The activities below are designed to introduce how physics and astronomy form the day-to-day world around us. Tailored to be fit for GCSE level students, they emphasize learning through activity and demonstration.

We have a selection of demonstrations, activities and lectures for any visiting school, some of which are available off campus and directly in your classroom.

• Note that we can only do one activity at any one time, due to limitations in equipment
• We can also only do up to two activities at a time, due to limitations in staff numbers
• 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.
• We can create a tailored visit day for your school, combining some of these activities along with talks. You can find examples of previous tailored days here.

Investigating Light & Spectra - 1 hour

Students make their own spectrograph out of a kitchen roll tube and an old compact disk, before using it to identify the gases within various lamps (neon, helium, etc).  Students learn how to identify the gases by looking at their spectra alone, and learn 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. Students will learn about how a cloud chamber functions and the role it serves in current world-leading research at CERN. They then are aided to put this to use in building their own miniature cloud chamber from dry ice to observe beta decays.

Physics & Astronomy days - available at the UoS campus only

Your school or college are welcome to visit us here at the University of Sussex Falmer campus with any number of students, and we can mix and match activities to create a full day event tailored specifically to your needs. Choose from activites listed on this page, as well as our available lectures and demonstrations to create a timetable for your visit.

    We hold an annual Astronomy Masterclass consisting of a range of activities which have in the past included building a comet, how to discover exoplanets, calculate the age of the universe, exploring our dynamic star - the Sun, a research lecture and discussion sessions. The activities are led by members of our Astronomy Research Group and there are opportunities to discuss their work, including the James Webb Space Telescope due to be launched within the next few years.

 

Particle Physics Activities - up to 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 - up to 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 James Webb Space Telescope. Through the use of an infrared camera, your class can view and understand this usually invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Connect Physics  - three 1-hour activities

Our Connect Physics activities are aimed at year 8-9 students, and consists of three 1-hour activities that can be run individually or as a sequence spread over the school year. The three elements are: How (students apply the scientific method to understand how strings are connected within a sealed mystery tube), What (an activity to highlight the influence of physics on our day-to-day lives), and Why (a careers workshop where students act as recruitment agencies).

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.

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, with content suitable for key stage 3, 4 or 5 students. 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.  

Up to 30 students can fit in the planetarium at any one time.  We have a 12 minute version of We Are Astronomers that can be shown every 20 minutes, or a 25 minute version of the show that can be shown every 30 minutes (just!)

Please note that an area of 7.5x6.5m and a room height of 4m is required for the dome to be fully inflated.  In addition, due to the time and effort required to transport and inflate the planetarium, we will only bring it to your school for groups of at least 70 students (e.g. 3 shows).  

 

Research lab tours at the University of Sussex - 1 hour, available at the UoS campus only

This activity allows students to see research physics in action. In the neutron-EDM lab, researchers are trying to understand why the universe is made up of matter and not anti-matter; one of the most fundamental unanswered question in science. It may be caused by an incredibly tiny distortion in the shape of the neutron, but we will only know for sure by using this experiment to probe deep into the heart of the structure of the neutron with unprecedented accuracy.

In the AMO lab, researchers are developing the next generation computer technology; quantum computers. They are investigating the quantum mechanical properties of light and matter, and studying individual interactions between individual photons and atoms.

GCSE Schools Lab - 4 hours, available at UoS campus only

Check our calendar for available dates.

The University of Sussex Schools Lab programme includes a series of experiments and short talks from University researchers. The days are designed and run by David Daniels, a Visiting Research Fellow and award winning physics teacher, and are available to GCSE, AS and A-level students. Full details are available on our Schools Lab page.

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.