Resources by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

Catechol Oxidase Activity in Fruits and Vegetables

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this investigation looks at the activity of the enzyme catechol oxidase (also called polyphenoloxidase). Found in a wide variety of plants, it is responsible for the darkening observed when many fruits or vegetables...

Cauliflower Cloning

This video introduces a reliable technique to demonstrate tissue culture and totipotency, and shows how best to use this protocol with your students.

Unlike animal cells, many plant cells are totipotent, meaning that...

Coffee History and Survival

This 5-minute video interview with Dr Charlie Clutterbuck of Manchester Metropolitan University introduces students to the history and economics of coffee and the impact of a plant pathogen on coffee production.

How long will your morning coffee be...

Colour Changes in Ripening Fruits and Vegetables

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), these investigations look at how pigments change during the fruit ripening process.

The green colour of the unripe fruit is due largely to the presence of...

Competitive and non-competitive enzyme inhibition

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this activity enables students to investigate the effect of competitive and non-competitive inhibitors on the enzyme beta-galactosidase.

The chemical ONPG (o-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside) is degraded by the enzyme beta-galactosidase. The product is...

Composting, Recycling and the Curriculum

This sheet provides an overview of what happens during the composting process, thinking about the microorganisms involved in the decomposition of plant material. It offers ideas for monitoring temperature change within a compost heap over time and information on how to start your own compost heap.

Produced...

Computer Modelling, Ecology and Climate Change

In this 5-minute video interview, Dr Drew Purves, Head of the Computational Ecology and Environmental Science Group at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, discusses how his research can help us predict the effects of climate change on natural ecosystems,...

Concentrations and Dilutions: a Survival Guide

This resource from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) is presented as a survival guide for students, describing how to handle numbers correctly, standard form, the use of scientific calculators, the definition of a mole, calculating molarity, Avogadro’s number, how to express concentrations and how to...

Converting Milk Products Using Lactase

The enzyme lactase is widely used in the dairy industry to convert the naturally occurring disaccharide sugar lactose into glucose and galactose. In this practical students investigate the treatment of milk with lactase. Following treatment they test the glucose content of the converted milk, and compare products...

Create a Flower

In this activity children learn about the parts of a flower by constructing a flower from a selection of materials. Once created the flowers can be used to discuss the role of each part in reproduction. Further ideas can be found in the full resource...