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...

This activity, from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, follows the format of a ‘Dragon’s Den’ competition. It aims develop student’s understanding of responsible product development and how the principles of the circular economy can be applied to current business practice. Case studies of existing products are...

This learning resource is an introduction to programming with Python. Versions are included for Python 2.7 and Python 3. The fundamentals of programming are covered: • Arithmetic operations • Data types • Control flow As well as some more advanced techniciques including the use of: • Regular Expressions • Files •...

This concept cartoon focuses on bacteria, infection and the immune system. Concept cartoons provide a new approach to teaching, learning and assessment in science, they feature cartoon-style drawings showing different characters arguing about everyday situations. They are designed to intrigue, to provoke discussion...

This resource looks at how biomimicry enables engineers to take ideas from the natural world to develop new products and designs. The specific example of gecko tape is used to illustrate this. Students play a game of pairs where they need to match technology with the animal or plant which inspired its development....

With this resource, students develop observation skills by investigating the phenomenon of ‘mate-guarding’ in brine shrimp. Following a teacher-led discussion, students generate hypotheses. For example, one of the hypotheses may be that larger females pair with larger males.

These may be tested...

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 project concentrates on the design and manufacture of a mobile phone accessory using a range of sketching and software, alongside laser cutting and 3D printing processes. Students apply the tools in 123D Design to model the accessory, before manufacturing the product. Students consider the designing and...

This scheme of work is intended as an introduction to Autodesk Inventor. It is aimed at students aged 11-14, but is also suitable for students working up to and including post 16 dependent on experience.

The “Scooter” project teaches a range of fundamental Autodesk Inventor skills through a range of project...

The project concentrates on the design and manufacture of a USB flash pen drive using a range of sketching and software, alongside laser cutting and 3D printing processes. Students will apply the tools in AutoCad and Autodesk Inventor to the challenging task of creating a small focused and detailed casing parts,...

This project concentrates on the design and manufacture of lighting using simple electronics but with complex and functional part modelling. Students apply the tools in Autodesk Inventor to the challenging task of creating a virtual lamp design in parts, before manufacturing the product. Students will spend time...

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.