This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Composites are made by physically combining two or more materials. Many composite materials are used to provide strength and rigidity while using thinner, lighter components. However, they...

In this classroom activity pupils will design, test and make a bookend to assist in the storage of books. The bookend can be decorated to inspire and encourage reading of the books being stored.

Pupils will first make a card model of their bookend design and then produce a finished bookend from wood and card...

This activity introduces the concept of 3D CAD design and some of the basic tools used with CAD software. The software used for the CAD activity is the free and widely used ‘TinkerCAD’. However, this could easily be substituted for any other 3D CAD software already available in school.

The activity involves...

This activity involves generating creative design ideas for a building, drawing the final design idea using CAD software, and 3D printing a model of the building. The software used for the CAD activity, ‘Onshape’, is the free and widely used. However, this could easily be substituted for any other 3D CAD...

This Nuffield Working with Science unit aimed to enable students to design circuits to meet specific needs. The plan was also to help students to realise the range of electronics problems which they can solve by taking a systems approach.

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). New applications for traditional fabrics are being found, but increasingly, fibres and fabrics are engineered for specific purposes. Much...

These materials use the BLOODHOUND SSC land speed attempt as a context for teaching about forces, particularly forward thrust and frictional forces. The BLOODHOUND SuperSonic Car (SSC) land-speed attempt aims to reach a target speed of 1000 miles per hour.

A very large forward driving force is required to...

In this Future of Flight challenge pupils explore what we mean by climate change and what greenhouse gases are. They match the molecule diagrams to their descriptions and investigate rising temperature by setting up mini greenhouses. They also explore the lifecycle of an...

In this Future of Flight challenge pupils explore the materials they know and how they might be grouped. They also consider what materials they could use to regulate temperature and protect against the cold. They create a bouncy ball using a synthetic material and...

The Propagator project introduces students to hydraulic systems and their inner workings. Using a...

This activity investigates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells as a means of energy generation and storage. Students make hydrogen gas by electrolysis, supported by practical instruction sheet. Combined with the Burning Fuels 2 resource, students can explore the...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP).

Metals have been used for many thousands of years, but it was only in the 20th century that an understanding developed of how their properties could be explained in terms of their...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). ‘Sustainability’ is about using resources in a way that does not deplete them. An increased emphasis on renewable energy is part of the move to greater sustainability, but so is the idea...

These materials use the land speed record attempt as a context for teaching about the irreversible changes and energy transfers that occur in BLOODHOUND SSC’s rocket engine.

The BLOODHOUND SuperSonic Car (SSC) World...