Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the B unit called ‘What do plants use for food’ and the S unit ‘Food chains and webs’. This X unit provided enough material for eight double periods. It could be selected to complete either a Science or a Further...

The rush to permit controversial methods to avoid mitochondrial disease in babies raises questions, say two bioethicists.

This resource is part...

This video explains why astronauts float. The common misconception is that there is no gravity in space, yet the astronaut is in the Earth’s gravitational field.  Rather, the astronaut is falling towards the Earth (as is the spacecraft). However, their horizontal speed is 28,000km/hr. This and the curvature of the...

You may think that magic and spells only exist in your favourite books and movies. But can we make magic in the real world? This resource investigates how you can use science to make things change colour and state, or even disappear.

The activities are introduced with a quick objective and a preparation...

Newton is regarded as one of the most influential physicists and mathematicians of all time and his actual birthday depends upon which calendar is used. Under the Julian calendar which was being used in England at the time Newton was born on Christmas day 1642. However, under the currently used Gregorian calander...

This Unilever Laboratory Experiment, published in 1966, describes the use of steam distillation to separate oil from crushed cloves. The method for extracting the eugenol from the oil used carbon tetrachloride (tetrachloromethane) and so would need to be modified before this could now be done in schools and...

A Catalyst article about scientists publishing their results in journals. Newspapers, magazines and TV programmes are full of stories based on science and technology. But can these articles be trusted? This article looks at the way in which scientists try to ensure that their own publications are reliable. It makes...

This report from the Institute of Physics explores data from the National Pupil Database, looking at progression to A level physics from Key Stage Four in different types of school. In particular, it focuses on the inequalities of numbers between the girls and boys taking the subject at this level. Although girls...

This Catalyst article looks at a newspaper report, which carried the headline “It’s life, but not as we know it”, following NASA’s supposed discovery of a ‘second form of life’. The scientific paper, published by the eminent journal Science, even created widespread speculation about the existence of extra-...

A Catalyst article about working in materials science and engineering, the process of deciding which material is best for each application. The structure of materials, processing them and working in jobs and careers with them are explained.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17,...

Most of the food we buy comes packed in plastic, cardboard or tins and jars, but why? Children explore this question, by investigating the properties of...

Students explore chicken and human health in relation to microorganisms. To do this, they will learn and use microbiological techniques to examine the microbial load of chicken meat. Then they will carry out a survey into chicken consumption, look at alternative protein sources and explore chicken husbandry at home...

Produced by JIVE (Joint Interventions), this set of information posters are for employers to illustrate how organisations can support and inspire women to enter and progress in Science, Engineering Technology and the Built Environment.

In this Triple Crossed activity, from the Centre for Science Education and supported by the Astra Zeneca Teaching Trust, students learn about the ghastly crimes of Jack the Ripper and the different methods of crime solving back in 1888 when forensic science was not an option.

Information sheets describe the...