Even though computers are fast, there is a limit to how quickly they can solve problems. One way to speed things up is to use several computers to solve different parts of a problem. In this activity sorting networks are used to do several sorting comparisons at the same time. This resource begins with a discussion...

In this resource, students use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house. Activities to help them with their design include testing materials (for strength and absorbency) and structures. Set on a fictitious island coping with the devastating effects of flooding caused by...

This short video and accompanying booklet introduce pupils to biofilms formed by bacteria. 

The video starts by introducing an everyday example of a biofilm on our teeth and then links this to bioflims in rivers. It explains how important these biofilms are in the context of food chains and makes for an...

In this resource from CensusAtSchool. students compare data on month of birth from 45,000 South African students given in a table to the same data represented in a bar chart. Students are asked to consider reasons for month of birth and why it is appropriate to use percentages for large data sets.Students are then...

This excel file has four interactive sheets dealing with the order of operations. The first shows groups of calculations involving addition, subtraction and multiplication where the answers can be revealed. The second interactive sheet is similar, but it deals with...

Boxes and bottles come in all shapes and sizes. These Cre8ate maths activities explore some of the mathematics behind packaging decisions taken by manufacturers, they provide a platform for students to make conjectures and find efficient ways of recording results to justify claims they have made. In Boxing stock...

This resource from SMILE Mathematics provides materials for two units of work that can be used in Key Stage Two and Key Stage Three. They provide an opportunity for curriculum continuity for students transferring from primary to secondary school, although they can be used as standalone units in each phase. Each...

This is a classroom-based activity from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute that allows students to explore the features of two bacterial pathogen genomes. The aim of this activity is to highlight the role of different genetic components in two closely related subspecies of Salmonella enterica, and to identify how...

With just a few materials, building a paper model of the International Space Station (ISS) can become a class project. This publication contains a brief overview of the ISS, its parts, the science that occurs on board, instructions, and extension fact sheets. Learn about the ISS, explore fun facts, simulate...

In this activity, pupils will build a bionic hand made out of cardboard, strings, straws and rubber bands. They will relate the bionic hand to their own hand to understand the function of the fingers and the importance of the thumb, to grab or hold objects with different shapes and forms. Pupils will also learn...

In Building a town, from Cre8ate maths, students are encouraged to consider the mathematical shapes which form the net of a building. Some simple models are shown and students could use these to construct their nets, before building the models themselves.

SMILE Card 1783 is a booklet containing twenty two activities designed for students to practice using a calculator correctly and begins with a test to find out whether students' calculator obeys the rules of BODMAS.

There follows a number of activities in which students use their calculator to complete the...

This resource, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, builds on students' previous knowledge of multiplying by powers of 10 to demonstrate how calculations such as 2000 x 300 can be performed accurately. Follow-up exercises provide practice in the skills learned.

Straightforward logic is used in this resource, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, to establish the calculation, necessary to move correctly along a number line, when the starting point is at a negative value. Phrases such as owing and debt are used to help students deal with...