In this session, students will establish what is being done to improve air quality and the careers and jobs involved in making this happen. You could ask a member of the Royal Statistical Society to come in and speak to the students about statistics and careers statistics – see External Links.

Learning...

In order to understand the orbits of planets, comets and other celestial bodies, it is necessary to examine the principles of how gravity, and the velocity of an object, interact to produce an orbit. It is a common misconception among students that planetary orbits are circular. This practical activity gives a...

This activity asks students to plan and carry out an investigation to test the suitability of materials to absorb or insulate sound and to identify what other variables need to be considered when choosing a material to use in a building. Students also consider whether a...

Cross-curricular work can be incredibly powerful, both in terms of student outcomes and staff Continuing Professional Development. However, it is easy to contemplate, but far more difficult to deliver. Effective planning is the key. At King James’s School, near Huddersfield, members of the mathematics and science...

This challenge asks teams of students to plan a major sporting event in their local area. The resource provides an opportunity for students to explore their ideas in a creative environment. Teams can define their own goals and priorities, but may want to focus on three main areas of planning an event:

•...

Measuring the diameter of our star This simple exercise allows students to measure the diameter of the Sun using a metre rule and two pieces of card. An image of the Sun needs to be projected on the card using a small hole in one piece of card.

Measuring the number of hours in a day...

This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit. This resource focusses on pupils designing and programming a BBC micro:bit to help wheelchair athletes monitor and record their sporting performance over time.

In this activity pupils will make use of the BBC micro:bit to design...

Mechathlon, from the Centre for Science Education, is a set of teaching materials which offer a cross-curricular approach to learning about engineering. The context for this case study is designing a multipurpose vehicle which could aid recovery following a devastating...

Merlin is an Excel add-in developed to enable students to draw statistical diagrams and to perform a number of statistical tests. The add-in was written to support the statistical elements of the biology advanced level curriculum but will also have applications in mathematics and other subjects where statistics are...

This guidance, from the National Strategies, is aimed at middle leaders in secondary schools: subject and year leaders, SENCOs and other coordinators of aspects of school improvement.

The resource provides guidance for middle leaders in evaluating the performance of their teams and the teams’ impact on...

This collection of practical activities, investigations and games is all based on current lunar research. It supports many aspects of working scientifically and links to area of the curriculum including: earth and space, light and shadows, forces, materials, changes of state and rocks and soils. Activities are...

This module introduces the STEM Projects Toolkit, its background and its goals. A schematic diagram shows the contents of the resource pack, showing the pathways which teachers and technicians can use to access information and enrich lessons.

The resource builds on the successes of the CREST Awards, a formal...

This module, from the STEM Projects Toolkit, considers the use of the inquiry-based approach in everyday teaching of STEM subjects, encouraging students to use initiative and make independent decisions. The resource compares different types of Inquiry Based Learning and includes approaches for differentiation and...

This module of the STEM Projects Toolkit considers how to move from traditional teacher-led individual lessons to student-designed and student-led inquiry based lessons and projects. The emphasis is on guiding students and encouraging them to explore and research topics, actively participate in the learning process...

This module of the STEM Projects Toolkit explains what a good project provides for students, encouraging them to develop independent learning skills and reflective practice. This part of the toolkit provides the first practical steps for teachers and technicians in conceiving and developing a STEM project.

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