In this activity from the Institution of Engineering and technology (IET), students investigate the photovoltaic effect by designing and making a solar power night-light circuit. This could form the basis of a design and make assignment project in design and technology...

Tunnelworks is a series of teaching and learning resources linking mathematics and science to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, a major new sewer that will help protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. Background to the project is given in the ...

This activity focuses on promoting a product to a particular target user group. Teamwork, creativity and entrepreneurial skills are required to design, brand and market a new Nintendo Wii product.

In this activity,...

In this cross curricular activity, children learn about light and shadows by creating shadow puppets which tell the story of a myth or legend. Teacher’s notes provide a step by step guide to creating the shadow puppets, showing how to create moving parts; it also shows how to set up a shadow theatre to tell the...

This activity focuses on promoting a product to a particular target user group. Teamwork, creativity and entrepreneurial skills are required to design, brand and market a new Nintendo Wii product. ‘Make your pitch!’ provides students with an opportunity to explore and...

Students consider how materials need to be tested for their suitability for a specific job before engineers in construction projects can choose them. The tasks will ask the students to think about what properties need to be considered, how these might be scientifically...

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:

•...

This resource looks at designing a treadle pump.

Suggested learning outcomes include:

• To be able to design a treadle pump for people living in a remote village.
• To understand how social issues impact on the design of a product....

Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation and they penetrate into human tissue. There is still a significant debate about the safety of holding even a low power microwave transmitter next to your brain or keeping it in a trouser pocket. The possibility of...

This resource investigates modelling and constructing pulley systems designed to lift loads.

Suggested learning outcomes include:

• To be able to recognise and describe the main parts of a pulley system.
• To understand how a pulley system can reduce the effort needed to lift a load.
...

Tunnelworks is a series of teaching and learning resources linking mathematics and science to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, a major new sewer that will help protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. Background to the project is given in the introductory video...

In this activity students learn about:

- the type of movement generated using a slider and a lever

- how a slider and lever allow movement

- how to cut and assemble simple mechanisms using card and scissors

This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), allows students to compare old and new technologies (railway five-pointer telegraph against the SMS message) to experience how significant the advances in technology have been. The nature of...

In this SATIS Revisited resource, students examine data, perform a risk assessment, and see how risks are sometimes reported in the media.

This unit focuses on the consumer and considers whether or not we should be concerned about any pesticide residues that may be found on fruit and vegetables. In the first...

In this activity, from the Institution of Engineering and technology, students work in groups to investigate how Piezoelectric materials can be used in a variety of different ways. For the development element of the project, students propose an innovative application...