The BBC has launched a new website called Exploring the Solar System which is very useful for primary and secondary schools as part of their work in Science.

www.bbc.co.uk/solarsystem

Exploring the Solar System covers all subjects – the moon, Earth, the Sun, astronauts – and contains images, facts, clips, videos and animations. It is a fascinating resource for anyone wanting to find out more about our Solar System. It also includes footage from the BBC’s space series Wonders of the Solar System, which is currently showing on TV and available to watch again with iPlayer.

British teens are gearing up for a world first: an epic live and interactive chat show featuring leaders from the worlds of music, movies, sport, business and the community in general. The Youth of Today Show is being created by teenagers for teenagers and will be broadcast online on Thursday 18 March from 4-7pm.

The show, hosted by young people alongside radio and TV presenter Edith Bowman, will feature inspirational stories from young people around the country who have succeeded against the odds. Their stories of triumph over adversity show how the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

www.webchats.tv/chat/stars_line_up_for_marathon_youth_led

Join stars from The Wire actor Idris Elba (AKA Stringer Bell) and 2005 Apprentice winner Tim Campbell to Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, Kidulthood actor Aml Ameen and England footballer Gareth Barry for exclusive films and interviews. They will be joined by a host of other celebrities to discuss everything from how they scored their big break to what they do at the weekends and what advice they would give their teenage selves.

Dame Kelly Holmes, Edith Bowman and their guests join us live at http://www.webchats.tv/chat/stars_line_up_for_marathon_youth_led from 4-7pm on Thursday 18th March. Could you and the pupils at the school get involved by watching or sending a question on the site?

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the recording of one of this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. These lectures have been inspiring children and adults alike since 1825. They were initiated by Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for young people was scarce.

As the Royal Institution site explains… “In this year’s Christmas Lectures, Prof Sue Hartley will show you plants as you’ve never seen them before. They are complicated, cunning, beautiful and with plenty of tricks up their sleeve. And what’s more, we humans are dependent on them in ways you’d never imagine. As well as much of our food, our drugs, medicines and materials are all by-products of this epic 300 million year war.”

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the recording of one of the lectures. It was full of practical demonstrations, amazing facts and Sue presented it with a huge amount of enthusiasm for the subject. It was one of the most enjoyable Science lessons I’ve ever had and I can’t wait to watch it all over again on TV!

If you would like to see the lectures yourself, they are on More4 from 21st to 25th December at 7pm. Find out more here.