This resource aimed at primary learners, links to electricity, design and technology and aspects of literacy. Children learn about motors and how many objects use electricity to improve their usefulness. Looking at a variety of objects they compare their features and then take on the role of an entrepreneur and...

In this resource, students use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house. Activities to help them with their design include testing materials (for strength and absorbency) and structures. Set on a fictitious island coping with the devastating effects of flooding caused by...

This cross curricular activity includes science content from Year Four of the primary curriculum. It introduces programming and control, linked to the outside world through sensors - in this case, the computer's built-in microphone or a peripheral microphone. Programs are written using Scratch (online or offline)...

This is one of a series of resources designed to use the theme of Ramadan to support the teaching of the National Curriculum to pupils. This resource focusses on making a charity box that counts down the days in Ramadan, including some external design aspects. This could be used as a one-off lesson activity to...

This is one of a series of resources designed to use the theme of Ramadan to support the teaching of the National Curriculum to pupils. This resource focusses on designing a prayer mat for use during Ramadan. This could be used as a one-off lesson activity to develop designing and sketching skills. Alternatively,...

This activity, using the theme of the London Marathon, introduces the idea of creating a route map, highlighting the key landmarks, as a graphic product. The activity has cross-curricular links to geography and history.

This is one of a set of resources designed to allow pupils to use seasonal themes to support the delivery of key topics within design and technology, maths and science. This activity introduces the concept and making of nets, in the context of a lantern for Ramadan that can be used to decorate a room. Nets can be...

This is one of a set of resources designed to allow pupils to use seasonal themes to support the delivery of key topics within design and technology, maths and science. This activity introduces the concept and use of templates, in the context of a moon and star decoration for Ramadan that can be used to decorate a...

This resource contains a series of lessons which are designed to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of plastics and plastic waste on a global scale. Linking to materials and their properties, the environment, recycling and design and technology, they contain investigations and activities aimed at both...

This cross curricular resource explores the difference that growing pumpkins can make to the lives of people living in flood affected regions in Bangladesh. It includes finding out about Bangladesh and its people and ways to address poverty, investigating the pumpkin lifecycle and seed germination, designing and...

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...

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...

This Practical Action resource presents a fun hands-on and brains-on challenge for Key Stages Two to Five.

The problem:...

Stop the spread is a new STEM challenge for students aged 7 to 16. Highlighting the global issue of infectious disease students design, build and test a model of a hand washing device and produce educational materials for children in Kenya to encourage hand washing. It is accredited for the British Science...

Using the context of the well known story of the Three Little Pigs, pupils are introduced to the concept of the materials life cycle. A presentation aids learning about different building materials and how waste is created but can also be reduced. In the activity, pupils are invited to design recycled house ideas...