In this resource, students attempt to apply their understanding of heat transfer (convection, conduction and radiation) to the novel case of the Beagle 2 Lander.

Students are set the challenge of creating the best...

There is a minimum size of meteorite that will make it through the atmosphere of a planet (or the Moon) and impact on the surface. If the meteorite is any smaller than this, it will burn up on its journey through the atmosphere and be seen as a meteor or shooting star (obviously if the meteorite is bigger it will...

Produced by the Royal Astronomical Society, this booklet examines the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the Universe. Many astronomers believe that there is life out there, but where is it? Is there life comparatively nearby, in our Solar System, or do we have to look to planets beyond the solar system that...

This resource from NASA describes how low-mass stars expand in size and become red giants at the end of their lives. Then they shed their outer layers and become planetary nebulae.

The image of NGC 2440, a planetary nebula, is on the first page of the lithograph. Background information about the life cycle...

Produced by the Hamilton Trust, these resources give details of six lessons on light and vision. This includes lesson plans, practical activities and all student materials. Students identify sources of light and revise facts such as light travels in straight lines and opaque objects form shadows. They understand...

In this resource students will carry out experiments with prisms, polarising film and 3D cinema glasses to explain some of the interesting properties of light and their applications.

Curriculum links include refractive index, total internal reflection, polarisation

This introduction to the Living in a Materials World CD-ROM describes the work of ISIS, a research centre based at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Appleton Rutherford Laboratory.

At ISIS, particle accelerators provide beams of neutrons and muons to enable the structure and dynamics of...

Six practicals produced by the Institute of Physics (IOP) that help students to understand the electromagnetic spectrum and about materials used in making spectacles.

In addition to the guidance included for specific activities, please refer to the generic health and safety information before commencing any...

Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this wall chart describes the space mission to Mars, the experiments aboard, whether there is water on Mars, Britain's Beagle2 lander and the search for life on Mars. Mars Express was the European Space Agency’s first mission to Mars. Its role is to...

NASA's Viking Mission to Mars was composed of two spacecraft, Viking 1 and Viking 2, each consisting of an orbiter and a lander. The primary mission objectives were to obtain high resolution images of the Martian surface, characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface, and search for...

In this resource students explore the science of combustion in the context of fuel-burning stoves from around the world. They investigate the energy output from a variety of fuels covering calorific values, simple combustion chemistry, stove efficiency and chimney design. The unit ends with a design task requiring...

This publication from the National Physical Laboratory is an ideal resource for secondary teachers but could also be used by students at post-16 level. It can be used as a basis for best practice for taking measurements within the laboratory. The guide explains the basics of errors, uncertainties, spread, standard...

This STEMNET resource describes the background and career of STEM Ambassador Heather Williams, a senior medical physicist in a hospital nuclear medicine department.

Heather found that studying physics at school sparked a particular interest in radiation and its applications in medicine. A key part of her...

This resource, from the Association for Science Education (ASE), introduces scientists working in a range of different careers. It is part of the SYCD: Science Year Is There Life? collection. The scientists describe: • How they got into science • Where they have worked • What they work on • What their lifestyle is...

This resource, provided by the Association for Science Education (ASE), introduces a group of scientists working in a range of different careers. The resource is part of the SYCD: Science Year Only Connect? collection.

The scientists describe:

*How they got into science
*Where they have worked...