This report,  published in 2015, looks at how Independent Research Projects in Science (IRPs) are considered to be scientific projects that are about more than a pedagogical approach of ‘enquiry’.  They are open-ended research investigations led by the student, often with the support of a teacher and/or an...

In this Science upd8 activity students take on the role of a hospital Family Liaison Officer. They carry out research around cells, tissues and organs and then explain a patient's injuries using this knowledge. The activity can help to broaden students' ideas about careers in medicine.

This resource uses the context of long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge trying to be the first person to run a marathon under 2 hours, to look at air resistance.  The video below is a good introduction to the challenge facing Eliud. 

The presentation, which contains teacher notes, looks at the forces involved...

This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), introduces students to the differences between analogue and digital communication. An analogue signal can be rendered useless by small amounts of interference, whereas a digital signal remains...

This Cape Farewell video clip shows scientists back at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, analysing the samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton taken in the Arctic, identifying species and counting their abundance.

Activity G - Plankton analysis is...

The EU has recently imposed limits on the power ratings of vacuum cleaners, and proposes further limits on appliances such as hairdryers. In this activity students consider a further (fictional) future restriction, on home electricity use. Students calculate the energy transferred in kilowatt-hours by the...

The materials in this resource are from the Secondary National Strategy ‘Progressing to Level 6 and beyond in science’ project. They were intended for science teachers who are focusing on helping their students in developing skills in aspects of ‘How science works’ –...

This assembly resource, from the Association for Science Education (ASE), focuses on whether we need to explore space at all, particularly in view of the vast cost involved. This material is part of the SYCD: Science Year Is There Life? collection.

The aim of the assembly series is to make students more...

This resource provides Key Stage Three National Strategy training materials to run a day session with science teachers to help them develop an understanding of the key elements of Assessment for Learning and how it might affect their practice.

This teaching resource is based on the discovery of a giant 30 000 year old virus, still alive under the permafrost. As the world warms, others may be uncovered. Could such an ancient virus wipe out the human race? In this activity, students learn how to interrogate sources to separate science fact from fiction....

This longer-duration activity involves prototyping a low-power lighting system. It could be used in an off-timetable workshop or across a series of lessons.

Students are challenged to work through the whole design process, and to place a micro-controller (in this case a BBC micro:bit) at the centre of the...

This activity, suitable for a multi-lesson sequence or a single extended session, challenges students to design and prototype a simple motion-sensing alarm. The device is intended to prevent theft or the accidental picking-up of a bag.

Motion is sensed using the accelerometer built-in to the BBC micro:bit,...

This resource from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is a practical, classroom activity that allows the students to make a balloon model of a disease-causing bacterium. This illustrates its basic shape and structure. Students can choose from three bacteria species...

In this activity, students consider the evidence for causal links between sugar consumption, obesity and disease. They then weigh up arguments for and against banning sugary drink sales to children.

Curriculum links include:

Key Stage Three:

*Working Scientifically: Analysis and evaluation –...