This teaching resource is based on the discovery of a giant 30 000 year old virus, still alive under the permafrost. As the world warms, others may be uncovered. Could such an ancient virus wipe out the human race? In this activity, students learn how to interrogate sources to separate science fact from fiction....

This longer-duration activity involves prototyping a low-power lighting system. It could be used in an off-timetable workshop or across a series of lessons.

Students are challenged to work through the whole design process, and to place a micro-controller (in this case a BBC micro:bit) at the centre of the...

In this resource learners will use Scratch, to debug and then improve a program to move Autosub6000 around the ocean floor, photographing samples found.   The remote movement will be controlled through a keyboard’s arrow keys initially and then the children will be challenged to create a program which will move...

The BBC micro:bit is a great tool for carrying out surveys that involve quickly counting and recording one or two variables. Using the button inputs provides a simple interface to the device allowing, for instance, quick tallying of the numbers of two different types of bee around a plant. Other examples might...

These activities from the BEST project (age 11 to 14) can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic questions probe pupils' ability:

• to identify magnets and magnetic materials
• describe rules of attraction and repulsion between magnets
• to identify situations in which a force is...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils.  The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of how bones, muscles and tissues work together to support, protect and move the human body.The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of the function performed by the...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of the different types of rock and the materials they are made from. The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of keys words to describe different types of rocks and...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic questions probe pupils' initial understanding and the response activities help to develop pupils' understanding further and are designed to follow on from the diagnostic questions. These activities explore food chains and the...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of complete circuits.

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of the different elements of a sound. The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of how the size and frequency of vibrations affect the volume and pitch of sounds and is...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of the different states of matter and how substances may transition from one to another. The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of these changes of state, focussing on...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' ability to identify different types of forces acting in different directions. The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of gravity through a specific example and is designed to follow on...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic questions probe pupils' understanding of physical and chemical changes such as rusting and dissolving and how materials can be categorised using different properties. The response activities help to develop pupils' understanding...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic questions probe pupils' understanding of the organs and blood vessels within the human body and activities which affect physical and mental health. The response activities help to develop pupils' understanding of the difference...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic questions probe pupils' understanding of circuit diagrams and symbols. The response activities help to develop pupils' understanding of both building circuits from diagrams and drawing circuits they have built and are designed to...