These wide-ranging materials include interactive animations and print-based resources focusing on a space theme. The six major resources are: *Planet 10 - a virtual model of our solar system *Secrets of the ice - a practical activity to teach pupils about pollution and environmental change. It is set in the context...

These wide-ranging materials include interactive animations and print-based resources, all with a human biology theme. The six major resources are: * Passport - a method of recording transition activities for students moving from primary to secondary school * Flesheaters - an X-Files style interactive adventure to...

These wide-ranging materials include interactive animations and print-based resources based on the Can we; Should we? theme. The major resources are: *Zoos - many pupils have strong views about the role of zoos in our society.This activity improves pupils' ability to select relevant information for a presentation,...

Make supports students to invent and explore multiple possibilities, testing them openly and often, and learning quickly before making well-informed decisions about the right ideas to develop.

This stage involves:  

• Brainstorming multiple ideas
• Filtering and selecting ideas
• ...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students make a linear actuator. The lead screw linear actuator uses a motor driven screw thread to move a threaded slider along its length. Limit switches turn off the motor when the slider...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students construct a lever that is moved by muscle wire. This is a conductor that contracts when an electric current is passed through it. The wire movement controls a lever.

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students make a rotating arm actuator. This uses a geared dc motor to turn a friction fit arm. Two cams can be set at different angles to operate limit switches to control the movement of the...

This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex. Rubber latex is a liquid polymer. It is made of long molecules which are all separate. Elastic bands are made by cross-linking the polymers in rubber latex. This changes the properties of the polymer and forms a...

This Catalyst article describes how an indicator changes colour when in solutions of different pH. Most indicators simply turn one colour in acid and another in alkali, although they are often an in-between colour when neutral. A universal indicator only turns as many colours as it does because it is a mixture of...

This Catalyst article describes how to make a lava lamp by using three simple ingredients: vegetable oil, food colouring and fizzing tablets. The article also explains the processes taking place inside a real lava lamp and why they happen.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume...

From Solar Spark, this simple activity allows students to make a spectrometer using a card box and a compact disc. The compact disc acts as a diffraction grating and splits the light being observed into its constituent wavelengths. This gives the colours of the rainbow when viewing white light. This type of...

This is one of a series of resources from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, produced in association with Fairfield Control Systems, exploring the theme of waterways.  This resource involves designing and making a programmable electronic system to control a flood barrier.

Because of climate...

This Catalyst article includes a recipe on how to make a non-Newtonian fluid which flows in strange and unexpected ways.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 26, Issue 4.

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This is one of a series of resources designed to allow learners to use the theme of the men’s football World Cup to develop their knowledge and skills in design and technology and engineering. This resource focuses on making and testing a moisture sensor that referees can use to check the playability of the pitch...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students build an electric racer powered by a super-capacitor. Students must construct the racer and choose which pulley ratio will enable it to cover the greatest distance.