The Space Safari Project

The Space Safari project is a continuing collaboration between The Open University, Val Brooks from the Stockton City Learning Centre (CLC) and the following schools:

Roseberry Juniors

Hardwick Primary

Billingham South Primary

St. John the Baptist Primary

Crooksbarn Primary

Levendale Primary

Whitehouse Primary

Blakeston Secondary

Roseworth Primary

Glebe Primary

High Clarence

Hill View Primary Learning Centre

Myton Park Primary

What is the Space Safari?

The Space Safari entails a journey through the Solar System visiting the planets and other bodies (e.g. the Sun). Students explore the Solar System and report their results to the other schools via Stockton CLC's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Ultimately, their work will be incorporated into the Rocks From Space website for others to use and enjoy.

Approach and outcomes

. Each school has been allocated a planet on the basis of their responses to a short questionnaire hosted on the VLE.

. Students are focusing on the habitability or otherwise of planets and must therefore determine the environment, climate, surface features etc before exploring further.

. With artistic license in mind, students are encouraged to take on the guise of inhabitants or visitors to each planet

. Students will collate their findings in a presentation to be given to all other schools via the Elluminate Live! online classroom

. Schools can choose their own presentation format based on their facilities and time available, the only remit being that it must be suitable for web publication.

. Student presentations will be made permanent resources on the Rocks From Space website for use in future projects and for public viewing.

Resources available to our explorers

. Quizzes, puzzles, links, questionnaires and much more are available on the Stockton CLC's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) but students are also expected to seek out their own information.

. The VLE acts as a workspace for students to post draft work as "wikis" for others to view and to encourage collaborative work.

. Drop in sessions with scientists are available to students via the Elluminate Live! classroom.

. Forums on the VLE allow students and teachers to post questions to scientists and other explorers.

For more information email rocks-from-space@open.ac.uk

Read a case study about this project here

Go exploring