To play a simple game called Hexapawn, an ‘artificially intelligent’ computer is created made entirely from sweets. The game is like a mini version of chess; the rules are explained fully, and a playing board drawn. The ‘machine’ then ‘learns’ how to improve its playing of the game by trial and error and by ‘...

In these AMP resources, co-funded by the Clothworkers and Nuffield Foundation, students investigate making different symmetrical shapes, using one or more of three given shapes. Students will work logically, identifying and classifying patterns making general statements...

Scientists at the University of Oxford are investigating the link between sporting activity in young people and the development of osteoarthritis. In very active people, bony lesions can form on the hip joint (FAI) which increases their risk of developing the condition...

In this topic from the Association for Science Education, students explore the importance of food in their lives. The topic is designed to allow classes in schools across the world to exchange information about diet, health, sources of food and the cultural aspects of food.

Students consider the significance...

This resource begins with a description of what a tangram is and they can be used in the classroom, including a number of extensions and variations.

A step-by-step guide of how to produce a tangram is followed by several pages of challenges in the form of pictures for students to reproduce. Students are then...

This activity challenges students to work in small teams to design a water supply system for a small town of 5,000 inhabitants. They have to work within a budget, including giving themselves a profit margin.

The...

In this Bowland assessment task, students are asked to organise a trip to the airport for 75 people. A combination of small and large taxis can be used. Students are told how many people each taxi can hold and how much each taxi costs and are required to find the cheapest solution. Students select a suitable...

A resource from the Mathematics Centre at the University of Chichester which gives some examples of students' work and a variety of activities to develop mathematical skills.

Examples of students’ work from a wide range of ages and attainment. This section contains an overview of the project...

Eight more examples of students’ work from a wide range of ages and attainment, produced by the Mathematics Centre at the University of Chichester. They are accompanied by appropriate questions and activities all of which illustrate some characteristics of the type of work the project sought to promote.

Each...

This CS4FN activity from the team at Queen Mary University of London highlights some issues encountered during the design of human-computer interfaces (HCI). It acts as an introduction to HCI, introducing the need to translate problems and to understand how people behave.

The activities include a robot...

The resource has three parts.

Continue the patterns 1 provides tessellating patterns produced on squared dotted lattice paper. Students are required to continue each of the patterns.

Continue the patterns 2 provides tessellating patterns produced on isometric dotted...

In this resource students are asked to test the operation of pulley systems and calculating their mechanical advantage.

Suggested learning outcomes include:

• To understand what is meant by mechanical advantage.
• To be able to calculate the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
• ...

This resource provides mini challenges based on the designing process. With textiles as the core theme, students are set mini challenges that ask them to create design briefs, understand client needs, generate ideas, communicate their ideas and evaluate their ideas.

These resources from Farming & Countryside Education (FACE) are intended support a visit to a dairy farm by providing activities which aim to raise students’ awareness of the process of business improvement in the food chain and giving advice on how to organise the visit. In preparation for the farm visit, a...

The Great British Space Dinner Challenge contains nine lessons:

Lesson 1: All Aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Sets the scene with a brief introduction the ISS and the Great British Space Dinner Challenge. Students develop a brochure about the ISS suitable for...