I recommend this activity as a great start top any topic!

Students are asked three questions.

Cut up questions and hand them out one at a time following instructions below.

Stress that this is an anonymous exercise, no names, just a way of finding out what we all know about the subject of "our place in Space". It is OK to write down "I don't know".

Hand out Q1, and allow a few minutes for students to answer (in silence). They then come out the front of class and "post" their answer to Q1 in BOX 1

( cardboard/plastic... you will need three with labels 1,2,3).

Place Q2 in front of box two, and get them to pick up that question and return to their seat. When finished tell them to post answer in box 2 and collect Q3.

Don't put Q3 out until most have collected Q2. They should think of only one question at a time.

When all have finished, split class into 3 groups andgive box 1 answers to to group 1, box 2 answers to group 2, and box 3 to group 3.

They are all to read the answers, elect a spokesperson, and be prepared to collate these in order for teacher to write them up on the board.

Under the question headings, ask the spokeperson (or you could get each person to read out one) to read out the answer so the teacher can write them down.

This alternative way of "brainstorming" values all answers.

Please write up all answers, and maybe question their validity/possibility later.

The Question sheet follows but you can easily make up your own.

I recommend that you start with an easy question, and make them gradually harder so that the third requires more thought, and challenges students.

POST BOX ACTIVITY for Journey into Space

1.   Draw a diagram to show how the Earth, our Moon and the Sun are related. You can put this into words rather than draw a diagram if you wish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   The Earth is a sphere of radius 6,400 kms. How far above the Earth do you think that the Space Station orbits?

(a) 400 km

(b) 1000 km

(c) 4,000 km

(d) 10,000 km

3.    It took three days for Apollo 11 to reach the moon in 1969. If instead it flew to Mars, how long do you think it would take?