These materials are designed to teach students aged 11 to 14 about the variety of habitats worldwide and the diversity of species found in each habitat. The activity also highlights topics including interdependence, adaptation and how species evolve specialised features. Working in groups, students are allocated a...

In this activity, students learn about heat transfer from jet engine turbine blades. The blades reach temperatures as high as 1000 ºC. How do the blades cool, and how do scientists measure the rate of cooling at such high temperatures?

This resource looks at extremes of temperature on the Earth, and inside and outside the International Space Station. Students must find data, draw bar graphs and perform conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

This activity is based on the work being carried out at The University of Oxford where researchers are using x-ray tomography (CT scanning) to visualise and measure the 3D structures of fossilised organisms that are still encased in rock.

In this activity, student groups become multidisciplinary teams of hospital staff working on new leaflets or videos to help patients prepare for MRI brain scans.  Through the activity, students enrich their understanding of the brain as an organ, and apply their...

Produced by the Charles Darwin Trust, these resources allow students to consider some of Darwin's studies on bees and other social insects. Through this context, students are able to develop their skills of scientific enquiry, observation, data analysis and communication.

The activities allow students to:...

From the Charles Darwin Trust, these materials help students to understand the process of artificial selection. Darwin pointed out that all animals and plants show variation. He proposed that breeders select the variants they think desirable.

Students undertake a range of activities in which they make...

The development of the jet engine is engineering at its most extreme. In this activity, students analyse data to choose materials with suitable properties for different parts of the jet engine.  

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NASA’s Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity were sent to the planet to investigate its geology. Accurate images of the surface were needed so that possible areas to investigate could be selected and then the rover directed towards them. The cameras on board the rovers can only record black and white...

This is one of a suite of continuing professional development (CPD) units from the Department for Education covering the five ‘key ideas’ at Key Stage Three (cells, interdependence, particles, forces and energy). It links with the...

These resources from Farming & Countryside Education (FACE) are intended support a visit to a dairy farm by providing activities which aim to raise students’ awareness of the process of business improvement in the food chain and giving advice on how to organise the visit. In preparation for the farm visit, a...