Practical Action's series of resources for primary teaching.

Teaching resources from Practical Action which help students to understand sustainable development. They explore aspects of contemporary issues. Suitable for classes in science or technology, ages 7-16

Technical briefs are documents produced by Practical Action which are freely available to people in the developing world. They provide detailed technical information on a variety of subjects ranging from how to make jams and pickles to how to build a flood-proof house or an aerial ropeway.

Students can use...

Teaching resources covering a range of issues around water e.g. cleaning water and hygiene set within a global context. Based on Practical action projects in the developing world they are suitable for ages 7-16.
 

A comprehensive, 60-page PDF guide detailing everything you need to know about 3D printing in the classroom. The chapters included in this guide are:

• An Introduction to 3D Printing
• Getting 3D Printable Files
• Preparing Files for 3D Printing
• 3D Printing Tips for the Classroom...

In this 5 hour STEM Clubs teaching pack students examine ways in which communities can put measures into place to make sure people and properties are safe, and look at how the IoT can bring additional benefits to this safety.

It is recommended that, prior to this...

This resource looks into making a prototype of a treadle pump. 

Suggested learning outcomes include:

• To be able to manufacture a working prototype of a treadle pump for people living in a remote village.
• To be able to select appropriate materials, tools and equipment for a manufacturing...

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...

Produced by Practical Action, these materials help students to consider the impacts of a product through its whole life cycle. A presentation describes the concept of lifecycle analysis (LCA) and gives some examples. Students are then challenged to consider the life cycle of familiar products, from raw materials,...

Produced by Practical Action, this short activity introduces the various factors that influence the choice of consumers. Students consider different products and the reasons behind why they would or would not purchase them. The activity is a perfect introduction to sustainability and aims to help students think...

The ‘production’ section of the Fixpert's resource focuses on producing a  high-quality working prototype that meets the problem described in the original design brief. Activities that support this section include: ‘hack a toothbrush’, starting points for innovative ideas, and making paper bowls. These activities...

This activity is designed to build on understanding of programming commands and what they are used to do in a program. It requires learners to show a...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), these case studies describe work done by practitioners to support learners’ progression through STEM, whether from school to college, or to HE or employment.

The projects, drawn from organisations across the FE and skills sector, explore a...

This guidance is aimed at businesses and other organisations looking to provide support and inspiration for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools.  It is based on consultation with teachers, further developed through debate between teachers, businesses and learned societies.  Teachers...

Chris is a project engineer with E.ON. In this video Chris explains how his physics teachers at school were the inspiration for him to go into his current role, following a school trip to a nuclear power station. He discusses his experiences after completing a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and how he went on...