A Catalyst article about alchemy, the study of eternal life, salvation, and the answer to the ultimate questions about life, the universe and everything. It flourished for more than 1500 years until, in the late 1600s, the beginnings of modern, scientific chemistry edged it aside. The article looks at what was...

Alison Foster has combined her education in Chemistry with her love of plants to engage in some exciting projects at the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens. This Catalyst article gives a profile of her career choices, and introduces a public engagement activity called Chemistry in the Garden.

Alison began...

This Catalyst article investigates materials used in jet engines. They must withstand high temperatures and great forces. Special alloys are used for structures such as turbine blades. The article is from Catalyst:...

The resource pack is produced by The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC). It looks at the life-cycle and environmental impact of aluminium products.

Student activities and investigations help to illustrate curriculum science in real-life contexts. This includes:
* Constructing a cradle...

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Identify the elementary entities that make up one mole of a range of substances.
• Recognise that the atoms which make up different elements have different masses.
• Interpret...

In this SATIS Revisited resource, students consider the ethical questions that arise from the conflicts between concern for animal welfare and the need to use animals in medical research.

The aim is to introduce the idea that the discussion of controversial issues relating to the conduct and application of...

This booklet is designed to support teachers working with pupils on the issues surrounding the use of animals in medicines research. Whether used in the context of Citizenship, PSE, Science, English or RE, it aims to provide a useful resource for both teachers and pupils across the UK.

By Solar Spark, this activity explores the relationship between light scattering and colour through anodising. This is the electrochemical process used to thicken the protective oxide layer found on several metals. Aluminium is the most common metal treated in this way, but others, including titanium can also be...

This resource from the European Space Agency climate change resource pack provides background information on the role of Arctic sea ice upon the Earth’s climate system. All activities are set in the context of the Northwest Passage. Changes in the amount of sea ice can disrupt normal ocean circulation, leading to...

The report from the Children’s Learning in Science Project (CLIS) gives an account of a number of aspects of students’ ideas about particles including:
*What do students understand about the particulate nature of matter?
*Do they understand the scientific...

In 2016, European Space Agency Astronaut, Tim Peake, carried out a series of experiments on the International Space Station, using equipment designed by the National Space Academy.

The overall programme includes the following topics from UK physics and chemistry secondary school curricula:

• ...

Dr Claire Cousins and Mark Fox-Powell explain how scientists look at life that exists in extreme environments on Earth, to see what kind of life scientists might see on the surface of Mars.  This knowledge helps scientists plan the best target for a rover.

Professor Cockell takes us through the astrobiology...