A Catalyst article about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, a material discovered in 1997 and whose resistance decreases dramatically under pressure. How does it work and what uses will it have? The material has been carefully characterised (to understand its composition and how it works), and its first applications...

Queen Mary University of London and the South East Physics Network have produced three particle physics kits for use in schools: Building the Universe; Fisson and Fusion and an A-level Particle Physics kit. All the kits use Lego bricks as fundamental particles, so that students can build atoms and look at the...

Purpose: QR codes are a simple way of providing access to information. The code is a pattern of printed rectangles that can be scanned with the camera in a mobile device to link to either web sites or other sources of information. They can be used to enhance practical science by providing reminders of how to...

This set of quizzes, provided by the Association for Science Education (ASE), are part of the SYCD: Science Year theme Who am I? collection and are aimed at Key Stage Three, Key Stage Four and Key Stage Five students.

This very successful citizen science project is run annually by the RSPB. It is an ideal opportunity for pupils of all ages to identify different bird species and count the numbers they see in the school grounds. Details about the competition and the RSPB supporting materials can be found...

This activity booklet uses the real life context of air traffic control using radar signals to identify the position of an aeroplane that students act out. It provides them with an opportunity to use their knowledge of waves and speed = distance / time to calibrate and calculate the distance a plane is from the...

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at radiation, and will make the student familiar with many forms of radiation, how it is measured, and what different doses can lead to over time. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in...

Kelly is a radiographer at Addenbrookes hospital.  She produces X-rays for doctors to use in the diagnoses.  She was a parent at a young age and decided to follow an access course for two evenings a week over two years.  She aims to specialise in an area of radiography and progress to becoming a senior member of...

Purpose: Digital tools have radically changed the way that fieldwork data can be recorded and saved. There is no longer a need for clipboards and pencils in the field, as digital technology can record details of observations, times, location and images within a single app. This data can be saved to an online data...

A podcast from the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Planet Earth Online collection. Red squirrels used to be the most common squirrel in Britain. But since the grey squirrel was introduced from the USA as an illegal immigrant in the late 1800s, their numbers have nose-dived.

This is partly...

Students investigate why the moon turns red during a lunar eclipse by exploring refraction, dispersion and the scattering of white light through different media.

Practical Action have supplied this teacher's pack to challenge students to use their STEM skills to come up with solutions to a problem of water shortage in Sudan. The pack includes a PowerPoint presentation and Teacher Guide so that teachers can outline the problem to their students. The PowerPoint makes...