Information and resources for teachers
Preparation – what to do first
Preparation
What to do now…
- Book your first live chat per allocated class using the booking form. Your first chat can be booked between 6th January – 3rd April 2020.
- Book a computer room/laptops for your chat session
- Check the IT will work.
- Read through the suggested lesson plans and other information on this page
How it works
ExoMars is a programme of space missions, aiming to try and find out if life ever existed on the planet Mars. The next stage, due to launch in late 2020, is to send a robotic rover to explore the surface of Mars.
In the ExoMars Rover Zone, school students connect online with different teams who have worked on the mission, gaining insight into the engineering, science and technology needed to send a robot to another planet.
Between January and July 2020, students will:
- Read about what each of the teams works on, and receive monthly updates on their progress
- ASK their questions about the things they want to know
- Have two chances to CHAT to the engineers live during lessons, to see how the project is progressing
- Log in from home to join the evening live chats with their families twice a month
- VOTE for the team they want to win the £500 prize to spend on more STEM engagement
Why the extended activity?
Research shows that students who receive (and remember) multiple careers-related activities do better at school and earn more on leaving school. The ExoMars Zone gives your students multiple chances to connect with the engineering teams reinforcing the messages of opportunity in space engineering and relevance of their STEM studies.
ExoMars Rover Zone is funded by the UK Space Agency as part of the Space Exploration Education and Outreach Award Scheme.
Creating links across the curriculum
The nature of these missions means that experts from a wide range of disciplines come together to work on the project. This creates a chance to link to the project from all parts of the curriculum.
So your students could take part in a chat during a science class about evolution and fossil records, or a geography class about weather systems, or ask questions about programming during a computing lesson, or about the properties of the materials used to build it during physics, chemistry or design technology.
You may choose to share this activity with a colleague from another department who will run the second live chat in their class in the summer term. We have included a “New teacher” card in your pack with details of how to request an extra teacher account.
Lesson plans and resources
It’s often useful to have a preparation lesson in a computer room so students can explore the engineers’ profiles independently and ASK questions ahead of their live chats.
- Lesson 1 – You’re the Judges!
- Lesson 2 – Meet the Engineers (classroom version)
- Lesson 2 – Meet the Engineers (computer room version)
- Lesson 3 & 4 – Live chats (first chat booked Jan – April, second follow-up chat booked April – June)
Parental Engagement
Involve parents and carers in what you are doing in school through the after-school chats. These are always really popular, with students keen to introduce their families and friends to the engineers they have been connecting with in class.
Research points towards the strong influence of parental attitudes on children’s career choices and aspirations. We encourage students to participate in the evening chats with their parents as a way for parents to see engineering as a potential future for their child.
More info including dates and wording for the school newsletter.
Useful Links
If you get stuck at any point during the activity, try the FAQ page or get in touch via email: admin@iaeuk.ddev.site
- Guide to live chat transcripts (PDF) – live chat transcripts can be useful tools for the students to reflect on the lesson, and to look in more detail at the questions and answers from the chat. This guide will show you how to download the transcript, and how to use the data in the file.
- Student Data: What we ask for and why (PDF) – about how we use students information in compliance with GDPR.
Call us if your question is urgent – 01225 326892.
After the activity – July 2020
- Please complete any evaluation requirements with your students. Feedback helps us to continuously improve the event.
- The moderators pick a student winner – someone who has really engaged with the activity. They get a certificate and a £20 gift voucher prize. We’ll let you know if this is one of your students.
We will send you a pack of resources in December, with your student login details and suggested lesson plans, for you to use in class.