This Catalyst article looks at some of the unusual features of water and especially the way it behaves when it is frozen. The article explains the properties of water and how it behaves at different temperatures with the aid of illustrations showing its molecular structure. Some unusual scientific ideas are also...

This resource provides a lesson plan showing how to use drama to teach about the balanced symbol equation of the reaction that occurs in the Haber process and the bonds that are broken and made. The approach used in the lesson is based on education research which is summarised in a separate research summary...

A Catalyst article about hair, how it grows, how it can be sculpted into the latest fashionable shapes and can hold fast to all the colours of the rainbow. The article explores how hair grows and how its physical structure and chemical make-up are affected by hair products.

This article is from Catalyst:...

This report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England) resulted from research into the state of secondary education, focusing on students aged 13 to 16 who were of average or below-average ability. The report was known as the Newsom Report, named after Mr J H Newsom, chairman of the advisory council....

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this document describes the background and key learning points from the Harnessing Technology project. This resulted in a series of case studies that illustrate the use of technology to advance teaching and learning in the Post-16 sector. This document...

A Catalyst article about the composition of sea water. The article looks at how the sea became salty, how the factors such as hydrothermal systems can affect it and it investigates whether its composition has always been the same.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 15, Issue 3....

This Catalyst article looks at 'Restored Hearing', a business which grew out of a school science project. It provides therapy for sufferers of temporary tinnitus, a debilitating hearing condition caused by exposure to loud noises. The article looks at how hearing loss can occur and how also explains how the...

A Catalyst article about how engineers use their understanding of sound waves to develop highly realistic sound systems for films, music systems and computer games. The same ideas can help people with eyesight and hearing problems. Sound waves are affected by their surroundings and the article examines this along...

This case study, produced by Ofsted, illustrates how Archbishop Holgate’s School has developed its design and technology curriculum to provide a high quality and unique learning experience for students at Key Stage Three. The study details some of the activities and projects undertaken by each year group and how...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of progression in STEM and employer engagement. Written by Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, it describes how colleges and universities from South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire have formed a...

This Catalyst article looks at the work of Robert Hooke, an employee of the Royal Society, Britain's oldest scientific society. His job was to present two or three different experiments each week to the assembled members of the society – and this was at a time when experimentation was new and there were no books of...

A Catalyst article about high-level nuclear waste. It is hot, corrosive and a source of intense radiation. The nuclear industry is seeking safe ways to deal with such waste, and wants the public to help shape the decisions that are made. This article presents some information about the options for the storage of...

A Catalyst article about a Kenyan scientist who is searching for better treatments for malaria, a disease which kills more than a million people in Africa each year. The article also explains some of the challenges of doing science in Africa, where funding is low. Often the illness shows a remarkable ability to...

A Catalyst article about ants. A colony consists of hundreds, even thousands, of ants working diligently and cooperatively, perhaps to kill and carry a large prey item, build a large nest structure or develop and use road-like networks for foraging. Collectively, colonies of social insects can do amazing things and...