Project EXOZOO – Space Design Challenge A creative end-of-term STEM project that gets students thinking like scientists, engineers and designers. Project EXOZOO is a two-lesson Space Design Challenge in which students work in teams to design the world’s first extraterrestrial zoo. Students create four original alien species before designing a safe, sustainable habitat capable of keeping both the aliens and visitors alive. Students become a design company competing for a fictional construction contract. Throughout the challenge they must apply science knowledge to justify their decisions, considering atmospheres, materials, life-support systems, power generation, temperature, water requirements and habitat design. The resource is ideal as an engaging end-of-topic, end-of-term, STEM Day or cover lesson activity for Year 9, Year 10 or Year 11, but could also be adapted for higher-attaining Key Stage 3 classes. This download includes: Complete teacher PowerPoint presentation Student challenge worksheet Alien profile template Zoo schematic inspiration sheet Presentation/interviewer marking sheet Full-colour promotional poster Zoo planning, marketing, visitor experience and engineering worksheets (KS4) Students will: Design four unique alien species (four provided for teachers who would like to focus on map design). Create a detailed space zoo map (map schematic available for adapting the lesson to discuss why the map provided is ideal for the aliens in the ppt). Consider scientific and engineering constraints Work collaboratively in design teams Present and defend their ideas to a judging panel The activity encourages creativity, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and scientific thinking while giving students an opportunity to apply their chemistry knowledge in a completely different context. Suitable for: GCSE Chemistry or Biology STEM enrichment Science clubs Cover lessons End-of-term activities Project-based learning If you use it with your students, I’d love to hear how they get on! I used generative AI to help design the artwork used in this lesson - based on my own novel design. Your students may also wish to put photos of their hand drawn aliens / maps into AI to generate a cinematic image of their Exozoo.