STEM Archives - Discovery Diaries

Covid-19: Home Learning with Discovery Diaries

Free primary STEM-literacy resources for at-home learners

Fly over ExoMars landing site

In preparation for the ExoMars rover Mars landing, scientists are creating 3D models (called Digital Terrain Models, or DTM) of the terrain in Oxia Planum.

Inspired by Space: Engaging Girls in STEM

A guide for educators to empowering girls so they develop a genuine interest in science.

Tim Peake: The Principia Mission

On Tuesday, 15 December 2015, ESA Astronaut Tim Peake launched into space.

Gillian Wright: Director of the UK-ATC

Read our Q&A with Professor Gillian Wright. Gillian is the Director of the UK-ATC and is also the European PI for the James Webb Space Telescope MIRI Instrument.

Announcing the Deep Space Diary

To celebrate the launch of the Deep Space Diary, Curved House Kids and the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) are giving away 15,000 free books to UK schools.

Chapter Four: Writing Activities

All of the Mars Diary Chapter Four activities can be expanded into writing exercises, making them useful for cross-curricular learning.

It’s a super blue blood moon!

For the first time since 1866, on January 31st 2018 there is a pretty special lunar treat in store for us – a super blue blood moon! Let’s find out what that is.

Dr. Jess Wade talks lasers, #girlsinSTEM and the importance of Maths

We speak with physicist Dr. Jess Wade about imposter syndrome, career pathways and why engaging girls in STEM matters!

Libby Jackson: Human Spaceflight and Microgravity Programme Manager

Read our Q&A with Libby Jackson, Human Spaceflight and Microgravity Programme Engineer at the UK Space Agency. Here she tells us about her career in the space industry and what inspired her as a child.

Is the soil on Mars really red?

For World Soil Day we wanted to find out if the soil on Mars was really red and what makes it look that way.

What is a supermoon?

December 3rd, 2017 marks the first in a trilogy of super moons about to occur, but what is a super moon?

Vinita Marwaha Madill: Space Operations Engineer

We speak with Vinita Marwaha Madill, contract Space Operations Engineer at the European Space Agency. Here she tells us about her career in the space industry and how Helen Sharman inspired her to follow her dreams.

Star Apprentice Luke: Making great strides

We chose Luke as August’s Star Apprentice after receiving a very heart-warming note from his mother, Laura, when she applied for Luke’s graduation.

An Astronaut Workout auf Deutsch!

You’ve tried the Astronaut Workout, but have you tried it in German?

Tamsin Mather: Volcanologist

We speak with volcanologist, Tamsin Mather. Here she tells us about her career in the STEM sector and how her job isn’t just wearing a silver suit traipsing up a volcano…

Abbie Hutty on finding life on Mars and how engineers have all the fun!

We interviewed Abbie all about her work on the ExoMars rover and she tells us why engineers have all the fun!

Chapter Three: Writing Activities

All of the Chapter Three activities can be expanded into writing exercises, making them useful for cross-curricular learning.

Chapter Two: Writing Activities

All of the Mars Diary Chapter Two activities can be expanded into writing exercises, making them useful for cross-curricular learning.

5 Minutes With… Sean Goldsbrough

Introducing Sean Goldsbrough, Senior Orbital Analyst at the UK Space Agency.

Sue Horne: Head of Space Exploration, UKSA

Read our Q&A with Sue Horne, Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency. Here she tells us about her career in the space industry and how she kept bees as a child!

Stephen Lewis: Professor of Atmospheric Physics

We speak with Stephen Lewis, Professor of Atmospheric Physics at The Open University. Here he tells us about his career in the STEM industry and what inspired him as a child.

Star Apprentice Thomas and his love of Lego

Meet July’s Star Apprentice, Thomas! Thomas (11) wowed us with his superb work – especially his map and comment about going to Denmark.

Bringing STEAM to sick kids

How a 9-year-old’s love of science is brightening up hospital wards.

Dr. Sally Ride: America’s First Female Astronaut

Meet Sally Ride, America’s first female astronaut and an inspiring role model for children and adults alike.

Chapter One: Writing Activities

All of the Mars Diary Chapter One activities can be expanded into writing exercises, making them useful for cross-curricular learning.

Peter McOwan: Professor of Computer Science

We speak with Peter McOwan, Professor of Computer Science at Queen Mary University London. Here he tells us about his fascination with robotics and how he’s not out to rule the world.

Space Diary Graduation Certificates

Fill out the form before July 31st 2017 and get free Space Diary graduation certificates.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock: Space Scientist

Read our bio of Maggie Aderin-Pocock, an incredibly inspiring Space Scientist and who cameos in Chapter Five of the Mars Diary.

Cindy Forde: Space Communicator

We speak with Cindy Forde, a Space Communicator with a special interest in inspiring children to see their own STEM potential. Here she tells us about her career in the space industry and what she was like as a child.

Celebrate World Space Week!

October 4-10 is World Space Week and this year’s theme is ‘Space unites the world’!

Star Apprentice Harry ponders planets, pods and pollution

Meet Harry, 2017’s very first Space Diary graduate!

