These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to flames, from hydrogen to candle wax.

This video shows how collaboration between physicists and biologists has solved the mystery of how a chameleon changes its colour. The colour changes are due to light diffraction and interference patterns. Nano-sized particles in the chameleon’s skin can be distributed so selectively reflect different wavelengths...

This STEM activity supports pupils to be able to describe how a deciduous tree changes with the season. This activity, which needs to be carried out over a school year, gives pupils the opportunity to record the changes in a deciduous tree within the school groups. Pupils could draw pictures, use photographs or...

In this Revised Nuffield Chemistry option, ideas about proton and electron transfer were used to explain the decay of stonework and the corrosion of metals. Practical investigations explored the physical and chemical changes that can lead to the breakdown of stone as well as the factors that determine the rate of...

A phase change material are substances that absorb or release energy when it changes its physical state, providing useful heating or cooling properties. Did you know that phase change materials were developed by NASA to keep astronauts comfortable in the extreme temperature fluctuations in space? This resource...

There are teacher notes and student materials which describe the research into the potential effects of climate change on a Coralline algae species. Curriculum links include biodiversity, sampling techniques, student t test, Simpson’s Index, photosynthesis, climate...

This book invites teachers to explore some of the many scientific results from the CryoSat mission. The book describes key techniques of precise radar and SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) altimetry, and reviews state-of-the-art achievements. The book is intended as a living document, and will continue to capture new...

Scientists at the University of Oxford are investigating the link between sporting activity in young people and the development of osteoarthritis. In very active people, bony lesions can form on the hip joint which increases their risk of developing the condition.

This is a concept development lesson that is designed to help students to:

• Overcome common misconceptions about probability
• Count equally likely outcomes using diagrams
• Discuss relationships between theoretical probabilities, observed outcomes and sample sizes

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Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the D unit called ‘Particles at work’. This D unit provided enough material for eight double periods during a Further Science course and built on the content of the S units for Single Science. The teachers’ guide...

Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the B unit called ‘Senses’. This X unit provided enough material for eight double periods. It could be selected to complete either a Science or a Further Science course. The teachers’ guide included three...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, looks at kinetic energy, work and velocity in relation to the braking distance of a vehicle. Two experiments are included, both of which connect work done in braking to the initial kinetic energy of the decelerating vehicle. The activities include: • discussion...