The materials in this resource are from the Secondary National Strategy ‘Progressing to Level 6 and beyond in science’ project. They were intended for science teachers who are focusing on understanding students’ misconceptions.

The Understanding misconceptions teacher guidance file provides...

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation has undertaken a number of previous studies in order to deliver a greater understanding of the UK’s technician workforce. Key has been the 2012 publication by Geoff Mason Science, Engineering and Technology Technicians in the UK Economy, which was crucial in exploring cross-sectoral...

This worksheet, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), introduces students to the wave equation, giving them an understanding of some of the vocabulary and concepts used. Students use the formula: velocity (wave) = frequency x wavelength to answer the questions on the worksheet.

The...

This resource looks at the key features, advantages and disadvantages of tidal power as an energy source. Students identify the features of a landscape which will maximise the effectiveness of tidal power, considering the ideal shape of the location, whether the machinery will interfere with other activities,...

Purpose: Some topics are difficult to teach and may benefit from providing additional contexts, so helping students make links between the topic and the wider picture.

Teaching approach:  Respiration is a topic that students find challenging.  In the past, there has only been a limited range of practical...

This Catalyst article looks at wild rice which was domesticated a long time ago, and explores how understanding its genetic diversity can help to develop new strains.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 2.

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This Mathematics Matters case study, from the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, looks at how mathematicians' understanding of knots can help unravel potentially fatal knots in DNA molecules. Understanding how to manipulate tangles of DNA could help us create new treatments for diseases, so...

Students test crystal (alum) deodorants using either a red cabbage indicator or a universal indicator. The universal indicator suggests that the deodorant reacts as an acid, whereas the red cabbage suggests that the deodorant reacts as a base. What is happening here?

This resource can be used with different...

Whey is a waste product from the cheese industry. In this experiment students upgrade whey, by converting the lactose into glucose and galactose, or by growing the microorganism K.lactis on agar containing whey.

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These resources from the European Space Agency climate change initiative education resource pack allow students to learn how a built up environment can lead to the urban heat island effect, so called urban hotspots. This phenomenon leads to temperature rises in cities that exceed those in surrounding rural...

In this resource students are provided with a table showing the efficiency of various factors in warming up or cooling down the neighbourhoods of three urban areas. Students are required to interpret the data,  manipulate the data and calculate averages. The data then has to be represented graphically. A number of...

This booklet, with editable student worksheets and teacher's notes, gives six examples of how articles published in Catalyst could be used to help students develop their understanding of how scientists work.  It also suggests how similar activities can be developed...