Concrete Canvas is an example of a deployable structure. It is a flexible, cement-containing fabric that hardens on contact with water to form a thin, durable, waterproof and fire-resistant concrete layer. Essentially, it’s concrete on a roll. Applications include erosion control and building vent walls in mines....

This Pedagogics resource uses the following quote from the Chinese philosopher Confucius: "Tell me...and I will forget. Show me... and I will remember. Involve me... and I will understand"

These technical briefs look at the ways Practical Action have helped poor communities to make the best use of their own labour and to use locally produced building materials and techniques that they can afford and manage.

Technical briefs are documents produced by Practical Action which are freely available...

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of STEM Ambassador Colin Glen, a project engineer working in a construction company.

Colin has worked on many great buildings in London. He is part of a team that ensures the comnpany's design, plans and construction meet the required specifications...

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of STEM Ambassador Vicki Hodges, an Attitude and Orbit Control Systems engineer working on a project to develop an unmanned spacecraft.

Having joined the Astrium graduate scheme, Vicki has moved around the company and gained experience in a variety of...

This resource pack contains twelve 'hands on’ activities linked to different aspects of the science of materials and states of matter. Aimed at learners of all ages, they would be particularly suitable for use at primary level to demonstrate key ideas and concepts and to spark an interest in chemistry. Containing...

A case study from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) which looks at the forensic evidence and intelligence that are left at crime scenes by footwear, gloves, tyres and fingers. New Latent Image Markup and Analysis (LIMA) software provides a fast, accurate way of transmitting and...

This engineering challenge asks students to create a minute-long digital animated film that tells a creative, fictional story about a concept related to engineering. The resource provides questions to support students through the process of planning their video and asks them to create a storyboard before filming to...

Explore cyber control through this activity pack, looking at networks of connected devices. It covers:

• The benefits of devices connected via the internet and scenarios to consider
• The dangers of hacking
• A programming task using the micro:bit using Bluetooth
• A sorting images...

In this activity, from the Institution of Engineering and technology (IET), students are introduced to how the present body centric antenna, plus prosthetic technology, could be compared to science fiction ‘cyborgs’. Students are also asked to discuss ethical issues...

This scheme of work, from the Institution of Engineering ad Technology (IET), provides students with an in-depth understanding of some engineering materials and how they are being developed in industry. This scheme was inspired by the casting process used to make the D3O smart material into a ‘usable’ form. This...

These cross-curricular Science, Design and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activity days from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) encourage the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. Students achieve a better understanding of what engineering...