National Space Centre Online

2012 GALLERY TRAILS

KEY STAGE 1

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Countdown trail

This trail is aimed at KS1 children. The purpose of the trail is to encourage children to use mathematical observations and vocabulary in a fun and interesting way. Throughout the trail the children will encounter problem-solving activities they can complete. They will work with 2d and 3d shapes and use vocabulary to describe them. There are also aspects of counting and estimating within the trail.

Links with national curriculum – Ma3 Shape, space and measures, Ma2 Numbers and the number system.
Links with NNS – ordering and counting.

Night and day

This trail is aimed at KS1 children studying the topic of night and day. Within the trail there are questions to encourage learning about the sun, the sky and light and dark. The children need to explore the galleries to help them to answer the questions. The trail can also be used with the night and day theatre show.

Links with national curriculum – Sc3 light and Dark
Links with QCA schemes – 1D Light and Dark

KEY STAGE 2

Forces in the Universe

This trail is aimed at KS2 or KS3 children studying forces. The trail uses examples of the force of gravity and how astronauts live and work without gravity. It also encourages the children to use the hands on exhibits in the galleries and apply them to their learning of forces.

Links with the national curriculum – Sc2 – Movement, Sc4 – Forces and Motion. – The Earth and beyond.
Links with QCA – 4E Friction 6E Forces in action

S.E.S 2 Mars

This trail is aimed at KS2 or KS3 children it covers work on forces, satellites and the planets. This trail encourages children to collect data from a range of sources around the galleries. Once this trail is completed the information gathered can be used as part of a literacy speaking and listening exercise or to create a newspaper article.

Links with the national curriculum – Sc4 Forces and motion En1 speaking and listening – presentation. En3 writing non fiction text.
Links with QCA – 6E forces in action, Earth, Sun and Moon.

Workshop trails

The trails below are recommended to be used with our key stage 2 workshops.

Rockets

KEY STAGE 3

Astrotours – Solar system Travel Agency

This trail covers work for KS2/3 students. The children are part of a travel agency advertising the benefits of different planets to alien visitors. To do this students must explore the galleries to find out different facts about the planets. Once they have collected all the information and answered the questions the students should have collected enough information to present their findings. This activity can be used post visit with the attached worksheets.

Links with National Curriculum - Sc4 Earth and Beyond
NLS – speaking and listening presentations
QCA schemes – unit 5e Earth and Beyond – 7L solar system and beyond

Could you be an Extra Terrestrial?

This trail focuses on KS3 students studying the solar system and beyond and Gravity and space. Students must consider the features of Mars and compare them to earth. They then can create an alien with the features it might need to live on Mars. The students then go on to discover if they could become an astronaut or alien by trying a variety of tests and puzzles.

Links with National Curriculum – Sc 4 Earth and Beyond.
QCA schemes – unit 7L the solar system and beyond unit 9j – gravity and space

The Comets Trail

This trail is recommended if your group is participating in the Challenger Comet mission or the Earth Under Threat workshop. Through this trail students will find out more about comets, Near earth objects and the people who discovered them. They will collect information and use this to crack a code.

Workshop Trails:

The following trails are recommended to be used with one of our workshops.

Are You Suited for Space

Our Earth Under Threat

Racing Rovers

KEY STAGE 4

Planet Maths

Students become planetary detectives investigating facts and figures about the different planets in the Solar System and understanding the relevance of Maths within Science.

Curriculum Links: Maths, Solar System

Living and Working in Space

Students explore the galleries to find out how the human body copes with living and working in space. Investigate what environment the body needs to survive and find out more about the spacesuit astronauts wear. Find out how fit an astronaut needs to be in space with this gallery trail.

Curriculum links: Biology Homeostasis

Workshop Trails

The following trail is recommended to be used with our workshop:

Our Earth Under Threat