Goals for the session

Children aged 7 to 12 should understand that the Moon does not make its own light, that we see the part lit by the Sun, and that the shape we see changes in a regular pattern over about a month. They should also learn that scientists check models against real observations.

Children take away their four phase drawings and a Moon diary that turns the workshop into a month of observation. Sharing the diaries in a later session lets them see that different people, looking from different homes, recorded the same pattern.

Shadow Clock

Primary · Ages 7–10

Foundation · 60 min + short checks

Pupils mark and measure a stick’s shadow at intervals through a sunny day, find patterns in length and direction and explain them with the Sun’s apparent movement.

Moon Phases Model

Primary · Ages 8–11

Developing · 60 min

Pupils use a lamp and a ball on a stick to model the Moon’s orbit, see the phases for themselves and record a moon diary at home.

Crater Lab

Middle School · Ages 11–14

Intermediate · 60 min

Students drop balls of different masses from different heights into a flour and cocoa surface, measure crater diameter and relate it to impact energy.

Solar System to Scale

Middle School · Ages 12–14

Intermediate · 60 min

Students calculate scale distances and sizes for the planets, build a corridor-length model and discover how empty space really is.

Light from the Stars

High School · Ages 15–18

Advanced · 75 min

Students build a simple spectroscope, observe emission spectra, match lines to elements and calculate galaxy velocities from redshift data.

Liked the free activities? Go further with a 20-week programme.

Each free activity comes from a full EduTrend Contents programme: a Family Guide or Teacher's Guide with one-page session plans for 20 weeks, plus an Assessment Toolkit with rubrics, trackers and certificates. Choose the one for your child's age or your class below. Instant PDF download after checkout.

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W4C-281 · 20 WEEKS · $29

Sky Watchers

Family · Ages 6–11 with a grown-up

20 one-page sky and space activities for home, no telescope needed. Includes the Family Guide and an Assessment Toolkit with a star chart, tracker and certificate.

W4C-282 · 20 WEEKS · $39

Space Explorers

Primary · Ages 7–11

Earth, Moon, Solar System, rockets and stars in four units. Includes the Teacher’s Guide with 20 session plans and an Assessment Toolkit with rubric, baseline challenge and tracker.

W4C-283 · 20 WEEKS · $39

Astronomy Lab

Middle school · Ages 11–14

Eclipses, gravity, telescopes, stars and galaxies. Includes the Teacher’s Guide and an Assessment Toolkit with concept checks and answers.

W4C-284 · 20 WEEKS · $45

Astrophysics Research

High school · Ages 15–18

Orbits, spectroscopy, stellar evolution, cosmology and exoplanets with real data. Includes the Teacher’s Guide and an Assessment Toolkit with worked concept checks.