This issue of Catalyst includes the following articles:

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This activity gives pupils the opportunity to learn about cams and followers before designing and making a moving model based on ‘The Spirit of Innovation Project’. Throughout the activity, pupils will be able to use tools and materials to make a moving model that incorporates at least one cam before evaluating...

This film clip shows how steam is used to drive turbines in power stations which burn fossil fuels. It then looks at how turbines can be adapted to be driven by alternative energy sources, and examines the advantages and disadvantages of energy sources such as wind, to solar, biomass, hydroelectric power, tidal and...

The first activity in this resource gives pupils the opportunity to demonstrate working scientifically by designing and testing a chair for a pilot with limited time, budget and resources. This activity will support pupils understanding that engineers have to design, test and redesign in order to get things right,...

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at image scaling, which is an important first step that all astronomers perform when looking at image data. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in mathematics and physical science from...

This resource includes two lessons on sorting algorithms along with a piece of software to allow students to investigate how these algorithms function. The software itself is a simple game where students perform a given sorting algorithm on a set of data, and lose lives if they perform an incorrect step. The lesson...

In this resource students are challenged to determine the equation of the line that goes through a given coordinate point and is also tangential to a circle centred on the origin. The final step is to determine the radius of the circle.

The solution involves determining the gradient of the tangent and also...

These experiments are designed to support teachers of upper primary level pupils to carry out experimental science in the classroom, and relate it to real world experiences. Creative and experimental approaches are particularly important for keeping pupils interested and engaged in science, and for equipping them...

The mission of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is to gather and apply knowledge, improve understanding and predict the behaviour of the natural environment and its resources. It was established in 1965.

NERC funds and manages research and training in earth system science, advancing knowledge...

This resource contains three excel programs; ‘Chessboard’, ‘Chess Cube’ and ‘Painted Cube, each containing a series of interactive spreadsheets designed to explore situations requiring students to find a formula.

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This is a series of four, 30 to 60 minute, sessions that will go through the basics of binary numbers, bitmap images and compression.

Session contain:

• Step by step instructions.

• A presentation or document to follow.

• A worksheets that can by typed into or printed and written on....

Children discover the everyday science in and around their home with these simple experiments. The experimentss don't require special equipment and there are clear, step-...

These cross-curricular Science, Design and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activity days from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) encourage the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. Students achieve a better understanding of what engineering...