World Space Week

Resource type: Event

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5

Region(s): All of UK

World Space Week is an international celebration of space science and technology, and the contribution that they make to the betterment of the human condition. It has been celebrated annually from 4th-10th October since 1999. The theme for World Space Week 2024 is Space and Climate Change.

The World Space Week website provides access to a range of resources to help schools excite young people about space, science and technology, including:

A curated collection of resources to support this year’s theme.
A Teacher Guide with space related learning activities for all ages.
Links to education material from a variety of space and STEM education partners around the world.
A free ‘Ask an Astronaut’ online event on 4th October from 10-11am.
A free World Space Week 2024 poster to download.

Cost: Free.

About World Space Week Association: The World Space Week Association is the global coordinator of World Space Week and one of the world’s longest-standing space advocacy organisations. It aims to strengthen the link between space and society through public education, participation and dialogue, using World Space Week as a focus.

Further resources:

Catch up on a BookTrust virtual author event for pupils aged 9-12 with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, author of Am I Made of Stardust?, winner of last year’s Young People’s Book Prize.
Sign up before October 11th to be one of the school judging panels on this year’s Young People’s Book Prize for excellent and accessible STEM books.
Explore the World Space Week teaching resources for primary and secondary pupils from BBC Teach.
Find high quality Sci-Fi films and animations that can be used in the primary classroom to inspire and support pupils’ own space-themed writing from the Literacy Shed.
Topical Talk provides resources to stimulate discussion and engagement with current affairs. Download a selection of space and science-related resources to help learners aged 10+ develop key communication and critical-literacy skills, including Stuck in Space, Space Tourism, Space Exploration and Space: a postive human future?. All resources free with registration.
Find books across a range of genres to support the topic of Space for KS1 (ages 5-7) and KS2 (ages 7-11) pupils from book recommendation site Books for Topics.
Find selections of space-themed poems on the National Poetry Centre for Primary Schools and Children’s Poetry Archive websites.
Many Usborne titles come with Quicklinks to carefully selected websites to further support the topic covered. Explore their range of space-related titles with Quicklinks here.
Ensure your pupils can keep up to date with the latest developments in science by taking out a school subscription to a junior newspaper or science and nature magazine. Find a selection here.