The European Space Agency (ESA) has published an International Space Station (ISS) Education Kit to meet the requirements for teaching Space and in particular subjects related to the ISS to European students, aged 12-15.
 

The kit includes simple, modular and interdisciplinary material based on existing European curricula making it applicable to the teaching of a wide range of subjects, such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Art & Design.
 
The pedagogical content has been developed in coordination with a network of teachers, some of whom attended the TEACH SPACE 2001 conference at ESA’s ESTEC centre in the Netherlands. It includes practical exercises that can be carried out in the classroom as well as supporting material (a video, CD-Rom, posters of the ISS, overhead projector transparencies, a useful glossary as well as web and bibliography references).

  • Introduce the ISS as a motivating and ideal tool for teaching;
  • Increase the awareness and interest in science and technology research in space among the youth;
  • Stimulate curiosity and creativity through active participation;
  • Highlight the important contributions being made by space technology and science to the well-being of society;
  • Focus on future, possible areas of space research and technology, as well as the importance of international cooperation and cross-cultural interaction.

The kit is only available in English but ESA plan to translate it into other languages as well as produce follow-up units in the coming years. These will also be available through ESA’s educational web pages.

If you teach students aged 12-15 or work in education and are prepared to give your feedback on the content then please send a letter, fax or email with your details (school/ company address, age range of your students etc.) to the following address and you will receive a copy:

Ms Solveig Pettersen
ISS Utilisation Strategy and Education Office
ESA/ESTEC
P.O. Box 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0) 71 565 5755, Fax: +31 (0) 71 565 4499
Email: Solveig.Pettersen@esa.int

If you would like to know more about ESA’s Educational and Outreach activities please visit http://www.esa.int/education or contact education@esa.int