This resource uses the scenario of the ‘Safe at Home’ scientists are developing a new range of fire extinguishers to help families protect their homes from fire. They have heard carbon dioxide might be useful but would like you to help with their investigation.

In this activity children observe irreversible...

In this predict-observe-explain activity, students explore different ways of extinguishing a flame with some surprising results. The lesson is introduced with the video of engineer Yusuf Muhammad. Yusuf is developing a revolutionary new household fire-safety device, incorporating the techniques of professional...

This video demonstrates how adiabatic compression of air can produce enough heat to ignite cotton wool.  The auto-ignition temperature of cotton wool is approximately 400⁰C.  The video could be used to explain the way diesel engines work.

These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to the distinction between combustion and decomposition in the...

These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to flames, from hydrogen to candle wax.

This Catalyst article looks at fireworks and their history, how they are made and set off, and what gives them their colours and effects. The basic chemistry used in fireworks is looked at and how they work once the fuse is ignited.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2002, Volume 13, Issue 2...

A Catalyst article about the Wright brothers who made the first powered flight. Unlike the try-it-and-see methods used in many of the previous attempts, the Wrights approached the problem of flight in a scientific way and beat the competition. This article looks at the Wright brothers' research and the wing shapes...

This Science upd8 resource draws on research showing that the child raised as the eldest in a family is likely to have a higher IQ than their siblings.

The reasons for this advantage are not yet clear. In this activity students come up with creative explanations and plan how to collect evidence to test them...

This podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) looks at how the famous White Cliffs of Dover could be made of fish poo (at least partially), why one researcher is so interested in dead whales, and why the Japan earthquake was so powerful and devastating....

In this video, Matt describes how he became a fisheries technical officer for the Environment Agency. His job is to monitor river habitats and fish populations, including improving the habitat and restocking fish after any pollution incidents.

The video could be used to introduce units of work including...

This Catalyst article describes how fish can help scientists to learn more about human biology. Understanding how human bodies work and what causes human disease is the key to future medical breakthroughs. Most discoveries in medical science are a result of experiments that cannot be performed on humans. Animal...

From the Centre for Science Education, the RA3 project aims to bring parents together with their children and teachers to explore the worlds of science.

Children and families are challenged to design a sea-life attraction. They must consider the budgets, habitats involved, range of tanks to be built and the...

This resource, produced by SEPNet and Queen Mary University of London, uses Lego to represent the building blocks of matter. Different colour and size Lego bricks are assigned to protons, neutrons and electrons. Fusion is shown by joining bricks together and fission by breaking large collections of bricks apart....

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), these activities look at the question of drinking water quality.

The activities examine the issues involved and looks in detail at ways of removing nitrates from drinking water supplies. Both water treatment and agricultural solutions are...

This activity involves a series of discussions and ranking activities to develop students understanding of the link between fitness, pulse rate, respiration and activity. It can be used as an introduction to the ...