It’s Sunday evening. The kettle’s on, the planning folder is open, and you’re staring at a blank page that says “Science, Tuesday.”
I’ve been there. I spent years in sales and marketing before I became a children’s author, and I learned something that applies in every classroom and every kitchen table: the best lessons start with a story children actually care about.
That’s why I built the Space Science Lesson Plan Pack. Ten complete lessons, all linked to Space Ranger Fred and The Shoelace Adventure, and all ready to print and teach.
Why space works so well for learning
Ask a seven-year-old about rockets and watch what happens. The questions come thick and fast. How do they get off the ground? Why don’t astronauts fall? Could anything live on another planet?
Space is the rare topic that pulls in the reluctant scientist, the keen mathematician and the child who only wants to draw aliens. One theme, many ways in. That’s exactly what a good STEM unit needs.
What’s inside the pack
Nine STEM lessons and one creative writing lesson, each tied to scenes and characters from the book:
Science and physics
- Forces and Motion: How Rockets Work. Launch a balloon rocket, draw force diagrams and meet Newton’s Third Law.
- Gravity and Space Travel. Work out your weight on every planet and demonstrate orbits.
- The Solar System. Research stations for the planets, plus a toilet-paper scale model that shows just how far apart everything is.
- Could Life Exist on Jambori? Design an alien for a planet’s conditions and explore real exoplanets.
Design, technology and engineering
- Build a Rocket. Test materials, take on a paper rocket design challenge, then evaluate and improve.
- How Fastenings Work. Test knot strength, explore friction and design a fastening for a three-fingered alien hand.
Computing and maths
- Coding: Algorithms and Space Navigation. Write sequences and debug the book’s broken countdown, with a Scratch extension for keen coders.
- Distance, Speed and Time in Space. Real spacecraft calculations, standard form and scale models.
- Measurement, Symmetry and Patterns. Shoelace maths, symmetry in knots, measuring and perimeter.
English and literacy
- Your Space Ranger Mission. A full story-structure toolkit drawn from the book, with a planning sheet and peer-assessment success criteria.
Everything a busy teacher needs, already done
Every lesson comes with:
- Clear learning objectives
- National Curriculum links with year group guidance
- A fully timed starter, main activities and plenary
- Differentiation for support, core and extension groups
- Discussion questions linked to the story
- Formative and summative assessment ideas
- Results tables, activity grids and writing frames, ready to use
You get 10 individual A4 PDFs plus one complete merged pack, 11 files in all. Print what you need, when you need it.
Who is it for?
- Primary teachers looking for a space-themed science unit with clear curriculum links
- Secondary science teachers who want engaging transition or enrichment activities
- Homeschooling families who want structure without the hours of planning
- After-school clubs, book groups and reading programmes
Each lesson states its recommended age group, and the activities stretch from ages 6 to 13, so you can pick the right lesson for the right class.
Do I need the book?
No. The lessons work as a standalone teaching resource. But if you do have The Shoelace Adventure, the discussion questions and activities come alive, because children are solving problems for characters they already love. If you’d like a copy, you’ll find it at spacerangerfred.com.
One download, a whole term of ideas
Think of it this way. One purchase, one download, and you’ve got ten lessons planned, differentiated and ready to print. That’s your Sunday evening back.
Get the Space Science Lesson Plan Pack on Etsy
It’s an instant download, so you can be teaching with it within minutes.
Three, two, one… let’s go and teach some space.
Matt Newnham Author of the Space Ranger Fred series