Teaching resources from Practical Action which help students to understand sustainable development. They explore aspects of contemporary issues. Suitable for classes in science or technology, ages 7-16

Technical briefs are documents produced by Practical Action which are freely available to people in the developing world. They provide detailed technical information on a variety of subjects ranging from how to make jams and pickles to how to build a flood-proof house or an aerial ropeway.

Students can use...

Teaching resources covering a range of issues around water e.g. cleaning water and hygiene set within a global context. Based on Practical action projects in the developing world they are suitable for ages 7-16.
 

This resource looks into making a prototype of a treadle pump. 

Suggested learning outcomes include:

• To be able to manufacture a working prototype of a treadle pump for people living in a remote village.
• To be able to select appropriate materials, tools and equipment for a manufacturing...

This resource from Practical Action includes a presentation and worksheets which give Key Stage Three and Four students opportunities to understand more about the impact of existing and new products on people and the environment. The presentation is packed with useful activities to reinforce students' learning. The...

Designers must consider how people will interact with their products and systems. The use of ergonomics and anthropometric data allows them to make sure their products are comfortable and efficient to use.

This resource focusses on how ergonomics and anthropometric data can be used to design a product.

Produced by Practical Action, these materials help students to consider the impacts of a product through its whole life cycle. A presentation describes the concept of lifecycle analysis (LCA) and gives some examples. Students are then challenged to consider the life cycle of familiar products, from raw materials,...

Produced by Practical Action, this short activity introduces the various factors that influence the choice of consumers. Students consider different products and the reasons behind why they would or would not purchase them. The activity is a perfect introduction to sustainability and aims to help students think...

The ‘production’ section of the Fixpert's resource focuses on producing a  high-quality working prototype that meets the problem described in the original design brief. Activities that support this section include: ‘hack a toothbrush’, starting points for innovative ideas, and making paper bowls. These activities...

Severin Skillman develops software applications and systems to help dementia patients. In this video he talks about his work...

This guidance is aimed at businesses and other organisations looking to provide support and inspiration for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools.  It is based on consultation with teachers, further developed through debate between teachers, businesses and learned societies.  Teachers...

Chris is a project engineer with E.ON. In this video Chris explains how his physics teachers at school were the inspiration for him to go into his current role, following a school trip to a nuclear power station. He discusses his experiences after completing a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and how he went on...

Aoibheann is a project engineer and she works out how to put together or improve a production line to make great chocolate on a large scale. She tested Toffee Crisps to make sure they were right for consumers when she started at Nestlé before moving on to the coffee-making process, which is where she works now....

This resource from the Royal Academy of Engineering describes how the London Engineering Project worked to encourage students to see engineering as a potential career path. All activities used an Engineering Message to contextualise engineering and emphasise its impact on the world around us.

The project...

This resource considers how different subject areas can explicitly promote the learning of social and emotional skills. It provides an outline of how social and emotional skills are linked to subjects both in general terms and more specifically within each of the 2008 National Curriculum programmes of study. The...