A Catalyst article about the Open-Air Laboratory (OPAL) project. Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) is an England-wide initiative that has received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund to bring scientists and local communities closer together. The project hopes to uncover new insights into the world by encouraging people to...

The development of new materials with incredible properties is changing the way we live. From LCD TVs to super light airliners, these materials have quickly found their way into the modern technology around us. One area where modern materials have made a huge impact is in the development of prosthetic devices....

The Nature of Science is a collection of illustrated stories from the history of science in 40-50 page A5 booklets edited by Joan Solomon. The stories illustrate the thinking and theory building processes of science and show how the application of scientific ideas are affected by the social and cultural context in...

The Nature Year Collection is a 12-book set that contains a book for each month as it tells the story of amazing wildlife around the world. With beautiful illustrations, each book features a detailed narrative providing a description and explanation of each month's major events. 

Neon careers resources are a comprehensive resource collection for everything engineering. The primary and secondary resources introduce students to future STEM careers, helping young people to understand more about the world of engineering...

Seagrass meadows are an important environment in the Mediterranean and around Australia. They support diverse wildlife communities and act as carbon stores. This article explains what seagrass is, its value and the human threats to underwater seagrass meadows.

The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science...

In this activity students view the 'You've got a Nerve' video and learn that Charles Sherrington named the gap between neurons synapses.

They then think about why we use models to explain difficult scientific concepts...

This set of resources allows teachers to challenge students understanding through context set within Network Rail and UK Rail industry. They can be delivered as stand-alone activities to develop STEM skills or embedded within curriculum schemes of learning. 

This resource is for Network Rail STEM Ambassadors, who have been trained as STEM Ambassadors and who have volunteered to deliver a 'Leaves on the Line' session in a primary school.

It contains a copy of the presentation for classroom use and t...

This paper published in 2011 presents a case for extending partnership models of science teacher development in the UK through establishing a more formal networks of schools, universities and science learning centres. It uses social capital theory to argue that teacher learning is not simply about cognitive...

A study published in 2012 showed that possessing greater general knowledge about the brain does not appear to protect teachers from believing in “neuromyths” – misconceptions about neuroscience research in education. A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that teachers who are interested in the application of...

The resource reports on a survey of teachers and parents, to find out their views on how neuroscience affects education. The report is dated January 2014.

Using this resource students can develop an understanding of the structure and function of neurons via a series of different activities. These range from simplistic labelling of neurons and building a model motor neuron to constructing an electronic 3D simulation game that mimics brain activity. There are also...