This Catalyst article looks at metals and alloys which play an important role in construction at the Olympic site, both in sports equipment and in medals. Designers must consider the properties of the materials used to make both sports equipment and buildings. These include strength, density, toughness, ductility...

In 2012, the Olympic and Paralympic games will be held in London. These resources look at a wide range of topics that can all be linked to the games. They cover science, technology, engineering and mathematics and can be used in individual lessons or as part of a cross-curricular Olympic and Paralympic theme.

Help encourage your child's STEM skills, passion and talent with this parents' guide to engineering careers.

This study unit offers some practical strategies that teachers use to improve the climate for learning. The techniques suggested are tried and tested; they draw on both academic research and the experience of practising teachers.

This document was designed to help school leaders and teachers explore key aspects of personalised teaching and learning and to consider their priorities for further development. For each aspect, there is a section on “How to do this well”, and the guidance was firmly based on practice consistently demonstrated in...

Ella is an expert in the mechanical design and operation of the NOC's Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's) She ensures new technology designed integrates on the AUV's and operates the AUV whilst at sea.

Ella read Mechanical Engineering at Cambridge, graduating with both Bachelors and Master's degrees. She...

This resource from Practical Action includes a presentation and worksheets which give Key Stage Three and Four students opportunities to understand more about the impact of existing and new products on people and the environment. The presentation is packed with useful activities to reinforce students' learning. The...

Produced by Practical Action, these materials help students to consider the impacts of a product through its whole life cycle. A presentation describes the concept of lifecycle analysis (LCA) and gives some examples. Students are then challenged to consider the life cycle of familiar products, from raw materials,...

The ‘production’ section of the Fixpert's resource focuses on producing a  high-quality working prototype that meets the problem described in the original design brief. Activities that support this section include: ‘hack a toothbrush’, starting points for innovative ideas, and making paper bowls. These activities...

Protecting Your Head, 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 the activities is the design of head protection for snowboarders where the risk of injury...

A Catalyst article about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, a material discovered in 1997 and whose resistance decreases dramatically under pressure. How does it work and what uses will it have? The material has been carefully characterised (to understand its composition and how it works), and its first applications...

The purpose of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Mapping Review, published by the Department for Education in 2004, was broadly to:

• investigate whether STEM initiatives currently being taken forward address the concerns raised about the decline in demand of university places in...

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of STEM Ambassador Ross Wattie, a risk management coordinator at an international integrated energy company.

Ross is currently involved in risk modelling to simulate different scenarios and assess their possible impacts. He has also found that his...