In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students construct a lever that is moved by muscle wire. This is a conductor that contracts when an electric current is passed through it. The wire movement controls a lever.

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students make a rotating arm actuator. This uses a geared dc motor to turn a friction fit arm. Two cams can be set at different angles to operate limit switches to control the movement of the...

In this activity, students are asked to design an infra-red ‘tag’ game which incorporates emitter and detector circuits. The detector needs to be attachable to clothing and indicate when you have been ‘tagged’ by another player. The development of their ideas should...

In this design challenge from the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, students build an electric racer powered by a super-capacitor. Students must construct the racer and choose which pulley ratio will enable it to cover the greatest distance.

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Build simple circuits from pictures or demonstrations.
• Identify components from their circuit symbols, and draw the circuit symbol for common components.       
• Identify...

Aimed at the 11-14 age group, this is a unit of six one-hour design and technology lessons to develop an understanding of how systems on exploration robots are combined and collect data. Students are given a design brief to build their own model rover, experientially, to function in simulated Martian conditions....

This is a unit of three two hour lessons to consolidate understanding of the specialised materials and mechanisms used on exploration robots. Students build or test, or build and test these to develop knowledge and evaluate them.  These resources are aimed at the 14-16 age group.  The context is focussed on the...

This guide for students allows them to explore technology used in space through the Arduino tool. They can build circuits to blink an LED and to measure temperature, pressure and altitude. The basics of programming in C++ will be introduced using the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) software. This...

This edition of the Computing at School newsletter contains articles covering:

*Increasing the number of girls studying computing

*Inclusion in computing

*Network of Excellence and CAS Hubs

*Learning about programming through knitting

*Programming with GameMaker

*...

From the Technology Enhancement Programme (TEP), these circuits allow students to build a range of devices. Each circuit has a full circuit diagram, component list and explanation of how the circuit works. In this section, the circuits cover a range of miscellaneous...

From the Technology Enhancement Programme (TEP), these circuits allow students to build a range of devices. Each circuit has a full circuit diagram, component list and explanation of how the circuit works. In this section, the circuits cover a range of miscellaneous...

From the Technology Enhancement Programme (TEP), these circuits allow students to build a range of devices. Each circuit has a full circuit diagram, component list and explanation of how the circuit works. In this section, the circuits cover a range of miscellaneous...

In this activity, students investigate the potential effects to health of the use of mobile phones and their transmitters, which use radio waves and microwaves to transmit information. Research can include the electromagnetic spectrum and its applications and how energy...

In this activity students design and model a 3D robot arm. Robot arms are an example of a programmable system. They are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, ranging from loading machines to assembling cars, welding parts together and spray painting products. They are also used in applications such as...

From the Technology Enhancement Programme (TEP), these circuits allow students to build a range of devices. Each circuit has a full circuit diagram, component list and explanation of how the circuit works. This section covers a range of circuits that can be used to...