A Catalyst article which explores how the nervous system works. Sensitivity, the ability to respond to stimulation, is a product of nervous system activity. How nerve impulses pass around the body, and why these responses are so fast are investigated in the article. Neurones, reflexes, synapses and receptors are...

This set of quizzes, provided by the Association for Science Education (ASE), are part of the SYCD: Science Year theme Who am I? collection and are aimed at Key Stage Three, Key Stage Four and Key Stage Five students.

This very successful citizen science project is run annually by the RSPB. It is an ideal opportunity for pupils of all ages to identify different bird species and count the numbers they see in the school grounds. Details about the competition and the RSPB supporting materials can be found...

A Catalyst article explaining how weather forecasts can help keep the public safe in extreme situations by providing advance warnings: for example, airline pilots rely on accurate information about the development of thunderstorms to help them decide which routes might be at risk from lightning or violent...

This activity booklet uses the real life context of air traffic control using radar signals to identify the position of an aeroplane that students act out. It provides them with an opportunity to use their knowledge of waves and speed = distance / time to calibrate and calculate the distance a plane is from the...

This series of activities from NASA take a mathematical approach to looking at radiation, and will make the student familiar with many forms of radiation, how it is measured, and what different doses can lead to over time. They are intended as supplementary problems for students looking for additional challenges in...

A Catalyst article about the safe use of radiation. Radioactive materials are hazardous because they give out ionising radiation. Like many scientific discoveries, radioactivity provokes a mixed reaction. Some seek to commercialise it whilst films and comic books emphasise its harmful effects. The article takes the...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Radiation is all around us and is part of our everyday life. Much of the radiation that bombards us comes from natural sources, though we are...

This video discusses the concerns people have about radioactivity and shows that, rather than the radioactivity itself, it is the radioactive atoms that are of greater concern.  Radioactivity (alpha and beta particles) is relatively harmless unless it enters the body.

A Catalyst article about how decisions taken about controversial issues such as the sitting of a radioactive waste store. How does a government decide where to put such a dump? And how can citizens affect the decision making process? The article examines how governments try to involve their citizens in decision-...

Produced by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, this booklet uses radioactive meteorites to test understanding of radioactive decay. Included is an online video that discusses how radioactive materials can be used to determine the age of something, and how this can be applied to calculate the age of a meteorite or the...

A Catalyst article about radioactivity that was being spread among wildlife species in the Arctic in ways that no one had detected before. The source of this radioactive contamination and how radioactivity is detected are investigated.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue...

A Catalyst article about radiation and the many uses it has in medicine, both in finding out what is wrong with a patient (diagnosis) and in the treatment of cancer (therapy). The radiation used in medicine can come from electromagnetic radiation or from radioactive materials such as isotopes; the scanners using...

Kelly is a radiographer at Addenbrookes hospital.  She produces X-rays for doctors to use in the diagnoses. She was a parent at a young age and decided to follow an access course for two evenings a week over two years. She aims to specialise in an area of radiography and progress to becoming a senior member of...