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 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...

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...

From Practical Action, this challenge asks students to design a simple wind turbine capable of lifting a cup off the floor to bench height. The winning team will be the one producing a machine that lifts the most weight. The resource includes an instruction sheet, wind turbine images, links to videos and...