This Nuffield Working with Science unit was designed to enable students to enquire systematically into slimming. It was intended to give them information about such things as balanced diets, the dangers of undereating and overeating, the social pressures on people to be...

This video shows how a slinky, which is being held at the top with its bottom freely dangling, falls when released.

Students are asked to predict what happens when the slinky is released.  Does the top fall first? Does the bottom fall first? Do both ends fall together or does the centre of the slinky remain...

A Catalyst article about the early microscopists, including Leeuwenhoek, Hooke and Swammerdam. Their work looked at the miniature world beyond human sight and through publications raised awareness of phenomena such as how insects functioned and how disease spread. The article also examines the use of simple and...

The teaching unit ‘A...

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Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of progression through STEM. From the College of Richard Collyer, it looks at disparities between students coming into AS level science subjects from different partner schools and between students who have taken double or...

A Catalyst article looking at what matter is made of. Snooker balls, plum puddings and solar systems have all featured in descriptive models of atoms. The article explores how people’s ideas about atomic structure have changed over the years by using specific examples of scientific study.

This article is...

Two worksheet based activities that can be used to identify the impacts of technology upon people to sustain their communities in the future. The first activity considers the social impact upon sustainability with key questions to research and the second task is an analysis activity looking at cultural, economic,...

The 'UK by numbers' series focuses on key areas, such as population, energy and health, and provide important and up-to-date statistics about the UK. The documents are taken from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) magazine, Society Now.

A Catalyst article about the organisms which live in soil. Many, such as worms and mycorrhizal fungi, are vital for keeping soil healthy and productive. An adventurous biologist could once bank on finding new species by simply travelling to some part of the world little known to science. Darwin’s famous voyage...

Produced by Solar Spark, this is a simple practical activity that can be used to show how a solar photovoltaic cell works. During a 45-60 minute session, students make solar cells out of cheap and readily accessible materials. The mechanism behind the solar cell is similar to that used in a dye-sensitised solar...

This Catalyst article investigates the development of better, more energy-efficient solar cells. Every minute enough sunlight strikes the Earth to power our civilisation for a year, yet less than 1% of global energy generation is provided by solar energy. Solar cells convert sunshine directly to electricity, but to...

Produced by Solar Spark, this activity looks at the relationship between light and absorption in solar cells. Using a photovoltaic cell and different colour acetate sheets, it demonstrates the ability of solar cells to absorb at different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and shows how the more it can...