How can meteorites feature in a school science week?

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Plan hands-on stations, a meteorite handling session, crater experiments, a fireball reporting display, a guest speaker and an evening sky watch.

A science week or festival is an ideal time to showcase meteorites.

Stations. Set up a carousel of activities in the hall or labs: - Crater zone, with flour trays and marbles. - Meteorite or meteorwrong? with magnets, streak plates and samples. - Microscope corner, with hand lenses and digital microscopes on meteorite slices. - Space rock models, making clay asteroids and comets. - Fireball reporting desk, where pupils learn to record and report fireballs.

Handling session. If you can borrow a meteorite loan kit or invite a museum outreach team, a supervised handling session is a highlight.

Guest speaker. Invite a local astronomer, geologist, university researcher or museum educator. Video talks also work well. Ask them to share their career path.

Competitions. Run a 'design a planetary defence mission' competition, a meteorite poem contest or a quiz between classes.

Display. Pupils create posters about famous meteorites, a timeline of meteorite history, or a model of the Solar System across a corridor at scale.

Evening event. If a meteor shower or a good Moon phase falls during the week, hold an evening sky watch with families.

Involve the community. Invite parents, local schools or community groups. Older pupils can run stations for younger ones, which deepens their learning.

Planning. Complete risk assessments, arrange supervision and prepare materials in advance. Photograph events, with permission, for school newsletters.

A meteorite theme can make a science week memorable and inspire long-term interest.

How can meteorites feature in a school science week?

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