This activity, from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, concentrates on the design of buildings, their use and eco- effectiveness. Students will explore how, through applying circular economy principles, new buildings can be created that have a positive impact – buildings that do good rather than less harm.

The...

This activity, from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, introduces aspects of the circular economy through design-and-make tasks, focusing on food packaging for festivals. It addresses the circular economy principle that waste equals food. The activity provides students with the opportunity to consider mass food...

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 design-and-make project, from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, provides hands on experience of working with materials, using CAD/CAM for design, and an opportunity for students to manufacture interesting products while addressing many circular economy concepts.

The activity explores the use of materials...

Biomimicry involves looking at nature for inspiration to solve engineering problems and to develop innovative new designs for products and architecture. This activity, from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, investigates what is meant by linear and closed loops systems and explores products that have been developed by...

This activity, for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, looks at textiles in fashion design. It provides an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge and understanding of a circular economy approach to developing textiles products and how textile companies are applying this approach to developing new products...

This toolkit from TRAID Education provides lesson plans, presentations and resources to support student understanding of sustainability issues surrounding the clothing industry.

Production

• Lesson Plan 1: What are my clothes made from?
• Lesson Plan 2: Why are my clothes...

Students use the resource to look at some of the sectors in Engineering including Aerospace, Automotive, Communications, Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Biomedical, Chemical, Environmental, Transport, Rail & Marine Engineering.

Through production of a written research piece, supported by information...

Students are given introduction to a selection of Engineering employers. They consider some of the key employers that work in engineering sectors. Students complete a card sort activity of work undertaken by the companies that matches their logo from the Aerospace, Automotive, Communications, Electrical/Electronic...

In this challenge, students are asked to consider the impact of people suffering from heart conditions, both to the individual and to wider society. They then generate ideas for using programmable systems to improve people’s health, and to monitor themselves. A video introduces the idea of a heart rate monitor, and...

This lesson resource supports students to understand how products are designed to meet the needs of clients. Students are introduced to key vocabulary (technology push and market pull) by analysing the evolution of a daily product (the mobile phone and listening to music on it). Theory of both topics is included...

Students find out about the Airbus company and its structure. To begin their prior knowledge of aircraft is considered through their ability to name parts of an aeroplane. They find out where airbus is based around the world and the type of work it undertakes. Airbus’ employee numbers and how they contribute to the...

In this resource students investigate the company Apple. To begin they are shown a short clip about Apple as a company and its history. They find out where Apple is based around the world and the type of work it undertakes. The structure of Apple and how it works with many other companies to produce it products is...

In this resource students investigate the company Dyson. To begin they are shown a short clip about how Dyson carry out the testing of their products. They find out where Dyson is based around the world and the type of work it undertakes. The structure of Dyson and how it has shifted production from the UK to Asia...