A Catalyst article about the naming system used for biological species, devised by Linnaeus. The purpose of biological names is investigated and the article also explains how the naming system works.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2009, Volume 19, Issue 3.

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This Catalyst article explains why there are many anti-bacterial drugs but few antivirals. There are millions of bacteria everywhere – on skin, in the gut, and on food. Bacteria have been troubling human beings for as long as they have been around, so a lot of effort has been directed into finding ways to fight...

This podcast from the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Planet Earth Online collection looks at how scientists are using fish scales to figure out why the UK salmon population is falling; and how carbon dioxide emissions from power stations could be used to make household bricks.

Salmon numbers...

From Understanding Animal Research, these materials help students understand the process of drug discovery and development. It shows that the drug discovery process is long and complex and involves several different stages, including basic research, animal testing and clinical trials. The materials include: *...

This Catalyst article introduces Tom Denbigh who describes how he has worked as a volunteer on scientific projects to gain experience before his degree course.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011...

This resource, from the Association for Science Education (ASE), is based on a well-known quiz format. It is a PowerPoint presentation, and works well in class or as a lunchtime competition using overheads. The quiz could be run during lunch times as an inter-form competition, or within class time. After teachers...

Produced by ARKive, a database of stunning natural history images, this activity is designed to teach students aged 11 to 14 about the identifiable features of different types of animals and how they are classified. The activity is also suitable for students aged 14 to 16 and beyond. Using a quiz format, students...

This lesson aims to give a flavour of behavioural ecology in the context of African field work, using role play. Some students play the part of baboons, interacting with each other in the same way as a wild baboon troop. Other students play the biologists, studying the baboons in their natural habitat and trying to...

Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at how, and why, animals are used in medical research. The information provided by is based on thorough research and understanding of the facts, historical and scientific.

The leaflet is useful as information for teachers and also as...

Planetary scientist, Professor Andrew Coates, explains why scientists look for the evidence of signs of past life on Mars.  He talks about the history of Mars and the current harsh environment on the planet. This video is part of a series of ten which look at the one of the elements of the European Space Agency’s...

In this experiment, from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), students are required to make observations about wild oat seeds. Using a petri dish, glass jar, filter paper and water, students can recreate the conditions of a greenhouse. They can then observe the changes to direction of the awn (the long hair at...

The 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was won by Gurdon and Yamanaka, for their work on adult stem cells.

This Catalyst article explains how they discovered that a nucleus from an egg cell transplanted into a specialised cell can still develop into a fully functional organism. Yamanaka named these...

This  Catalyst article looks at the work of scientists who use biochemical and DNA analysis to learn more about how fungi cause dead wood to decay.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 26, Issue 4.

This set of ideas, resources and materials help students develop a greater understanding of the language used in science. Reinforcing keywords helps students to become more familiar with scientific vocabulary, enabling them to progress with more confidence. The approaches here could easily be used in other areas of...

This collection of resources aimed at secondary school pupils includes a resource produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) to help put hayfever...