Alien Worlds
For KS3, we recommend 'Alien Worlds' (30min), which has been written by INTECH using advice from teachers. Having a live presenter allows the show to be tailored to the ability of the children and the show is followed by a Q&A session. Note this show is not appropriate for KS2.
Alien Worlds is darker than Neighbourhood Earth and contains large amounts of immersive 'flying through space' which is very engaging but means I can't interact with the students during the show (but we do Q&A afterwards). Where required, grids and images are brought up to give context and illustrate concepts. If the students saw Neighbourhood Earth at KS2, then they will be wowed by the look of this show!
We are grateful to the STFC and Microsoft for funding this project.
Alien Worlds contains the following sections:
· Earth: the only place we know there to be life.
· Life needs energy (eg Sun), chemical building-blocks, solvent (water?)
· Effect of Earth's spin: day/night
· Effect of Earth's orbit: it's nearly circular so little change - not how we get seasons
· Effect of axial tilt: explanation of seasons
· Panspermia: could life have come here from somewhere else on an asteroid?
· Solar system: where is good for life
· Mars/Titan/Europa: comparing environments, exploratory missions, chance for life?
· What about life elsewhere in the universe? Can only look at the light coming to us.
· Telescopes improve our view by catching more light at many wavelengths
· Our view of space at different wavelengths of light
· Detecting exoplanets using wobble, transits & direct imaging· Distance to other stars (light years), size of Radiosphere in comparison
· Scale of galaxy (lots of stars/planets where there could be life!)
· Scale of universe (lots of galaxies!)
Last Modified: 08/12/2010
