Why World Space Week matters

WSW is celebrated annually from 4–10 October and connects classrooms to real-world science, technology and engineering. In 2024 the theme was Space & Climate Change, which saw schools focus on satellites, Earth observation and sustainability. In 2025 the theme is Living in Space — a perfect lens for STEM, design, health, ethics and citizenship.

What schools did in 2024 — and what landed well

• Satellite & climate investigations: classes used weather and Earth-observation imagery to discuss climate patterns and human impact.
• Rocket design challenges: paper-rocket launches and egg-drop missions introduced forces, drag and iteration.
• Space news assemblies: quick updates on missions, then pupil Q&A.
• Cross-curricular displays: poetry about the Moon, art inspired by nebulae, and geography links via mapping.
• After-school showcases: families invited to see projects and watch mission clips.

Why these worked: multi-sensory tasks, visible displays and short, hands-on challenges helped every learner find a way in — and gave staff quick wins without heavy resourcing.

Ideas for 2025 you can lift (theme: Living in Space)

• Habitat design studio: pupils sketch a lunar or orbital habitat on a glassboard — power, food, air, water, waste. Older groups add constraints and trade-offs.
• Astronaut health lab: mini-stations on exercise, sleep, nutrition and microgravity. Compare with life on Earth; produce a poster for the crew.
• Mission operations role-play: flight director, communications, science, engineering. Run a timed “anomaly” scenario and practise clear language.
• Rovers & robots unplugged: code a human “rover” using arrows/commands; extend to simple block coding later in the week.
• Space ethics debate: who owns the Moon’s resources? Should we grow food in orbit? Use a projection screen for stimulus clips.
• Living-in-space video postcards: 60-second clips explaining one system (air recycling, radiation shielding, day-night cycles) for a younger year group.
• Family space night: short talks, rocket-making, student demos shown on interactive screens.

Best-practice tips

1. Start small, build up: begin with unplugged tasks; layer on tech later in the week.
2. Differentiate for inclusion: sentence stems, visuals, paired explanations; offer audio or drawing options for write-ups.
3. Make it visible: use corridors and classrooms to publish work daily — plans, prototypes, reflections.
4. Link to curriculum: forces, materials, health, persuasive writing, oracy and ethics.
5. Capture pupil voice: quick exit tickets − “One thing I learned about living in space…”.
6. Plan a follow-on: a half-term space club or a display that stays up into November.

Planning timeline

• 4–6 weeks before: pick focus (habitats, health, robotics); audit spaces and displays; schedule assembly and any guest sessions.
• 2–3 weeks before: prep materials; line up prompt videos; ready display areas; brief pupil ambassadors.
• 1 week before: test media on your interactive or projection screens; set up glassboards for daily challenges.
• During WSW: launch with assembly; run short daily challenges; photograph and publish progress.
• Afterwards: showcase work for families; capture feedback; choose one ongoing project.

Learning spaces that help

Great space weeks are built on clear modelling, calm acoustics and visible celebration:

• Glassboards for algorithm sketches, habitat plans and reflection walls — low-ghosting and easy to refresh.
• Acoustic panels to reduce reverberation in halls/labs, improving speech clarity for demos and debates − aligning with BB93 good practice.
• Interactive screens for live modelling, mission clips and student presentations.
• Projection screens for assemblies, family nights and end-of-week showcases.
• Display boards for longer-term galleries of prototypes, vocabulary and research.

Relevant products from Presentation Spaces

Explore solutions that make World Space Week visible, inclusive and collaborative:

• Glassboards − ideal for planning habitats, rover routes and mission checklists.
• Acoustic Panels − calmer rooms and clearer speech for STEM demos and debates.
• Display Boards − publish daily progress, vocabulary and research posters.
• Interactive Screens − live simulations, coding, and student showcases.
• Projection Screens − whole-hall assemblies and community showcases.

Sample week plan (4–10 October)

Next steps

Pick two high-impact activities, prepare your displays, and plan one follow-up so WSW lasts all term. If you’d like help specifying glassboards, acoustic panels or digital display solutions, we’re here to help.

Talk to us: Contact Presentation Spaces