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Frontier Academy explains space and exploration for readers aged roughly 10 to 15. Half of the articles look up, at the Moon, the planets, the Sun and the stars. The other half look around, at the Earth itself and at the people who first mapped it and crossed its oceans and ice.
Who it is for
The articles are pitched at pupils in Years 6 to 10 in England, or grades 5 to 9 in the US. The science follows the Earth and space topics usually taught at KS2 and KS3, with some early GCSE physics, and it also fits middle school Earth and space science in the US.
Parents use the articles to read alongside a child, or to answer a question that comes up at dinner, such as why the Moon changes shape. Teachers use them as homework reading, cover-lesson texts or a short read before a practical.
What is in an article
Articles are shaped to their topic, so no two look quite the same, but you will usually find:
- Worked examples for anything with numbers, from converting minutes of latitude to timing a radio signal to Mars. Try them before reading the answer.
- Tables and diagrams where a picture explains more than a paragraph.
- Common mistakes, the slips that cost marks in tests.
- An activity to try at home or in class.
- Sources and further reading at the end, so you can check what we say and go further.
Safety
Some activities involve going outside at night, using magnets or needles, or watching the sky. Do them with an adult. Never look directly at the Sun, and never point binoculars or a telescope at it.
Three reading paths
Pupils starting out (ages 10 to 12)
Begin with things you can see for yourself, then move outwards.
- The phases of the Moon and why they happen – start a Moon diary and check it against the article over a few weeks.
- Why we have seasons, eclipses and tides – one set of three bodies, three effects.
- The planets of the Solar System – the key facts for all eight planets in one table.
- Stargazing for beginners – find the Plough, Polaris and Orion on a clear night.
- How Apollo 11 got to the Moon and back – the first crewed landing, stage by stage.
- How a magnetic compass works – back on Earth, with a floating compass to make.
KS3 and early GCSE (ages 12 to 15)
More physics and more calculation.
- How rockets work – thrust, weight, resultant force and stages.
- The International Space Station – orbits, speed and why astronauts float.
- The layers of the atmosphere – temperature and pressure with height, and where space begins.
- Inside the Earth and how plates move – structure, evidence and plate boundaries.
- The life cycle of a star – a regular GCSE physics topic.
- Mars rovers and what they have found – including signal-delay calculations.
- How latitude and longitude work – coordinates, minutes and finding longitude from time.
History and geography
Real expeditions, and the tools that made them possible.
- How latitude and longitude work
- How a magnetic compass works
- The Magellan–Elcano expedition – the first voyage around the world, 1519 to 1522.
- Amundsen, Scott and the race to the South Pole
- How Apollo 11 got to the Moon and back – exploration 450 years after Magellan set out.
- Mars rovers and what they have found
For parents
You do not need a science background to help. Read an article together, then ask your child to explain one part back to you without looking. If they can, they have understood it. The worked examples make good puzzles for a car journey or the walk home from school.
For teachers
Most articles take ten to fifteen minutes to read and work well printed or on a board. Worked examples and activities can be lifted straight into a starter or plenary. The Free materials page collects observation tables, checklists and word lists to copy, the Glossary gives short definitions, and the FAQ answers the questions pupils ask most often.
If you spot a mistake or something out of date, please let us know so we can check and correct it.