These wide-ranging materials include interactive animations and print-based resources based on the Can we; Should we? theme. The major resources are: *Zoos - many pupils have strong views about the role of zoos in our society.This activity improves pupils' ability to select relevant information for a presentation,...

These wide-ranging materials include interactive animations and print-based resources covering various science themes.

The six major resources are:

*Chemwars - an interactive game approach to teaching about reactivity, complete with video clips of the reactions

*Ghost in the machine - guide...

Make supports students to invent and explore multiple possibilities, testing them openly and often, and learning quickly before making well-informed decisions about the right ideas to develop.

This stage involves:  

• Brainstorming multiple ideas
• Filtering and selecting ideas
• ...

This activity shows how a paper aeroplane, glider or helicopter falls to the ground much more slowly and gracefully than a scrunched-up piece of paper. It’s all thanks to the forces generated by air pressing on, and moving over, the surface of the paper.

Learning outcomes:

• Investigate how...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students make a linear actuator. The lead screw linear actuator uses a motor driven screw thread to move a threaded slider along its length. Limit switches turn off the motor when the slider...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students construct a lever that is moved by muscle wire. This is a conductor that contracts when an electric current is passed through it. The wire movement controls a lever.

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students make a rotating arm actuator. This uses a geared dc motor to turn a friction fit arm. Two cams can be set at different angles to operate limit switches to control the movement of the...

This resource provides a word search type activity in which children find number bonds to ten. Containing three 8 by 8 grids of numbers children are challenged to find two adjacent numbers, either horizontally or vertically that total 10. The boards contain 14 to 18 number pairs which total 10.

Provided by...

This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex. Rubber latex is a liquid polymer. It is made of long molecules which are all separate. Elastic bands are made by cross-linking the polymers in rubber latex. This changes the properties of the polymer and forms a...

This Catalyst article describes how an indicator changes colour when in solutions of different pH. Most indicators simply turn one colour in acid and another in alkali, although they are often an in-between colour when neutral. A universal indicator only turns as many colours as it does because it is a mixture of...

This Catalyst article describes how to make a lava lamp by using three simple ingredients: vegetable oil, food colouring and fizzing tablets. The article also explains the processes taking place inside a real lava lamp and why they happen.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume...

From Solar Spark, this simple activity allows students to make a spectrometer using a card box and a compact disc. The compact disc acts as a diffraction grating and splits the light being observed into its constituent wavelengths. This gives the colours of the rainbow when viewing white light. This type of...

In this activity from the IET, pupils create a Christmas paper lantern in the shape of a star to hold an LED battery. Pupils can either use the net/template provided or develop their ...

Designed to be accessible for all primary aged children, this activity guides you and your pupils through the simple steps to make a clay teacup for a celebration party or commemorative cup to keep or give away as a gift. This activity is mapped to the UK curricula for design and technology and is easy to follow,...