The EU has recently imposed limits on the power ratings of vacuum cleaners, and proposes further limits on appliances such as hairdryers. In this activity students consider a further (fictional) future restriction, on home electricity use. Students calculate the energy transferred in kilowatt-hours by the...

The project involved members of staff from the STEM subjects at the Kingswinford School working collaboratively to plan and deliver sessions to a group of Year Nine students. These sessions were held after school for an hour each week during the summer and autumn terms...

Modern society depends on programmable systems, from industrial robots to smartphones. The systems of today are only possible because of past inventions. The resources in this collection require students to research details about programmable system from the past, to present their findings to their peers and to...

This set of ten video case studies, from around 2010, illustrate a range of technician roles that use science and mathematics. The examples feature young college students and apprentices who talk about their area of study or work and who have a clear career route in mind. 

The case studies cover:

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A Catalyst article about the role of environmental scientists working for a local authority. Climate change science needs to be applied to everyday life and this article explains how local authorities and their staff are often in the front line applying the science and making it work for public benefit.

This...

The teaching materials in this resource were produced by the Plant Nutrition working group of the Children’s Learning in Science Project (CLIS). The scheme includes teaching strategies that are intended to help students understand difficult concepts.

This Catalyst article focuses on aquaponic systems, where fish and crop plants are grown in a system designed to minimise inputs.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 27, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a science...

A Catalyst article about recent expeditions to the Arctic Ocean which have revealed previously-unknown deep-sea coral reefs. The article explains how these havens of biodiversity survive, and how human activities are damaging them.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18,...

In this podcast from the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Planet Earth Online collection, Richard Hollingham reports from an unusual and somewhat cold location - onboard the British Antarctic Survey's RRS James Clark Ross which was stuck in the ice for two weeks 1000 kilometres from the North Pole. He...

A podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). As the map of Earth's gravity – as revealed by the European Space Agency's (ESA) sleek GOCE satellite – comes into sharper focus, Richard Hollingham speaks to a researcher who tells us what early results from the...

This resource from the European Space Agency climate change resource pack provides background information on the role of Arctic sea ice upon the Earth’s climate system. All activities are set in the context of the Northwest Passage. Changes in the amount of sea ice can disrupt normal ocean circulation, leading to...

This Catalyst article investigates whether airships are making a comeback. The Airlander is an airship which can be used for transporting heavy loads over long distances.

The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 3.

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An Institute of Physics resource to act as a stimulus for teaching about the nature of science ('How Science Works'). It consists of a poster and questions that highlight safe and ethical approaches to scientific work.

It is hoped that this resource will be useful in preparing students for courses where...