Resources by SEPnet

GCSE Teacher Activities

The following classroom activities have been developed from SEPnet’s (South East Physics Network) GCSE programme. The activities are designed to use inexpensive equipment and tie in with the key themes for Key Stage Four physics in England and Wales. These themes...

Physics in Sport: Boccia

In this activity students roll rice filled balls (to mimic boccia balls) down a slope and measure the distance that they roll after the end of the slope. The ball is released from different heights up the slope and a graph of stopping distance is plotted. Students must then compete to roll their balls to a target...

Physics in Sport: Cycling

This activity looks at energy transfer and develops students’ mathematical skills by applying simple calculations to work out how far someone could ride round a Velodrome track on the energy of a marshmallow. The activity suggests using a bicycle to measure the distance travelled by the bicycle from one pedal...

Physics in Sport: Equestrian

This resource uses the context of horse riding so that students can investigate the centre of gravity of a cut-out paper horse. By using a plumb-line and drawing intersecting lines, the centre of gravity can be found - this is the point above which a rider on a horse should position themselves when going over a...

Physics in Sport: Fencing

This resource uses the context of fencing to make a simple electric circuit. Students make an epee sword out of a smarties tube and incorporate a buzzer that should sound when the button on the end of the smarties tube is pressed. Students are encouraged investigate how they could change the volume of the buzzer or...

Physics in Sport: Gymnastics

The challenge in this activity is to construct a landing mat capable of dissipating the kinetic energy of a marble dropped onto it, but also being firm enough for the marble not to bounce off. Students are given different materials to trial as a landing mat and must experiment to discover which material is best...

Physics in Sport: Rowing

In this activity, students must hollow out a cucumber to use as a model rowing boat. By adding weights to the boat they can learn about buoyancy and upthrust. They add modelling clay rowers to the boats and can then compete to see if their rowing boat will make it across a large container of water without sinking...

Physics in Sport: Shooting

This resource sets a challenge to create a catapult, using lollipop sticks, to fire a marshmallow up into the air. The design of the catapult allows students to investigate the principle of moments. Teams investigate how changing the pivot point will affect the height that the marshmallow achieves and then...

Physics in Sport: Swimming

In this resource, by performing tests on the speed with which different materials move through water, students will provide a recommendation as to the best material for professional swimmers to use in the pool. The investigation requires repeated measurements for the time taken for a ball, wrapped in the...

Physics Kit: Resources for Teachers

This guide is designed to help you deliver the principles of particle and nuclear physics through engaging activities using LEGO® bricks.

The resource is split into three topics: evolution of the universe, nuclear reactions and particle physics. All the resources in each topic are colour coded to match....