This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), introduces students to how sensors can be used in smart applications of electronic systems.

The resource is designed so that students will know...

A smart material describes a material that senses and responds to an external stimulus or change in the environment, and where the change reverses when the stimulus or change is removed. This resource provides an introduction to the topic of smart materials, looking at the properties of different materials,...

A phase change material are substances that absorb or release energy when it changes its physical state, providing useful heating or cooling properties. Did you know that phase change materials were developed by NASA to keep astronauts comfortable in the extreme temperature fluctuations in space? This resource...

This resource looks at photochromic materials, exploring how they are used and their impact on space inspired products. The slides provide discussion points, investigation ideas and suggestions of practical experiments and products that will allow students to get hands-on with photochromic technology.

This resource explores the properties and uses of piezoelectric materials and quantum tunnelling composites. Taking examples from space technology, it provides a number of examples to discuss in the classroom and suggests practical experiments to give your students a hands-on examples of the technology.

Shape memory alloys (SMA) and shape memory polymers (SMP) remember their original shape, even after being significantly deformed, returning to their original shape in response to a stimulus. This resource explores the technology behind SMA's and SMP's, the properties that they bring to engineered products and...

This resource explores the topic of thermochromic materials. It provides content to explain what they are, how they are used and suggests practical experiments that will allow students to get hands-on with the material.

This is a set of five lessons on software development for students aged 14-16.

The presentations cover the software development life cycle and introduce each of the different development mythologies. The remaining presentations focus upon prototyping and testing. These resources could be a useful resource...

A crowd funding web site recently raised more than two million US dollars to fund solar roadways. These roads, claim the developers, will remain snow-free, and, at the click of a switch, can be transformed into car parks or even sports pitches. In this activity students consider whether solar roadways are worth...

This is one of a series of resources from the IET designed around the theme of the future of flight with the purpose of developing pupils knowledge and skills in design technology, engineering and mathematics. Jet engines used on aircraft produce...

This lesson develops the concept of using geometric properties to solve problems. In particular students develop their ability in:

• Solving problems by determining the lengths of the sides in right triangles using trigonometry
• Finding the measurements of shapes by decomposing complex shapes...

This resource develops the concept of solving quadratic equations by taking square roots, completing the square, using the quadratic formula, and factoring.

The resource is set in the practical context of a bus cutting a corner that has a cycle lane. When a bus turns a corner, it must swing out so that its...

This resource looks at the concept of recognising the differences between equations and identities. Students substitute numbers into algebraic statements in order to test their validity. Common errors are highlighted that can occur when manipulating expressions.

Students work on an exercise that involves...

This lesson develops the concept of using Pythagoras’ theorem to derive the equation of a circle and translating between the geometric features of circles and their equations.

The initial activity involves looking at a circle with end points of the diameter at (6, 0) and (–6, 0). Questions relate to...

This lesson develops the concept of using the equation of a circle. In particular students develop their knowledge of how to:

• Translate between the equations of circles and their geometric features
• Sketch a circle from its equation

In the introductory activity a circle has been...