Ebola can spread quickly with devastating consequences. To help fight it scientists are developing drugs and vaccines. In this activity students are asked if they would trial a new Ebola vaccine. They gather information from different sources, weigh up risks and benefits and apply what they know about genes to...

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at the use of Echium plantagineum as a crop that produces speciality oils. Echium seeds contain oil, which is high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SDA). Such characteristics make echium oil a valuable...

Amy is an ecologist working with the Forestry Commission. Amy is very frank in the video about her school history, describing her school reports as "less than shiny", and the video conveys how applied scientific research focuses her naturally curious nature.

In the video Amy describes how she writes computer...

Ecology is one of the titles in the series of ASE Lab Books that were published in the early 1970s for the Association for Science Education by John Murray. Each title covered one or two topics and brought together the best of the teaching notes and experimental ideas...

These activities allow students to model how environmental scientists compare diversity in different ecosystems by using ordinary playing cards as ‘species’ to generate data to calculate Simpson’s Diversity Index. This can be completed in a single lesson. Some students find the concept of species diversity quite...

This collection of resources from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) gives support materials for teachers in schools, helping to provoke debate and discussions and providing useful statistics about the UK population. The materials can be used to explore aspects of mathematics, psychology and health as...

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

• Identify abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem.
• Recognise that there are different environmental conditions in different ecosystems, and this affects what lives there....

Aimed at primary learners, this resource aims to develop an understanding of some of the food chains within a woodland habitat. Linked to the topics of animals and all living things, it includes a matching activity, a game and a simulation of a food web. Teacher...

Aimed at primary level, this resource aims to help children recognise the differences between plants. Linked to the topics of plants and all living things and their habitats, it is designed for use when visiting a wildlife area. Activities also help to develop measuring and data handling skills. Teacher guidance on...

This collection contains a series of reports on projects carried out by the wildlife charity Froglife which look at various aspects of biodiversity, habitats and environmental education. They present the findings of the projects and evaluate interactive exhibitions which looked at:

* childhood memories of...

Cell structure and function. This Science upd8 activity focuses on the medical careers students could pursue, by applying knowledge about cells, tissues and organs and their science skills.

Students take on the role of a hospital Family Liaison Officer who has to research various aspects of cell biology and...

This Catalyst article looks at harlequin ladybirds, just one of the invasive species that has spread through Western Europe. Over the last century there has been a dramatic increase in the movement of so called alien species around the world as a consequence of international trade and travel. Invasive alien species...

Produced by ARKive, this engaging activity introduces students to the issues around endangered species. A presentation describes what is meant by an endangered species and leads into work using the ARKive web site. The ideas in the presentation are reinforced using the bingo game. The 'caller' has a set of cards,...

Produced by ARKive, this engaging activity introduces students to the concept of endangered species and what it means when a species becomes extinct. After a class discussion about endangered species and the different endangered statuses, knowledge is reinforced by playing Endangered Species Bingo. The 'caller' has...

This resource, produced by ARKive, combines art and science to create models of endangered species. Children choose their favourite threatened species and study their key features. They then decorate an egg to look like their chosen endangered animal and present their completed design to the rest of the class,...