The spacecraft that have orbited around Mars and landed on its surface have shown us (via images and data) that there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars. However, these satellite images have also revealed to us features that appear to have been created or carved out by flowing water. In fact, scientists feel...

Scientists must design and evaluate many ways of extracting water from the lunar permafrost before planning lunar colonies and manned missions using the moon as a base.

In this activity students will construct a solar water collector. Using the collector, students will collect and calculate the amount of...

This resource requires students to consider where their water comes from and what life would be like if it were not readily available. It examines the importance of the water we use being clean and the consequences if that water is not clean. Students investigate simple ways of making dirty water clean and...

Does light behave like a wave, a stream of particles or both? Scientists at the University of Oxford are taking advantage of the particle-wave duality of light to carry out work developing exciting new technologies.

...

This worksheet, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), introduces students to the wave equation, giving them an understanding of some of the vocabulary and concepts used. Students use the formula: velocity (wave) = frequency x wavelength to answer the questions on the worksheet.

The...

This physics extension module from the Salters’ Science course covers the action of sensors and amplifiers in electronic systems. Potential dividers are studied as a way of supplying different voltages. The action of light dependent resistors and thermistors in...

The loose fragments of material on the Moon’s surface are called regolith. This regolith, a product of bombardment by meteorites, is the debris thrown out of the impact craters. By contrast, regolith on Earth (called ‘soil’ as it contains organic material) is a product of weathering. ‘Weathering’ describes all the...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust, these resources include an interactive evolutionary tree and a video of the Tree of Life. These materials will help students to find out more about the work of Charles Darwin and evolution. The resources contain:

Tree of life video: The video is a short...

This challenge is an opportunity for students to explore, experiment and innovate whilst designing a specialised wetsuit for paratriathletes who need specialised equipment to allow them to compete. Whilst the development in technology of prosthetic limbs, racing wheelchairs and handcycles has been substantial, no...

This short activity introduces students to the ideas of the footprint and resolution of an image, asking them to choose and use appropriate methods to calculate how these quantities would change as they moved a camera to a series of vantage points above the surface of the Earth

In this unit from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology, students design and make a simple tree structure using a variety of textiles, paper and card.

The unit allows students to handle and experience a variety of textiles and relate them to their everday uses. They make textile sample...

This topic, from the Association for Science Education (ASE), focuses on nutrition and looks at links between diet and health. Students are able to reflect on the nutritional and social values of different diets and then exchange information about their findings. As they work though the topic the students make a...

One of the units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. Children design and produce a classroom display about a current topic in another subject.

The children will work in groups and as a whole...

This activity uses a humorous video to raise a serious question: can science tell us what animals are saying, and interpret their emotions? The Bow-lingual dog translator claims to detect animal emotions by analysing bark sounds waves. Students use research evidence to decide whether the device does what it claims...

The Nuffield Foundation provide this resource which can be used to introduce the idea of representing objects using plans and elevations. Students will have the opportunity to identify everyday objects photographed from plan and elevation views, draw 3D sketches of solids from their plan and elevation views, as...