Human beings are pretty smart. We have transformed the world and thought up some wondrous inventions. But what will the future hold for planet Earth and the people who inhabit it? Can we use new technology and innovations to improve the quality of our lives as well as the world we live in?

This resource shows how you can successfully lift a person off the ground using two cordless leaf blowers, problem-solving skills and some STEM knowledge: the same knowledge and skills that are used to design hovercraft.

Curriculum links include:

forces ...

As the need to find alternative cleaner forms of energy increases, scientists are looking to technologies, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFCs), as a power source for transportation.

This Catalyst article explains how hydrogen and oxygen gas can be used in a redox reaction to produce electricity, and the...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, this is an activity that provides an opportunity for students to use basic knowledge of magnetic fields to explore how magnets can be used to create motion. The activity involves hands-on learning in the form of constructing an electric motor out of magnets,...

In this activity, from the LSIS, students discover for themselves the importance of the perpendicular distance in moments. It is presented as a whole class discussion but can easily be adapted for small group work.

The activity uses a magnetic disc that takes about 15 minutes to construct. The activity will...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), these case studies describe work done by practitioners to disseminate knowledge. The academic study of KTT recognises that sharing learning is much more than simply moving information from ‘A’ to ‘B’; the successful transfer of knowledge and technology...

This book develops teachers' background understanding of different aspects of energy.

Within the book the sections are grouped into two main parts: sections 1-7 cover levels one to five of the National Curriculum, sections 8 and 9 cover levels six and seven of the National Curriculum. Each section includes...

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) is concerned with post-compulsory education and training.These case studies describe the work of providers in the sector and are a valuable source of information on a range of strategies for improving performance. Case studies are from providers throughout England...

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) have produced a range of materials aimed at supporting teaching and learning in engineering. These resources cover a range of areas that demonstrate the benefits of active learning. They cover how to improve teaching and learning by developing the skills of...

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service is the sector-owned body that aims to accelerate the drive for excellence in the learning and skills sector. It builds on the sector’s own capacity to design, commission and deliver improvement and strategic change. These materials include action research reports, case...

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

A collection of resources linked to the London Marathon that explore:- 

• the forces involved in running and specifically air resistance
• the engineering involved in developing products such as advanced running shoes, or running blades for amputees and people born without legs, and sports...

The Institute of Physics' 'MODEL Project: Practical Physics at Work' provides engaging and relevant practical physics activities, student instructions and worksheets plus guidance for teacher and technicians.

The...

A National STEM Learning Centre and Network Engineering Case Studies resource investigating the super magnets used in MRI scanning machines.

Can MRI scans discover if you're telling lies?