A statistical graphic from the Gatsby Foundation which demonstrates the chronic shortage of physics teachers across the UK and which looks at the various campaigns to address this shortfall over the past few years.

This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), requires students to compete to make the strongest electromagnetic tool holder for a surgeon's robotic arm.

It is intended that students will be...

These technical briefs focus on ways to transport goods and people in a relatively low cost way. This is important to people in the...

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of transportation planner, and STEM Ambassador, Dan Cornelius.

Dan's role is to assess road schemes and their impacts on local and regional areas. He develops graphic models of the situation and location. This allows him to manipulate elements, such...

This resource, from the Microbiology Society, gives an overview of the microbes that cause traveller’s diarrhoea (TD), how the infection is transmitted, how it is treated and how it can be prevented. TD is the most common illness that affects international travellers and each year 20–60% of globetrotters, an...

With an increase in tuberculosis (TB) throughout the world during the 21st century, this resource looks at what scientists are doing to combat a disease that many believed was a problem of the past.

The TB fact file describes the disease, its symptoms and incidence and reviews current research into its cause...

From the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this resource describes why we explore the solar system and space missions carried out in recent years. These include: * Rosetta mission to a comet * Mars Express * Venus Express * SMART-1 mission to the Moon * Cassini Huygens surveying * Saturn and Mars...

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this booklet is the forerunner of its Understanding Food Additives web site. The booklet contains information on a range of food additives and extensive suggestions for practical activities to investigate food and food additives.

Food additives...

This Mathematics Matters case study, from the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, looks at how mathematicians' understanding of knots can help unravel potentially fatal knots in DNA molecules. Understanding how to manipulate tangles of DNA could help us create new treatments for diseases, so...

These resources from the European Space Agency climate change initiative education resource pack allow students to learn how a built up environment can lead to the urban heat island effect, so called urban hotspots. This phenomenon leads to temperature rises in cities that exceed those in surrounding rural...

From the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this wall chart describes the space mission to Venus, the UK experiments aboard, and the extreme conditions on the surface of Venus. In addition to mission details, the resource describes properties of Venus and the conditions found on the surface of the...

Volcanoes can be found on many planets and satellites in the Solar System, although not all volcanoes are the same as those found on Earth. It is the conditions on the planet and its composition that determine the shape of the volcanoes and the material that is erupted.

Students will use topography data to...

In this activity students consider the questions:

• How can the purity of swimming water be tested?
• What exactly is the Blue Flag award?
• How reliable are the measurements and the criteria for the Blue Flag award?
• What is the status of the quality of fresh and salt water for swimming...

In this activity students consider the questions:

• What are the main sources that cause severe water shortage in Europe?
• How different harmful elements (e.g. fertilizers, gasoline, sulphuric acid) pollute freshwater?
• What methods / strategies can be used to save water?
• What methods...

These technical briefs focus on low cost approaches to accessing clean water and sanitation. This is vital to health and well being and low costs are particularly important to poorer communities in the developing world.

Technical briefs are documents produced by Practical Action which are freely available to...