A cross-curricular programming activity, using loops in Scratch to draw patterns. Learners first design an algorithm to draw a simple 2D shape, and then use the 'repeat' block to generate artwork. It is advised that children have some prior experience of programming in Scratch. Experimentation and debugging is...

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...

Using spellings of familiar words this Barefoot Computing unplugged computing activity for younger primary children introduces algorithms as rules that are followed, and which may require decisions and exceptions. From the Barefoot Computing project, this short lesson asks children to deduce spelling rules uses...

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...

This resource, aimed at primary level, helps to develop an understanding of pollination and how flowers attract insects. Linked to the topics of lifecycles, plants and living things and their habitats, it provides an opportunity to identify and name wild flowers, whilst investigating the frequency of different...

This activity supports learning in science and history, using the context of Dr Edward Jenner’s work on developing a vaccine for Smallpox.
Using a wide range of secondary sources of information children find out about different people’s views on vaccination in the early 1880’s. Using this information they can...

This activity supports learning in history and English, using the context of the context of Dr Edward Jenner’s work on developing a vaccine for Smallpox. It introduces the concept of historical evidence and helps children start to use primary and secondary sources to respond to simple history questions. The...

This play explores how other countries provide food for us in the UK and the impact that this has on the environment and local people. A family are transported to various locations in the World in...

This resource consists of three separate activities designed as an introduction to smallpox and the development of vaccinations resulting from Edward Jenner’s ideas, investigations and collection of evidence.  Activity (a) introduces Jenner’s work through the JAMES film. Children then take part in a smallpox...

This teaching package, aimed at Key Stages Two and Three, investigates the science of tree rings (dendrochronology). Linked to the topics of plants and living things and their habitats, it looks at cut tree trunks to determine the age of the tree, how fast it grew and...

This activity away from the computer is from the Barefoot Computing project. It is intended to provide a theoretical understanding of why and how variables are used in computer programming, using the example of score-keeping in a classroom quiz. Involving several volunteers from the group, the activity uses...

This activity shows how Earth observation can be used to study human geography by comparing the satellite images of Las Vegas over the last few decades. Linking to measurement of irregular areas and addition and multiplication of fractions, it asks children to measure the area of Las Vegas at three separate times...

This brief activity uses false-colour images of the Columbia glacier to introduce the idea of using sequences of satellite images to monitor change and focuses on the selection of appropriate data for an investigation.

This activity uses satellite images of the Earth to show how a glacier has changed over almost three decades. Children are asked to measure the glacier to find out how much it has changed in size and to compare false-colour images to suggest how this helps us find out more about environmental change. Guidance on...