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...

This resource looks at photochromic materials, exploring how they are used and their impact on space inspired products. The slides provide discussion points, investigation ideas and suggestions of practical experiments and products that will allow students to get hands-on with photochromic technology.

This resource explores the properties and uses of piezoelectric materials and quantum tunnelling composites. Taking examples from space technology, it provides a number of examples to discuss in the classroom and suggests practical experiments to give your students a hands-on examples of the technology.

Shape memory alloys (SMA) and shape memory polymers (SMP) remember their original shape, even after being significantly deformed, returning to their original shape in response to a stimulus. This resource explores the technology behind SMA's and SMP's, the properties that they bring to engineered products and...

These teacher notes will guide you through the collection of resources created for space-inspired smart materials. Including:

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This resource explores the topic of thermochromic materials. It provides content to explain what they are, how they are used and suggests practical experiments that will allow students to get hands-on with the material.

Receptors under our skin send signals to our brains about the world around us. Engineers are borrowing this idea from the human body to create a ‘smart skin’ for aircraft. In this activity students learn about motes, the tiny sensors at the heart of this innovation, and how science and mathematics are central to...

This resource, aimed at primary level, links to the curriculum areas of food and diet, healthy eating and where food comes from. Children are asked to identify different types of food using their sense of smell. They then work in small groups to discuss and debate what food they may have. Once the food is known...

Aimed at primary aged students, this STEM project provides a real-life context to explore the health and environmental problems faced by the 3 billion people globally who cook on open fires or traditional cooking stoves. Children are introduced to a family in Nepal and learn about indoor air pollution from their...

In this Bowland assessment task, students are presented with an accurate drawing of a smoothie bottle. The task is to design a box that will hold twelve bottles. Students are required to measure significant parts of the bottle and use the results to help design the box, draw the net of the box, label the dimensions...

This activity introduces Darwin’s ideas on evolution by looking at variation, adaptation and distribution of banded snails. Children learn about Charles Darwin, then work as science explorers looking at different habitats and the snails found in them. Using correct vocabulary, they describe habitats and the snails...

This activity introduces students to Darwin’s ideas on evolution by looking at variation, adaptation and distribution of banded snails. It links to the topics of living things and their habitats and evolution and inheritance. Children are introduced to Charles Darwin and his work whilst on his five year voyage on...

Snappers, part of the T5 (Targeting Level 5) materials from the National Strategies, are short, whole-class interactive activities based around key areas of mathematics pitched at levels four and five.

Snappers provide starter activities for lessons. The worksheets could be displayed on a computer or the...

This hands-on classroom activity from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for Key Stage Two and Key Stage Three students aims to aid in the teaching of respiratory health and hygiene topics. This interactive, practical activity demonstrates how microbes, such as bacteria...

This well structured resource from the IET provides a quick and efficient way of making slime, themed around Christmas snow. Children can get their hands busy making their own ‘Snow Sparkle Slime’ whilst learning about polymers, materials and states of matter. An extra activity included in the resource is the snow...