Inspiration through space science: exoplanet themed education activities for secondary students - SSW

INSPIRATION THROUGH SPACE SCIENCE: EXOPLANET THEMED EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS - KATE ISAAK

The topic of exoplanets is connected directly to the simple and profound question of whether we are alone in the Universe, capturing the imagination of scientists and the public alike. As such, it provides an excellent means through which to engage school students in some of the thrills of science and, critically, to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) core skills.
In this contribution we give an overview of a collection of exoplanet inspired classroom activities and resources that have been developed through a collaboration between ESA Education and scientists working in SCI and beyond. The emphasis of the activities has been on transit photometry and more specifically ESA’s CHEOPS mission, with the underlying theme of using in-flight CHEOPS observations to engage young people. We combine the overview of the activities with an introduction to the ESA Education portfolio.