore how, and why, the human body must be protected from the environment in Space. As part of this fun packed workshop students will get the chance to experiment with the different materials to find out more about their properties.

Curriculum links: Materials and their Properties, Keeping warm, Characteristics of Materials.

 NXT – Martian Rover Explorer (recommended for Years 6-9)

This is an interactive workshop using Maths, ICT and problem solving skills to program the LEGO NXT rovers to complete challenges on our Martian terrain mats. Using coordinates, angles and measurements your students must programme their rovers to destroy the alien, remove boulders from the transportation area, return the NASA rover to its charging point and then make it to the digging site. However there is a dust storm approaching so the rovers will need to be quick to complete their mission.

Curriculum Links: ICT, Maths, Angles, Co ordinates, Measures.