In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use secondary data to investigate how changes in technology have led to improved performance in cycling. They research footwear to see how materials of different properties can be combined for specific purposes and carry out a practical investigation to define the...

In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use the learning skills they have acquired in earlier pods to invent a new game of their own. They need to design and test equipment as well as establish effective rules and a fair scoring system. Groups then present and explain their new game at a sports fair where it...

This resource from Practical Action includes a presentation and worksheets which give Key Stage Three and Four students opportunities to understand more about the impact of existing and new products on people and the environment. The presentation is packed with useful activities to reinforce students' learning. The...

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 this resource designed by the IET, students explore statistics and use them to decide on a ranking of football players. Football players are ranked in different ways and there are a variety of awards they can be presented with. For example, each year the Ballon D’Or is awarded to the player judged to be the ‘...

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...

This activity looks at water consumption on a local and global scale. Students learn about the main water contaminants and various methods of purification and the role of engineers and their approach to design challenges. The resource aims to inspire an interest in water conservation and to introduce students to...