A National STEM Learning Centre and Network Engineering Case Studies resource investigating battery powered lawnmowers and their potential environmental impact.

Lawnmowers have come a long way since they were a mechanical cutter being pushed along by hand. A smart battery (like in your mobile phone) lets you...

This practical activity explores beak adaptations in bird populations and looks at the way in which variation in beak shape is related to the available food sources within an environment.

Students simulate bird feeding by using a ‘beak’ to collect food and place it into a stomach. There are four different...

Computers are often required to find information in large collections of data. They need to develop quick and efficient ways of doing this. This activity demonstrates three different search methods: linear searching, binary searching and hashing. This resource begins with the introductory activity of battleships....

In this Shell Centre activity students design make and evaluate 3D paper products including gift boxes and pop-up greetings cards. They explore 3D shape-and-space, making generalisations using words and algebra.

In groups, students make a wide variety of pop-up cards, gift boxes and envelopes in order to...

In this Shell Centre activity, students research and provide expert consumer advice for clients in their class.

Students listen to a radio show on audiotape which contains a number of interviews with people who have...

This resource describes how to make two hearts which light up when placed next to each other. Each heart has a magnet switch and magnet hidden along the side edges and once they are lined up with each other, a circuit is created. A miniature cell holder is used along with a PCB LED that glows through the fabric....

This resource describes how to make a safety armband or beltband.The projects use a basic e-textiles circuit, but a popper has been added into the circuit to create a switch. When the popper is open the circuit is broken and the LED will not light up. When the popper is closed the circuit is functional and the LED...

This Nuffield exploration is a simulation of a booking system for a small guesthouse. Students have to manage the bookings and, as far as possible, arrange to give people the accommodation they request.

The key...

This resource describes how to add an LED light to a beanie hat.It is an ideal starter project and uses a basic e-textiles circuit. Students will learn how to use conductive thread, a standard LED and a switched cell holder in order to place the light on the outside of the hat without cutting a hole. Step by step...

Using this resource, from Defence Dynamics, students work as the Operations Team for a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).

Presented with a series of imaginary scenarios, students have to review and plan routes for a number of aircraft facing different crises.

The lesson aims...

This resource consists of 11 instant maths ideas, ideal for use as starter questions, extension question or probing questions to assess understanding, requiring students to: * explain the use of bearings in practical activities * use bearings to crack a code * calculate the connection between the bearing of a...

This interactive excel file begins with a sheet showing a compass rose to help students estimate the bearing of the direction shown. The next sheets allow students to estimate bearings between points shown on a coordinate grid. To calculate the bearings students would...

Even though computers are fast, there is a limit to how quickly they can solve problems. One way to speed things up is to use several computers to solve different parts of a problem. In this activity sorting networks are used to do several sorting comparisons at the same time. This resource begins with a discussion...

In this resource, students use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house. Activities to help them with their design include testing materials (for strength and absorbency) and structures. Set on a fictitious island coping with the devastating effects of flooding caused by...