Resources by We Are Aliens!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 19
An introduction to astrobiology
Astrobiologist, Dr. Lewis Dartnell, explains how we can understand more about possible life on other planets by looking at life on the Earth. He talks about his hopes that we find evidence of life on Mars, and other bodies within our solar system. Lewis explains how analysing the light from exoplanets could help...
Ice cores
In this practical activity students analyse ice cores extracted from the icy worlds of Enceladus or Europa. This resource provides information about Enceladus and worksheets for both qualitative and quantitative analyses. In the video, Steve Althorpe explains how ice cores containing minerals can be made and then...
Is There Life In There?
All life forms on Earth are based on organic biochemistry. This activity requires students to analyse an unknown soil sample (just recovered from a space mission to another planet!) and look for signs of possible indicators for life. Curriculum areas covered:
- Cell biology
- Food tests, including...
Life in Our Solar System
These four videos discuss life in our Solar System -
What lies under the ice of...
Life in the freezer
If there is life elsewhere in our solar system it’s likely to live in a pretty cold environment. In this resource, students investigate the effect of antifreeze on the freezing point of water and how it can allow fragile cells to survive extreme cold. In the video, Judith Green explains how students can plan an...
Martian Death Rays
Could there be life on Mars? Perhaps so, although the high intensity of UV light means that it is unlikely to be found on the surface. The experiment demonstrates how bacteria grown on agar plates can be killed off by UV exposure. Curriculum areas covered:
- Microbiology
- Cell biology
- ...
Model Cells
The cell is the smallest unit of life and for many millennia single celled organisms were the only form of life on Earth. It’s this type of life that astrobiologists are looking for elsewhere in the solar system. In this activity, wallpaper paste is used to build model cells Curriculum areas covered:
- ...
Molecules of life
This resource includes a suite of games designed to promote thinking, learning and understanding as well as being enjoyable and engaging. They are all based around molecules that play key roles in life on Earth.
In the ...