This resource highlights the...

These resources explore the use of camouflage, colour and toxins by both predators and prey. The first activity looks at the life cycle of ladybirds and their behaviour. Students also investigate whether the colour of food or prey has a stronger effect when clumped together and whether the bright colours and...

Siemens’ vision is to transform the everyday and inspire the next generation.  Siemens digital equipment and software, renewable energy, network infrastructure and healthcare solutions show young people the possibilities and great things that can be achieved in the world through engineering. As an employer, Siemens...

Siemens have created a number of high-quality engaging online interactive games and activities for pupils of all ages covering many aspects of the STEM curriculum.  Topics range from cybersecurity to carbon emissions; programming to dressing a site worker in appropriate personal protective clothing. Many of the...

This resource, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), explores how communicating rapidly over long distances has changed a great deal since beacons were lit on hilltops. It introduces the science behind sound vibrations, and presents signals,...

A Catalyst article describing how engineers have designed an aircraft which will produce much less noise as it approaches and leaves the airport. The Silent Aircraft Initiative is a collaboration between scientists and engineers at two universities, Cambridge (UK) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA...

 These materials look at three possible projects that relate to sustainable transport:

* Communications project - students gather information and produce a balanced view on the costs and benefits of using hydrogen as fuel for vehicles.

* Practical project - students investigate the factors that affect...

These materials look at three possible projects that relate to cleaning products and tackling microbes that spread disease: * Communications project - students act as health promotion specialists trying to persuade people about the need to wash hands after using the toilet. * Practical project - students...

These materials look at three possible projects that relate to the bicycle used by an athlete in a triathlon: * Communications project - students gather information and give advice about which bike is suitable for a range of users. * Practical project - students undertake practical experiments to investigate the...

Students research, and then try out, ways of detecting analgesic compounds in mixtures:

• Chemical tests for particular organic functional groups.

• Paper and/or thin-layer chromatography to separate and identify analgesic...

In this project students use chromatography to detect forged cheques and other documents and various types of counterfeit goods.  They will also investigate the best solvents to extract the inks and run TLC plates in order to compare the inks from the same part of a document printed on different models of a printer...

Students devise a procedure for investigating how mass and speed affect the length of a skid. They will need to find out what determines whether a skid leaves a skid mark, and what accident investigators can deduce from skid marks. They may like to find out how an anti-lock braking system (ABS)...

This resource describes an independent research project investigating the strength of jeans.  Students could test the strength of seams in a pair of denim jeans, the tear resistance of denim, or try to work out how easily denim wears down by rubbing it on a rough surface. This will...

This resource describes 30 hours of independent project work for a silver Crest Award on the subject of art restoration.  Students start by carrying out some research about paint pigments:

• What did early artists use? How did they colour their paints? What pigments were available to them?
• ...