This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Remote controls, mobile phones, televisions and radios are such commonplace devices that it is easy to take for granted how they work. What...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Radiation is all around us and is part of our everyday life. Much of the radiation that bombards us comes from natural sources, though we are...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). ‘Sustainability’ is about using resources in a way that does not deplete them. An increased emphasis on renewable energy is part of the move to greater sustainability, but so is the idea...

A Year 10 module from the Salters’ double award science course. Restless Earth was designed as a short module of four to six lessons. The module begins with stories about earthquakes. This is followed by practical work with rock puzzles to see how information is...

This activity from Cre8ate maths looks at the exciting mathematics connected with the regeneration going on in our cities. The three activities are based around the construction of rigid structures and provide opportunities for practical work and mathematical problem...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Studying rockets captures the imagination of many students, as well as providing real-life applications of Newton’s laws of motion.

The booklet looks at the differences between...

These Cre8ate maths activities draw on the mathematics of combinatorial thinking and involve a set of functional maths activities.

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Silicon-based sensors detect photons that we ourselves cannot, and so provide a real extension to our senses. The booklet looks at these...

A year 11 module from the Salters’ Key Stage Four double award science course. This module deals with radiation and radioactivity, introduced through their uses in medicine, both for diagnosis and treatment. Students simulate non-intrusive tests made by doctors in...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP) and produced in partnership with the British Geological Survey. Earthquakes release huge amounts of stored energy, causing movements of the...

This multimedia package was developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme to support and extend the teaching of sensors to students aged 14-19. The development and use of sensors is a rapidly growing area. Students should already have some familiarity with sensors through their use in a classroom context in...

Produced by Solar Spark, this is a simple practical activity that can be used to show how a solar photovoltaic cell works. During a 45-60 minute session, students make solar cells out of cheap and readily accessible materials. The mechanism behind the solar cell is similar to that used in a dye-sensitised solar...

From NASA, Solar Energy for Space Exploration is a problem-based learning activity. The project requires students to propose and defend a design to provide power to a lunar or Martian research base for six astronauts. To prepare for the final project, students investigate the variables that affect the operation of...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Solar cells use light from the Sun to generate electricity, and it is now quite common to see solar-powered consumer devices. What has held...