Learn with us
Teachers, book your students into one of the exclusive experiences at the Australian Space Discovery Centre.
These free of charge school sessions are designed for Year Levels 5 to 12.
All in-person sessions should be reserved at least two weeks before the chosen session date and are organised according to Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) zone.
On this page, teachers can know more about the two experiences offered by the Discovery Centre, details to reserve school sessions, resources related to school visits, and key events.
Educator's Guide (2024)
This open-source document catalogues space education resources delivered by the Discovery Centre.
In-centre experiences
Space Garden
Plants are an important for an astronaut’s wellbeing. Participants will become astrobotanists in pursuit of the most useful plants to send on a space mission.
S.C.R.A.P 4 Schools
This session explores rocketry, projectile motion and scientific inquiry. Participants will become engineers — designing, testing and improving paper rockets.
General sessions
Discover Australia’s emerging space sector and learn firsthand why space has the answers. A short presentation will be followed by self-paced centre tour.
Mission Control
Combining Civics and STEM skills this is a two-part workshop, delivered at the Australian Space Discovery Centre and Parliament of South Australia.
In-centre experiences
The sessions are available from Monday to Friday at 10am and 11:30am ACDT.
Venue safety information
The Australian Space Discovery Centre has created several resources for teachers and schools to learn more about the venue, its operations and the Centre-wide disability access.
Online experiences
Operation: Goldilocks
Use concepts of scale and distance to explore the planets in our solar system and discover what makes them unique. Students create their own scale model of the solar system.
Is it a space fact or fiction?
Test your space knowledge to see if you can tell the difference between space facts or space fibs. Meet our Space Communicators live online for a presentation and space-y Q&A!
Want to be an astrobotanist?
Plants in space are important for food, oxygen and for astronaut’s wellbeing. Participants in our Space Garden activity will investigate the most useful plants to send on a space mission.
Ask our Space Communicator
A 15-minute Q&A with a Space Communicator is a perfect way to build space knowledge in your classroom. Ask us about space, planetary science, rocketry, space careers, or more.
Online experiences
These sessions are available on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm and 2pm ACDT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Discovery Centre uses Trybooking, an event management platform, to schedule bookings for all school sessions.
At the time of booking, teachers will need to provide the following information:
- Teacher's name and contact number (attending the session)
- Student year level
- Group size including adults and students
- Choice of session.
Once a session has been booked, the teacher will be emailed their booking confirmation and materials to use in the classroom before the session date.
School sessions and workshops are not intended for public or individual student bookings.
Bookings used for these reasons may be cancelled.
The closest drop off zone for school coaches is on the western side of Frome Road, in front of the University of South Australia. There is an event bus park just after the main bus stop.
Duty of Care rests with the teachers or adults associated with each group.
Liability insurance and conserving visitor safety through Workplace Health & Safety initiatives are core components of the Australian Space Discovery Centre’s operations.
Resources are available for teachers to know more about the Discovery Centre's Certificate of Currency (General Liability) and Venue Risk Assessment.
While our school sessions are designed for Year Levels 5 to 12, teachers can book for any Year Level.
If the class Year does not meet our minimum recommendations, we suggest emailing us at info@discover.space.gov.au, where we can provide advice on the content difficulty.
Sometimes, changing to a different workshop type may also be more suitable, which our staff can assist with.
In the case of larger bookings, the Discovery Centre will usually request the group to be split into smaller groups across our dedicated school sessions.
Please email us at info@discover.space.gov.au to discuss possible alternative arrangements.
In the instance of groups smaller than 15 students, the Discovery Centre will contact the teacher organising the session.
If your school cannot attend their reserved session, we welcome you to visit the Discovery Centre during our SA School Term opening hours.
However, we will not be able to offer any special presentations or workshops during these visits.
If you are visiting during our SA School Term opening hours, please email us at the earliest at info@discover.space.gov.au so that our staff could arrangements, if needed.
Resources for teachers
Downloadable resources and activities
We have created learning resources for parents and teachers to continue inspiring young people at home and in the classroom.