This resource is an interactive activity which aims to provide an introduction to the lowland heathland habitat. The five topics relating to lowland heathlands covered by the resources include: • The biotic components of lowland heathlands, focusing on plants • The biotic components of lowland heathlands, focusing...

In this activity students evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using biological control to halt the invasion of common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia. This is an invasive plant which is spreading across Europe. Because of illness caused by its allergenic pollen and competition with crops, it costs...

This resource from Arkive allows students to investigate the impacts that invasive species have on the environment, the effects that they have on native species and habitats, and the characteristics that make certain species good invaders. The activity looks at the different ways in which invasive species can...

From Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), these materials encourage students to use disc diffusion tests to investigate antibacterial or anti-yeast properties. A wide range of products, both synthetic and natural, claim to have microbicidal properties. Students can...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. An enjoyable and reliable practical activity allowing students to compare factors affecting photosynthesis. Possible investigations could include the rate of photosynthesis in sun and shade plants,...

In this practical, students investigate the effects of different levels of minerals (nitrates, phosphates and potassium) on the growth of radishes. Students sow radish seed in ‘soil’ containing different levels of 3 minerals - nitrates, phosphates and potassium. These minerals are present inside N:P:K fertiliser...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. An intriguing way to demonstrate gravitropism in action over the course of a lesson. Using black film canisters, a freshly cut seedling stalk (hypocotyl...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. In this practical activity, students to investigate the role of light in starch production in leaves during the process of photosynthesis. By using leaf discs rather than whole leaves, a number of...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. This activity offers a simple way to investigate phototropism: the response of seedlings to different wavelengths of light. This technique will help students investigate this tropic response, using...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. In this activity, students investigate the effects of the hormone auxin (Indole Acetic Acid or IAA) as a plant growth regulator, giving opportunities to look at auxiliary bud development, root...

One of a series from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. This practical introduces a simple method to grow radishes, for investigations into the effect of a range of factors on plant growth, including levels of pollutants,...

Investigating serious crimes such as murder, rape and terrorism requires forensic science experts. These people work alongside the police to find the evidence that will bring the culprit to court.

In this Catalyst article, Tony Hargreaves looks at criminal poisoning and shows how forensic science is used to...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology.

This activity allows students to investigate many factors that influence seed germination, including temperature, light, nutrient levels, pollutant effects, tropisms and so on.

It...

Vernalisation offers an interesting example of the way that plants have evolved to exploit the predictability of seasonal change and, in this case, to ensure that flowering occurs at an appropriate time. It also gives an example of how environmental factors control and...

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. In this practical, student investigate how lead inhibits catechol oxidase, an enzyme which is easily extracted from a banana and which is responsible for turning fruit brown. Measuring the intensity...