Science Oxford works with year 9 on fun practical satellite and space science

Last week year 9 were lucky enough to experience a day of science fun and investigation, hosted by Science Oxford. The day was themed around the use of satellites and space science to care for the planet, with information on careers in STEM woven throughout the day. 

The day kicked off with a talk in the hall where students were set the challenge of launching a satellite into space to view climate effects on a global scale, returning the satellite to Earth and analysing the data collected. From there they completed four workshops throughout the day:

1. Rocket launch - where they designed and built a rocket to launch into space, discussing the heights of different satellites and their uses at different observation heights. This included making a functional rocket from 2l bottles, launching them from the tennis courts using water pressure and many students being rained on in the process. 

2. Satellite imagery session - using satellite images taken in the past year students were introduced to the idea of crop health, and the health of rainforests, then used imagery to make conclusions about the health of the Earth’s surface. They also covered global issues such as government approaches to deforestation vs farmers using cooperative schemes to buy satellite images to improve their individual crops' health.

3. Ocean Acidification/ Carbonisation - students were introduced to the idea of carbonisation causing a rise in acidity in our oceans. Students created practical models on how ocean tides and heat affect ocean temperatures and then discussed potential solutions to ocean acidification.

4. Satellite re-entry session (egg drop challenge) - the session enjoyed the most was a challenge to create a safe method to return their satellite back to Earth, using an egg as a model. This was informed through teaching about laws over launching satellites and rockets, and the dangers of space junk. 

We wrapped up the day with a talk from our volunteers about the skills students used during the day and how they relate to the different careers available in the space sector - it’s more than just being an astronaut!

The team from Science Oxford were very impressed by how enthusiastic all of the students were, and how successful they were in working collaboratively. Particular praise goes to seven students, who were singled out as being the very best students at group work the Science Oxford staff had ever seen: Jenny B, Abi T, Tara-Jane T, Maya R, Greta S, Paulina Z and Kourtney T. Thank you for being such amazing ambassadors for the school, and thank you to all the staff who supported on the day and made it possible.