Resources by Practical Action

Recycle or Reuse? - Secondary Global Upd8

This activity examines the meanings of the terms reduce, reuse and recycle. Students consider the efficacy of recycling and reusing and whether they produce the desired results of reducing waste and energy requirements and minimising primary resource use. They then compare the impacts of recycling aluminium to...

Recycling - concept cartoon

This cartoon help pupils explore issues around how recycling and reusing products can benefit the environment.

Concept Cartoons are quick, simple and effective. They are designed to intrigue, provoke discussion and stimulate thinking. Concept Cartoons make concepts problematic and provide an engaging...

Regreen the desert

Practical Action have supplied this teacher's pack to challenge students to use their STEM skills to come up with solutions to a problem of water shortage in Sudan. The pack includes a PowerPoint presentation and Teacher Guide so that teachers can outline the problem to their students. The PowerPoint makes...

Renewable Energy Posters

From Practical Action, these posters show examples of how renewable energy sources are used in developing nations. They show how mp3 players can be powered by solar photoelectric cells, small-scale hydroelectric in Kenya, a wind turbine and biogas digested in Nepal.

Renewable Energy Wordsearch

From Practical Action, this wordsearch is an enjoyable way of engaging students in the subject of renewable energy.

Reusing textiles: waste to wear

In this activity, from Practical Action, students are challenged to design and make a good quality textiles product from some throwaway textiles collected from home or bought from a charity shop. Further resources are available from the Practical Action’s Sustainable Design and Technology database.

Sandy seeds - Primary Global upd8

Aimed at primary level, this resource provides a practical context to explore the requirements of plants for life and growth. Children are introduced to the ways in which local communities in Bangladesh successfully grow enough pumpkins for themselves and to sell to provide an income. This leads into an...

SDGs Quiz

This activity reinforces students' understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and some of the issues linked to them.

In 2015 the United Nations (UN) met with leaders from over 30 countries to work out how to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. They identified 17 Goals to end poverty in...

Small Is...Challenge

In celebration of its founder, Fritz Schumacher’s centenary year Practical Action have created Small Is...Challenge. Schumacher’s philosophy was based on the idea that even a small change can have a big impact on people’s lives. The challenge for students is to look at technologies from the last 100 years and...

Smoky homes

Aimed at primary aged students, this STEM project provides a real-life context to explore the health and environmental problems faced by the 3 billion people globally who cook on open fires or traditional cooking stoves. Children are introduced to a family in Nepal and learn about indoor air pollution from their...