It takes a lot of rare natural resources and energy to make a mobile phone, laptop or computer, the modern technology we use every day. That is why many scientists would like to take inspiration from Mother Nature to help us to make more environmentally-friendly machines in the future.

This Catalyst article...

This report, published by Ofsted in November 2013, sets out the findings of a new survey of science in 91 primary and 89 secondary schools, which was carried out between 2010 and 2013 and aims to support schools in implementing the new National Curriculum.

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of STEM Ambassador Tim Moss, a maintenance engineer working for Nottingham Express Transit. Tim has always been interested in all kinds of transport. His work involves researching transport technology and ensuring that Nottingham's tram system runs...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study tackles the theme of knowledge and technology transfer. The study offers an example of how Newcastle College, became involved in a European Union funded project that involved four countries.

Involvement in the project provided...

Make supports students to invent and explore multiple possibilities, testing them openly and often, and learning quickly before making well-informed decisions about the right ideas to develop.

This stage involves:  

• Brainstorming multiple ideas
• Filtering and selecting ideas
• ...

This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex. Rubber latex is a liquid polymer. It is made of long molecules which are all separate. Elastic bands are made by cross-linking the polymers in rubber latex. This changes the properties of the polymer and forms a...

This Catalyst article describes how an indicator changes colour when in solutions of different pH. Most indicators simply turn one colour in acid and another in alkali, although they are often an in-between colour when neutral. A universal indicator only turns as many colours as it does because it is a mixture of...

This Catalyst article describes how to make a lava lamp by using three simple ingredients: vegetable oil, food colouring and fizzing tablets. The article also explains the processes taking place inside a real lava lamp and why they happen.

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

Produced by Solar Spark, this activity allows students to make a photovoltaic cell in the school laboratory. A solar cell uses light from the sun to produce electricity. A type of solar cell, called a dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC), can be made. This type of cell is cheaper than other solar cells, and is now...

This Catalyst article includes a recipe on how to make a non-Newtonian fluid which flows in strange and unexpected ways.

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

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This video demonstrates how a plasma can be made from heating a grape in a microwave. When gases from the grape absorb microwave energy electrons are removed. The free-moving electrons and positively charged gas molecules form the plasma.  The experiment shows how plasma produces visible light. However, the...

This Makerbot educations guidebook supports the users of 3D printers to understand the basics on how 3D printers work and how to use them, including a crash course on 3D design. It provides nine, 3D printing lesson plans to integrate the technology into the classroom, bringing STEM and project based learning to a...

This report from Professor Adrian Smith’s inquiry into post–14 mathematics was published in February 2004 and investigated why the UK was not meeting the demand for graduates and postgraduates in strongly mathematically oriented subjects.