Scientists say that the average global temperature has increased by around 0.5^oC over the last century. Is this evidence of global warming, initiated by the excessive production of greenhouse gases? Students will look at real monthly maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall data taken in Southampton...

In this podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Richard Hollingham looks at where and how to find gold while Sue Nelson finds out why weather forecasters still struggle to predict sudden, violent summer storms. Other reports discover why scientists may be...

In this activity pupils will undertake a controlled experiment to investigate how gases in the atmosphere affect the heat in an enclosed environment, by tracking the change in temperature of a glass jar containing carbon dioxide against a control jar. They will learn about the greenhouse effect and the role of...

This Concept Cartoon on food was produced by Millgate House Education and Practical Action. This cartoon help students explore environmental issues around growing and importing food.

Concept Cartoons are quick, simple and effective. They are designed to intrigue, provoke discussion and stimulate thinking....

The Hamilton Trust has produced a range of resources that aid teachers in delivery of the primary science curriculum. Each of the resources in this collection is a self-contained topic of six lessons. They contain detailed lesson plans, teacher guidance, practical investigations and worksheets. The resources are...

In this podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), reporters find out what sexual conflict means for female guppies, how female promiscuity may be a good thing and why female mongooses all give birth at the same time.

In an extreme example of sexual...

A Catalyst article about the composition of sea water. The article looks at how the sea became salty, how the factors such as hydrothermal systems can affect it and it investigates whether its composition has always been the same.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 15, Issue 3....

This podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) was recorded at the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, England and discusses how two researchers are using hi-tech physics to study different aspects of the environment.

The Diamond synchrotron is like...

This podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), looks back at some of the highlights from 12 months of Planet Earth podcasts, and looks ahead to some of the big stories expected in 2010.

Marine biologist Ben Wilson from the Scottish Association for...

The aim of this resource is to answer the question how do CO₂ emissions link to global temperatures? This lesson, linked to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, explores the concept of a carbon budget. To answer the question, students create a pie chart to...

This lesson, linked to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, aims to answer the question 'How often will a heatwave hit the UK?'

Students examine datasets to explore the frequency with which hot events occur and are required to interpret and draw box and whisker plots. Students are...

This text, produced by the Geological Society, investigates igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, the rock cycle, erosion and weathering. The book contains a series of classroom activities for earth science at Key Stage Three. Each unit provides preparatory information for the teacher, information sheets for...

A Catalyst article about the Hubble telescope exploring a barred spiral galaxy, known as NGC1672 in the astronomers’ New General Catalogue. The image was made by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and was released in April 2007. NGC 1672 is situated 60 million light years away, in the constellation of Dorado. The...

In this activity, from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, students look at their shadow at different times of the day and measure differences in its size and direction. The activity needs to take place in the playground on a sunny day. A compass or an online map can be used to help work out which way is North on the...

A Catalyst article about Hurricane Katrina which caused many deaths in August 2005, and vast damage along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico in the USA. Hurricanes are an unfamiliar phenomenon here in the UK. Why is this? And can people expect to see more hurricanes in future as a result of climate change? The...