Free courses
Structured courses on meteorites and the Solar System for KS1, KS2, KS3, GCSE, A-level and Adult learners: 6 courses and 70 lessons, each building on the last, with learning goals, worked examples, activities, quizzes and a certificate to print at the end.
Key Stage 1: Space rocks for little explorers
Ten short lessons for Years 1 and 2 about the sky, shooting stars and rocks from space, with simple activities, counting and a quiz at the end of each one.
Ages 7 to 11 (Years 3 to 6)Key Stage 2: Rocks from space
Twelve lessons on meteorites for Years 3 to 6: what they are, where they come from, how to test a rock like a scientist, craters, the end of the dinosaurs, meteor showers and meteorites in history.
Ages 11 to 14 (Years 7 to 9)Key Stage 3: Meteorites and the Solar System
Twelve lessons for Years 7 to 9 that use meteorites to teach space physics, forces, density, energy, the rock cycle, elements and compounds, extinction and the science of space missions.
Ages 14 to 16 (Years 10 and 11)GCSE: Meteorites across the sciences
Twelve lessons that use meteorites to practise GCSE physics, chemistry and biology: the formation of the Solar System, isotopes and half-life, orbits, kinetic energy and momentum, heating and melting, metals, Earth's early atmosphere, the molecules of life, extinction and planetary defence.
Ages 16 to 18 (Years 12 and 13)A-level: The physics and chemistry of meteorites
Twelve lessons that apply A-level physics, chemistry and geology to meteorites: gravitational fields and Kepler's laws, impact and entry physics, exponential decay and radiometric ages, mass spectrometry and oxygen isotopes, spectroscopy, igneous petrology, metallurgy, chirality and planetary defence.
Adults; no background neededAdult course: Meteorites from first principles
Twelve lessons for adult learners: where meteorites come from, how falls are tracked and recovered, how they are classified and dated, what they reveal about the birth of the Solar System, water and the ingredients of life, impacts in Earth's history, and how to identify, collect and care for them responsibly.
How the courses work
The school courses follow what pupils in England study in science, with links to maths, geography and history where meteorites fit. Every lesson says which part of the curriculum it supports. The adult course needs no background at all.
Work through the lessons in order: each one uses ideas from the one before. Finish the quiz at the end of a lesson to mark it complete, and complete them all to print your certificate. Progress is saved on this device only.
New to meteorites and want something shorter? Try the Start here lessons, or test yourself with the quiz.