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...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Forensic science is widely featured in TV dramas and newspaper articles, though many people have a distorted view of this area.

The booklet introduces a range of qualitative and...

Fruit juice companies use a variety of different treatments and enzymes to maximise their yield. In this experiment students will investigate the effectiveness of these different enzymes.

The enzymes used are designed...

In this experiment students grow yeast on agar plates and look at the effect on growth of some common anti-fungal treatments, which are available to treat conditions such athlete's foot and thrush. Antifungal products may be bought from a local pharmacist, for example, Canistan, Daktarin, Diflucan. Several...

Gelli Baff, a crystalline powder, has been dumped into a bathtub filled with water. How can you force the hydrogel to go down the plughole in order to drain the bathtub? 

In this investigation, students learn about swelling reactions, balanced reactions, and polymerisation. Students should be able to...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). There are a wide variety of materials that have unusual and interesting flow properties, and which find applications in industry and consumer...

In the context of finding out why we grit roads in winter, students are shown what happens when salt is sprinkled onto ice lollies.  They are then asked If they believe that the temperature of the ice lolly with the salt will increase or decrease, causing it to melt faster. Students then investigate some...

Plant gums are often used in the food industry as thickening and stabilising agents. Gums are water soluble polysaccharides, such as starch and cellulose. In this activity, students investigate what happens to the texture when different polysaccharides are mixed.

When solutions of some polysaccharides are...

Eight practicals produced by the Institute of Physics (IOP) that help students to understand energy transfer and transformation and the use of energy in its various forms.

Accompanied by the Teacher and technicians'...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Thermocolour film is a fascinating material that changes colour depending on the temperature. It allows a very wide range of phenomena to be...

This resource provides a set of videos and a practical investigation aimed at supporting working scientifically in the classroom and relating science to real world experiences. In the first video Professor Brian Cox joins a teacher to find out how to set up and run an investigation to find out how to turn dirty...

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

These resources allow students to explore natural selection using different coloured baits (spaghetti ‘worms’) that are selected and eaten by birds. Uneaten ‘worms’ are counted after predation and the ‘worm’ population is replenished in proportion to those colours which remain. After several cycles of predation and...