Students compare the water quality at different points in a stream or river using the standard procedure for finding the Trent Biotic Index score for samples of freshwater invertebrates.  The test was developed by the Trent River authority to detect water pollution. It allows comparisons of water quality to be made...

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), in this investigation, students look at the concentration of glucose in isotonic sports drinks. This enables students to see if the drinks are, in fact, isotonic with the blood.

In this investigation, students first produce a standard curve by testing...

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this investigation looks at the effects of ethene of fruit ripening.

Ethene is a colourless gas and is produced by plants, acting as a plant growth substance. Its...

From Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this practical activity was developed for Scottish Highers specifications, but the protocol can equally well be used for other specifications. 

Students prepare and stain roots, and then examine them to establish the frequency of mycorrhizae. 

The...

The ‘Experimenting with Industry’ series was published in the mid-1980s when it presented industry-related science practicals for schools. It was developed as part of a 'teachers into industry' project organised by The Association for Science Education (ASE) on behalf...

In this video independent and dependent variables are discussed, before experimenting with a trolley on an inclined ramp. The data is then graphed and analysed to investigate any relationship between ramp height and trolley speed. This is a GCSE Physics Practical.

These books were published in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They provide information and guidance on a range of practical activities that look at aspects of chemistry and electrochemistry.

The books in the collection include:

• Colourful chemistry
• Electrons at work
• Experiments...

Students observe what happens to blood added to salt solutions of different concentrations. This is done in test tubes, although it may also be possible to observe what happens under a microscope. The students record their observations and attempt to explain what has happened to the red blood cells. They then...

This booklet, from Science Community Representing Education (SCORE), offers a range of practical activities and experiments for use in the classroom. Most are aimed at Key Stages One and Two students but a small number are provided for Key Stage Three to highlight the...

This booklet, from Science Community Representing Education (SCORE), offers a range of practical activities for use in the classroom. Most are aimed at Key Stage Three and Four and Post-16 students but a small number are provided for Key Stage Two to highlight the...

A pair of videos that investigates the extension of a spring when forces are added.  The first allows students to see the experiment undertaken. This is a required practical for students to understand and be able to carry out for GCSE Combined Science and Physics. The second clip explains how to plot a graph to...

A pair of videos that investigates the extension of an elastic band when forces are added.  The first allows students to see the experiment undertaken and the second clip explains how to plot a graph to evaluate the relationship.

Extension of rubber

This worksheet looks at electrolysis, its use in the extraction of sodium and aluminum and in the purification of copper. Having completed it, students are then asked to set up a simple electrolytic cell to obtain pure copper and calculate and measure the amount of product deposited at an electrode during...

The Fabric Fires activity for Key Stage Three students looks at how different fabrics catch fire and burn. Students are asked to first consider the commonest reasons for fires in the home. They then test and compare a fabric and a cotton wool ball, firstly when untreated and then having first soaked them in a fire...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Plastics – or polymers as they are more correctly called – look set to be the material of the future. Think of any product and it is likely that it consists, at least in part, of a polymer...