We have a variety of activities and workshops that are available to take out to local schools, colleges and other interested parties (if within a reasonable travel time of Brighton). These 'activities-to-go' are presented by a member of the Physics & Astronomy Department - either a researcher, research student, postgraduate or undergraduate student. All these activities are also available at the University of Sussex campus in Falmer, Brighton, so please feel free to visit us!
Please note:
- All our activities are free.
- We are flexible! If you have an idea for an activity not listed below, please get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your class.
- Multiple activities can be done during a single visit (e.g. 'Solar observing' with a 'How to be an Astrophysicist' careers talk).
- We may limit the number of times that we visit a particular school per academic year (depending on size), to enable us to visit as many schools as possible.
- All our activities are suitable for Key Stage 4 and 5 (e.g. GCSE and AS/A-level/sixth-form) students.
- Please give us as much notice as possible when requesting an activity to ensure that we have enough staff available on the day. This is especially important for larger events (more than 25 students) which will require more than one member of the Department to assist.
Available activities and workshops include (scroll down for full details):
- Investigating light & Spectra
- Radiation Workshop
- Particle Physics Activities
- Solar Observing
- The infra-red Universe
- Evening star-parties
- Rocket Workshop
- The Roller Coaster Workshop
- Planetarium Shows
- The Physics of Sailing
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
Investigating Light and spectra in our spectral workshop
Investigating Light & Spectra
1 hour.
Using various lamps (neon, sodium, etc) and diffraction gratings from our undergraduate experiment laboratories, students are encouraged to identify the gases within the different lamps by looking at their spectra alone. We then go on to discuss the importance of spectra, especially in astronomy and astrophysics.
Radiation Workshop
1 hour.
In this workshop, students will learn all about alpha, beta and gamma radiation.
Particle Physics Activities
1-2 hours.
The University of Sussex has an excellent particle physics research group, and our outreach offerings reflect that strength. We have numerous short particle physics activities that can be put together to make a rich set of activities, including... a water-ice cooled cloud chamber; dry-ice cooled self-assembled cloud chambers; a large impressive cloud chamber (on site only); a set of the Particle Zoo (soft-toy particles); and particle lego (yellow bricks represent down quarks & red bricks up-quarks - so what chemical elements can your students assemble?).
Solar Observing
1-1.5 hours.
Through the use of solar telescopes, we can safely study our nearest star in detail. Depending on the space-weather, pupils may be lucky enough to see sun-spots and prominence reaching out of the Sun that are many times larger than the Earth.
The infrared Universe
45 minutes
Our Infrared Universe workshop compliments our astronomy group research with the Herschel space telescope. Through the use of an infrared camera, your class can view and understand this usually invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Evening star-parties
2 hours.
From November through to February, we offer late-afternoon/early-evening star parties both off site and at the University of Sussex campus in Falmer, Brighton. Please note that for the off site star-parties, only the smaller (more transportable) telescopes will be used.
Rocket Workshop
4 hours.
Using solid fuel rocket engines (commonly available from hobby and toy shops around the country) pupils will build and launch their own rockets. Pupils will also be taught about the forces involved, and will estimate the altitude of the flights. Please note that: (1) a safe launch site (such as an empty football field) is required, and launching cannot take place in windy conditions; (2) we order the equipment required (model rockets and motors) on confirmation of a booking, and so we need two months notice to ensure that our suppliers can deliever in time.
The Roller Coaster (mechanics) workshop
1 hour.
Using a roller-coaster made out of Knex, students explore the forces and accelerations involved in a roller coaster ride!
Planetarium shows
1 hour.
We have an inflatable planetarium that is available for booking either at your school or college, or at the University of Sussex campus. In it, students will have a tour of the night sky, and have the chance to see We Are Astronomers - a planetarium show where students learn how astronomers use the electromagnetic spectrum, the most powerful telescopes on Earth and in space and, alongside particle physicists, how they try to answer the biggest unanswered questions.
Please note that an area of 8x8m, and a room height of 4m, is required for the dome to be fully inflated.
The Physics of Sailing
1-2 hours.
In celebration of the year of the Olympics, we have developed a range of activities to demonstrate the physics of sailing. The activities include: measuring sail curvature, measuring forces on the sails with respect to incident angle, studying the drag forces on hulls of different designs as they are pulled through water, and also through the use of computer sailing simulators.
Ground source heat pumps
1-2 hours.
Ground source heat pumps take advantage of the ability of the Earth to maintain its temperature, remaining warmer than the air temperature in winter, and cooler in the summer months. Through the use of underground pipes, this property can be used to keep a house warm in winter, and cool in the summer. This workshop helps students learn about heat cycles as well as the emerging technology of ground heat pumps.
Any of these activities can also be paired up with a talk (such as "How to be a rocket scientist, an astrophysicist or a particle physicist"), or an Ask-an-Astronomer/Physicist session.