Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
Classroom Materials for schools
GCSE/BTEC: Inflatable Planetarium
Links to resources
The resources below are suggested activities your class could complete before or after this
workshop. Please note these are recommended activities; it is not compulsory that students
complete them.
Some of the resources require access to ICT. The University of Manchester cannot be held
responsible for the content of external sites.
1. Institute of Physics: Life Cycle of Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM9CQDlQI0A
Explains how we believe stars are born, live and die and the different ends to different sized
stars. Features Professor Tim O’Brien; Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory.
2. Institute of Physics: How big is the Universe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xZuopg4Sk
Explains how astronomers have learnt to measure the distance to the stars. How many stars
are in the observable universe and is it possible to comprehend the size of it all?
3. Institute of Physics: The Expanding Universe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jms_vklUeHA
The expansion of the universe, the big bang and dark matter. Astronomers talk us through
what we know and don't know about the universe.
4. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: Colour and temperature of stars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZve8FQhLOI
Using a variable resistor and a light bulb, it is possible to demonstrate how the colour of a
star is related to its temperature.
5. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: H-R diagram
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL3tt-fJC1k
How to illustrate the life cycle of stars using a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a large sheet,
and some students.
6. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: Redshift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCwGa4rVfGc
Pupils take an active role in this demonstration on light waves to show the Doppler effect.
www.jodrellbank.net
Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
Classroom Materials for schools
7. BBC Stargazing Live: KS4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00njbp3
An hour long lesson from Prof. Brian Cox, answering pupils’ questions about the universe,
recorded at Jodrell Bank.
8. BBC Stargazing Live 2013: The Big Bang
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/20932483
A very concise webpage describing and explaining the evidence for the Big Bang theory,
including an explanation of the Doppler effect and Cosmic Microwave Background.
9. National Schools’ Observatory: Life Cycle of Stars
http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/category/astronomy/stars/life-cycle-stars
Reference material and suggested activities on the life cycle of stars.
10. Discovery Education: Galaxy Tour
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/universe/galaxytour/index.html
Facts and figures on a selection of galaxies in the universe; from the local group, to the most
distant universe. Developed by the American Museum of Natural History.
11. Skyserver: The Expanding Universe
http://skyserver.sdss.org/dr1/en/astro/universe/universe.asp
Information telling the story of how astronomers developed the concept of an expanding
universe.
12. NASA for KS4 Students
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/index.html
NASA’s site designed for KS4 students. Students can access NASA’s news, play educational
games or search for information on space.
13. National STEM Centre: space:uk magazine
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/collection/856/space-uk-magazine
Published by the UK Space Agency, the Space:UK magazine has all the latest news in UK
space science, technology and exploration. This collection contains issues starting in 2004
and running through to the present day. Each issue contains interesting and easy-to-read
articles on space news.
Feedback
If you discover any broken links, or if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or feedback
regarding these materials, please get in touch with the education team.
www.jodrellbank.net