Design for a better world is a design challenge for students aged 11-14 years. It offers students the opportunity to:

• Learn about the global goals for sustainable development.
• Access a range of global contexts including water and sanitation, food security and climate action in which to...

In this activity, pupils will use the theme of the London Marathon to respond to a design context, investigate the context on the internet and design a wheelchair for sports use. 

Pupils will consider the use of different search...

Inspired by the Born to Engineer video from Mathew Holloway, this resource uses the Crumble controller, setting students a design challenge that sees them create their own umbilical controlled buggy that can navigate small spaces. Although specific to the Crumble controller, this resource could be used as a design...

In this activity, students will use memory metal wire to create a model of a deployable structure.  The James Webb Space Telescope has several structures that must be deployed in space, including parts of the primary mirror.  Students must create and evaluate a design to enable the primary mirror to fold inside the...

This resource requires students to consider the challenges of designing and developing a new sports venue. To make this challenge more manageable, it has been divided into four separate challenges: the site, the structure, the court and the environment. As well as researching and developing ideas, the challenge is...

This suite of student activities, challenges and related resources aims to give students an insight into the roles of engineers following a natural disaster.

The short introductory activities increase students’ awareness of the range of types of natural disaster and the kinds of problems associated with them...

This challenge enables pupils to model and test filters as a way of making dirty water cleaner. It can also be used to explore ways of making water safe to drink.  Curriculum links include separation techniques and pure substances.

The challenge can provide a focus for National Science and Engineering Week,...

Drinks cans are made by stamping out circular discs from a sheet of tin. Given the dimensions of the sheet of tin and the diameter of the circle stamped out, students are required to calculate the wastage and to investigate whether there is a more efficient method. The problem requires students to be able to...

The drone resource box is aimed at key stage 3 or key stage 4 students and could be used as a six-session curriculum resource or a drop down activity day. The resource explores how drones work and how they can be used for civilian, humanitarian and commercial purposes. Each session will be based around a different...

In this activity from the IET, pupils use the context of the theme, the future of flight, to design a method or system of getting emergency aid pallets from a future aircraft to the ground safely.

Pupils analyse existing methods of achieving this then use the information they've gathered to create...

In this STEM club activity, students design and build an earthquake-resistant two-storey structure, considering principles of earthquake engineering and design such as the importance of a solid foundation, wide base, symmetrical design and trusses.

The Eco-design web is a useful tool to help students’ analyse an existing product or design. It can also be used to indicate areas of the product that can be redesigned to improve its environmental sustainability.

This interactive online game from Siemens introduces students to the opportunities and challenges presented by different energy technologies. Students are required to implement an energy system that meets the demand to run a farm whilst minimising the cost and environmental impact. 

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This activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), explores engineered materials in more detail, looking at a range of new or smart materials in industry. The resource is designed to allow students to: • understand that materials can be designed and made to specific characteristics and...