Why Space?

Lots of learners will ask “why are we doing this?”, and that’s a fair question. This short film gives them an answer. It shows why we learn through space and how it connects to skills they’ll use well beyond the lesson. It works best played at the start of the course, so everyone begins with a sense of purpose. If you’re not running the full course, play it before any single session to set the scene. It’s about a minute long, and a quick chat afterwards is all it needs.

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Teacher Tips

Before the film

• Lots of learners will be wondering why they’re doing this, so it helps to say that out loud before you press play. You could say that the film is the answer, and ask what do you think you’ll get out of learning about space? Their guesses make a good opener.
• The film moves quickly, so you might let learners know it’s short and worth watching closely. A second viewing can be useful if you have time.

After the film

• You might start by asking: hardly anyone says they want to work in space, so why might learning about space still matter to you? It’s the film’s own opening point, and any honest answer is a good one.
• Another good discussion question is: which of the film’s links between space and other subjects surprised you, if any? Learners will likely have caught physics, maths, geography and climate science, so it works as an easy recall question.
• If you ask what in your own life could you look at by zooming out, thinking about scale, time and consequences?, it helps to take one example from the class first. That gives everyone a way in.
• The list of jobs is wider than most learners expect: engineers, coders, data scientists, designers, lawyers, communicators and technicians. It’s worth asking which of those would you not have connected with space, and what might they do there? The film’s point is that the space sector isn’t only astronauts, and that learning about space shows these careers exist and how to get to them.
• The film names four skills: thinking critically, being creative, evaluating ideas and synthesising concepts. “Synthesise” may be new to some learners, so you might unpack it as bringing ideas together. Then ask which are you strongest at, and which would you like to build?
• You could close with whether you end up on Earth or out in the universe, what would you like to get from this course? It helps to link it back to the course: space is the context, and the skills are the point.
• You don’t need to use every question. Three or four is plenty, and it’s fine to take answers from a few learners and not the whole room.