This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), allows students to compare old and new technologies (railway five-pointer telegraph against the SMS message) to experience how significant the advances in technology have been. The nature of...

These materials, from Waste Watch (part of Keep Britain Tidy), have been developed to make explicit links between sustainability and packaging for students following GCSE level design and technology courses. The scheme of learning includes suggested activities for five active learning sessions, supported by the...

In this activity, students are introduced to Maglev technology as a way of reducing the friction between the tube and the train in a vacuum tube train. Students are presented with the scenario that in 2025, the UK has been invited to invest £100 billion towards the...

This resource contains a series of lessons which are designed to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of plastics and plastic waste on a global scale. Linking to materials and their properties, the environment, recycling and design and technology, they contain investigations and activities aimed at both...

In this Nuffield ...

In this Nuffield Foundation activity students carry out an investigation into some sporting techniques to establish whether practice improves performance. They conduct research into the rationale for training schedules for different sports. Students then investigate target games to explore whether scoring systems...

In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use secondary data to investigate how changes in technology have led to improved performance in cycling. They research footwear to see how materials of different properties can be combined for specific purposes and carry out a practical investigation to define the...

In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use the learning skills they have acquired in earlier pods to invent a new game of their own. They need to design and test equipment as well as establish effective rules and a fair scoring system. Groups then present and explain their new game at a sports fair where it...

In this project, students use Autodesk Homestyler to design a living space for a disabled client. The design must include a ground floor living space with outdoor landscape. The overall plot must not exceed 25m x 60m and the living space must not exceed 10m x 40m. Students create a customer profile to base their...

A presentation to support a project to design and make a useful item that incorporates throwaway materials. 

This resource from Practical Action includes a presentation and worksheets which give Key Stage Three and Four students opportunities to understand more about the impact of existing and new products on people and the environment. The presentation is packed with useful activities to reinforce students' learning. The...