In this resource pupils will examine and compare different kinds of rocks and learn that all rocks are made from a mixture of minerals. They will discover that igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are the three main types of rock which are formed in different ways and their different properties mean they can...

This problem looks at fencing chickens using pens. The challenge is to work out how many lengths are needed to create six separate pens for the roosters.

This combination problem builds up from combinations of three socks to six socks. Can students find a pattern and use it to work out how many socks would be needed to ensure a different pair was available each day for a month?

This resource consists of three separate activities designed as an introduction to smallpox and the development of vaccinations resulting from Edward Jenner’s ideas, investigations and collection of evidence.  Activity (a) introduces Jenner’s work through the JAMES film. Children then take part in a smallpox...

A sheet is shown containing six calculations that have been partially obscured by juice spilled on the sheet. The challenge is to work out what the calculations were, and their solutions.

This problem provides a gentle introduction to simultaneous equations. Three bags of shopping are shown: two have prices and one does not. The challenge is to find out the price of the final bag of shopping.

This article, by L. Chapman, published in June 2002,  presents a small-scale case study of science assessment for students with special educational needs. The discussion is based on the appropriateness of the assessments as a means of monitoring achievement and in setting targets. It is argued that National...

This activity, created for use by teachers and/or Environment Agency STEM Ambassadors with the help of a teacher, provides the opportunity for pupils to learn about the water cycle. Pupils are introduced to the water cycle by asking them to...

In this set of activities, children will learn about the water cycle and, in particular, how water in the soil contributes to the cycle and responds to changes in it.

Activities are:

• learning about the story of a snowflake to illustrate the water cycle
• investigating evaporation and...

Theory Into Practice, from the Nuffield Foundation, was published in the early 1970s when there were significant developments both in the style of science teaching in schools and in the arrangements for teaching education and professional development. The resource includes activities designed to help teachers to...

This edition of the Computing at School newsletter contains articles covering:

*Computing in the national curriculum

*Computational thinking in the classroom

Produced by Teachers TV, this short video is part of the Lesson Planning Pack series. It encourages primary school children to think about the items in a house that use electricity. It can be used as a lesson starter to stimulate thought and discussion about electricity in the household. Heather is late for work so...

These activities, from the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) publication ‘Thinking for Ourselves’, provide a variety of contexts in which students are encouraged to think for themselves.

Activity 1: In the bag – More or less requires students to record how many more or...