Lessons online

ESA is developing a series of ‘Lessons online’ for primary and secondary school students, and their teachers.

Space-related topics are an excellent tool that can be used to increase understanding of a number of subjects related to many scientific disciplines. The growing use of computers in the classroom makes space-related topics an even more attractive tool as texts can be combined with illustrations, videos, animations and links to more in-depth information.

Lessons online are based on demonstrations and/or experiments performed on board the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS has now been orbiting the Earth over 15 times a day for more than five years and is a cooperative programme between Europe, the United States, Russia, Canada and Japan.

Each text lesson contains recorded short videos related to topics in the standard European curricula. Lessons can also contain graphics that make curriculum-based scientific information easier to understand and remember.

Lessons online give a general approach to topics, not all of which are necessarily related to space. With the support of videos made with contributions from astronauts onboard the ISS, they give an expert and interesting perspective on many different subjects.