Brian Cox school experiments (secondary)

Following on from the first series of the Brian Cox schools experiments for primary, the Royal Society has produced a new set of videos and resources, presented by Professor Brian Cox and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, based around new and emerging technologies. These new resources cover important topics and introduce teachers to a practical experiment, the commercial application of the technology featured, and the latest research being undertaken by scientists in that area.

Aimed at teachers of students aged 11 to 14, the resources explore plastics, robotics, green energy, genome editing, machine learning and cybersecurity and ocean acidification.    

• The first video in each topic demonstrates a classroom experiment or activity that can be used to introduce the new technologies being discussed. You will see the teacher explaining how to set up the experiment, what equipment you will need and how you can expand the lesson further. These experiments can all be extended too, into open-ended investigations that can be addressed in STEM clubs for example. They could be simplified to suit a younger class or expanded for a more advanced class.   
• The second video in each topic shows an industrial application of the topic to give an insight into the commercial uses of the technology now and/or how it could be used in the future.  
• The third video features an area of research, related to each topic, demonstrating what the future may look like and how scientists are addressing global concerns.   

The second and third videos feature a focus on the skills required to work in these industries or research areas and will give young people an idea of what subjects they need to pursue at school and beyond. These could be a useful tool for careers teachers and form tutors.

For each experiment, printable resources including lesson notes and student worksheets, are available to download.