Abbie Hutty: Lead Spacecraft Structures Engineer

We speak with Abbie Hutty, Lead Spacecraft Engineer and the Delivery Manager for the ExoMars rover. Here she tells us about her career in the space and why she has no plans to travel to Mars any time soon.

Astronaut training for kids

Marianne Hopwood – science teacher, STEM expert and home educator – writes about her experience of working through the Space Diary with her two boys.

Press Coverage

Here is a snapshot of the coverage of the Principia Space Diary during and after Tim Peake’s mission.

Cross-Curricular: STEM & Literacy

The Mars Diary is a primary science programme, but it is also so much more.

Meteorite or supervolcano?

A huge crater named Ismenia Patera exists on the Red Planet. But where did it come from?

Disrupting Stereotypes

Our showcase of STEM experts will help students challenge their ideas of who a scientist is and what he or she does.

Chapter Three: Illustrator Ben Hawkes draws the ISS

Space Diary illustrator, Ben Hawkes, explains how he drew the International Space Station (ISS).

Year of Engineering: 2018

2018 is the UK’s Year of Engineering! Get involved with our Design Your Spacesuit activity.

Mars Diary at the Library

Download your free Library Pack containing seven activities, perfect for running events with KS1-2 or equivalent.

Using Zap Codes to Strengthen Digital Literacy

What exactly is a Zap code and how do you use it?

Mars’s missing oceans

Why did Mars change from blue to red? This video by a National Geographic explorer explains what happened.

What is the ExoMars rover?

Find out all about ESA’s ExoMars rover, which will travel to Mars in July 2020 to look for signs of life.

How Teacher Feedback Has Improved the Space Diary

Since launching the first edition of the Space Diary in 2015, we have received so many wonderful comments from teachers across the UK.

Become a Star Apprentice

Each month we’re looking to showcase some Star Apprentices and we want your students to help us find them!

Is Mars’s soil really red?

For World Soil Day we wanted to find out if the soil on Mars was really red and what makes it look that way.

Our Methodology: Create to Learn, Learn to Create

For those interested in pedagogical methodologies, here’s a whistlestop tour of ours.

The Principia Space Diary programme returns in 2017

Principia Space Diary is back, giving thousands of schoolchildren the chance to become space experts as they learn about British European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s historic space mission.

British Science Week 2018

To celebrate British Science Week 2018, we created a free Daily STEM Challenge for KS1/2 or equivalent!

The Space Diary is back!

Principia Space Diary is back, giving thousands of schoolchildren the chance to become space experts as they learn about British European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s historic space mission.

Meet our closest neighbour

Mars might be about 225 million kilometres away from Earth but it’s still our closest neighbouring planet.

Principia Schools Conference: Meeting Tim Peake

Imaging meeting Tim Peake! Students from Wellesley did just that at the Principia schools conference.

Tim Peake to tour UK!

Tim Peake is heading off on his post-flight tour of the UK this month, visiting all four UK national capitals along with Leicester, Manchester, Salford and Glasgow.

Watch Astronaut Tim Peake Return to Earth

Saturday 18th June is the big day when Tim Peake returns to Earth after six months on the International Space Station. Tim will return in a Soyuz capsule, along with crewmates Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra. He’s due to land in Kazakhstan at 10.15am BST.

5 minutes with… Richard Crowther

Richard Crowther is the chief engineer at the UK Space Agency. We spend five minutes chatting with him about his career in the space industry.

5 Minutes with… Sheila Kanani

Astronomer Sheila Kanani is the Education, Outreach and Diversity Officer at the Royal Astronomical Society.

Add Space to your Science Week!

British Science Week 2016 has arrived! To help you celebrate, we’ve put together a list of our favourite space-related experiments for your Space Apprentices. We can’t wait to see how you celebrate Science Week. Don’t forget to use #SpaceDiary on Facebook and Twitter!

Space Apprentices Reach the Halfway Mark!

By the children of the Gardening Club at Hillmead Primary School, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts

Veg in Space! Learn about Space Gardening

Growing plants in space is an important area of research – especially as we need to explore how we might be able to grow food on planets such as Mars.

5-Minutes with… Mike Salter

Mike Salter is an engineer who works at Urthecast. Just two years after graduating from university, two Earth-imagine cameras which Mike had played a major role in developing were installed on the ISS. Not a bad start to a career in space engineering!

Exploring our solar system

This month, our Principia Mission Space Diary investigates some of the things astronaut Tim Peake might see in space, like the planets in our solar system.

5-Minutes with… Berti Meisinger

Berti Meisinger (ESA Mission Director) is Astronaut Tim Peake’s Mission Director and his main point of contact on Earth. We asked Berti to tell us about her job and give some advice to young space enthusiasts.

Scouts embark on a space journey

I’m sure you can recall a time when someone asked, ‘Do you remember where you were when…’ usually followed by a major historic event. Imagine future dinner table conversations, when our young people are asked if they remember where they were when the first British astronaut went to the International Space Station under the Union flag, and they reply, ‘Remember it? I was part of it!’

Principia Space Diary to reach 30,000 UK schoolchildren

We are thrilled to announce that the UK Space Agency/ESA have extended funding of the Principia Space Diary project, doubling the number of UK primary school students who will receive copies of the book. That’s twice as many space apprentices, and twice as much fun!