Big Questions That Launch Learning: Using World Space Week to Inspire Curiosity in the Classroom

Primary Fundraising Hub
Aug 10
2 min read

World Space Week (4th–10th October) is the perfect time to fire up children’s natural curiosity and wonder. But instead of just learning facts about planets or astronauts, what if we used big questions to inspire deeper thinking?

This year’s theme? Ask more. Wonder more. Imagine more. 🌠

In this blog, we’re sharing big, open-ended questions for each primary year group—questions that can spark cross-curricular discussions, creative writing, STEM challenges, and even philosophical debates.

🚀 EYFS / Reception:

“What would it feel like to bounce on the Moon?”

Act it out with movement and music.
Explore textures like sand, glitter, foil, and 'moon dough.'
Draw what you might see if you looked out of a rocket window.

🌟 Year 1:

“Why do stars only come out at night?”

Link to science: light sources and shadows.
Create sparkly star art and constellations.
Write a story: “When the stars came out in the daytime…”

🪐 Year 2:

“What would you pack to live on the Moon?”

Design a Moon survival backpack.
Write a set of instructions or a packing list.
Use this as a stimulus for learning about materials and their properties.

🌌 Year 3:

“How do we know what’s in space if we’ve never been there?”

Link to Science: telescopes, satellites, evidence.
Explore images from space and make your own 'deep space' drawings.
Debate the role of robots vs. astronauts.

🌍 Year 4:

“Could we ever live on another planet?”

Research what humans need to survive.
Design an alien planet—and build a habitat.
Write a persuasive speech or debate: “Yes, we should go!”

👽 Year 5:

“Do aliens exist?”

Use this as a springboard for balanced arguments.
Link to fiction writing: “I met a creature from Planet Zarg...”
Use coordinates and orbits in maths to track UFOs!

🛰️ Year 6:

“Should we explore space or protect Earth?”

Create a class debate or write discussion texts.
Link to geography, climate change, and the ethics of space travel.
Use maths to explore data on satellite use, CO₂ emissions, or space budgets.

✨ Final Thought

Big questions spark big thinking. World Space Week isn’t just a chance to teach—it’s a chance to inspire wonder. So whether your children are learning about rockets or writing to aliens, don’t be afraid to go beyond the facts and ask: