What's Your Limit?
Conditions on other planets are unlikely to be within the same ranges as that experienced by Earth. However, a degree of variance from ‘ideal’ ranges may be tolerable for a small number of organisms known as extremophiles. This investigation looks at the effects of subjecting a living organism (yeast) to some extreme…
Is There Life In There?
All life forms on Earth are based on organic biochemistry. This activity requires students to analyse an unknown soil sample (just recovered from a space mission to another planet!) and look for signs of possible indicators for life. Curriculum areas covered: • Cell biology • Food tests, including starch, sugar, protein…
Scientific Enquiry and its Place in the National Curriculum
This is a report of a SCORE workshop held in September 2011 at the Royal Society to explore the place of scientific enquiry in the national curriculum. The report summarises the main issues raised and describes the views of the participants. The workshop was chaired by Libby Steele, Head of Education at the Royal Society. The group…
Veritasium
In the build-up to the Christmas Lectures in 2012, the Royal Institution published a new video for every day of advent revealing the elements that really excite and inspire people. From the roof of the Royal Institution, Derek Muller from the Veritasium YouTube channel stresses the need to communicate the beauty and importance…
Your Days Are Numbered
This video, written and presented by Matt Parker and Timandra Harkness, considers the statistics of death. The only certainty is that everyone will die, but it is not known how or when this will happen. Based upon statistics, the odds of dying in particular ways are calculated and interpreted. The Normal Distribution curve is…
Dope-ocracy: an Olympian Pill Panic
This programme provides alternative view points for the debate around performance enhancing drugs in sport. Stating that the anti-doping crusade is both illogical and immoral, Professor Sam Shuster, a clinical scientist, argues that athletes lives and careers are needlessly destroyed and anti-doping rules have no evidence-base. Professor…
Young Journalists Academy Education Pack
In 2012, with support from the Wellcome Trust, the Young Journalists’ Academy summer school included a ‘Biomedical issues and the media’ strand. The strand featured sessions, workshops and visits from science journalists from the BBC, The Times, Eureka and the Wellcome Trust. This teaching pack was produced…
InvestiGATE
InvestiGATE, from the BP Educational Service includes a short video which looks at the ways scientists find out about the world. A comic strip scenario introduces the idea of air resistance and parachutes by looking at how eggs can land safely with the aid of a parachute. Children then pose ideas for carrying out a fair test, which…
Stepping into Science
This resource, part of Stepping into Science from the BP Educational Service, looks at the topic of materials. Designed for children aged four to seven years it contains a short video, which introduces an investigation to see which materials are waterproof. It includes information on how to set up a fair test, make a prediction,…
Renewable Energy and Climate Change Podcasts
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at renewable energy and climate change in an accessible and informative way. The science of rubbish This podcast looks at the life cycle of rubbish, how to derive fuels from waste and even how the future for fuel production…
Earth Science Podcasts
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at Earth science questions in an accessible and informative way. Antarctica This podcast looks at how scientists in the South African National Antarctic Programme are studying the weather in space by monitoring the earth's…
Materials Podcasts
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at materials science questions in an accessible and informative way. When will 'indestructible' plastics finally degrade? Nothing lasts forever, so how long does it take plastics in the sea to break down? Super…
Biology Questions
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at biology questions in an accessible and informative way. Can we create a living organism? Is it possible to create life from basic elements? This podcast discusses the production of simple cells from basic elements in the laboratory.…
Naked Astronomy
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at physics questions in an amusing but also informative way. The oldest light in the Universe • The Planck mission which measures the cosmic microwave background. • Mapping the surface of Mercury. • How Lunar…
Physics Podcasts
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these Naked Scientist podcasts look at physics questions in an accessible and informative manner. Do bubbles keep your bath warmer for longer? The Naked Scientists discuss how a layer of bubbles can act as a thermal insulator. The scientists discuss how the bubbles…
space:uk - Winter 2011, Issue 33
This issue of space:uk, published by the UK Space Agency, focuses on the planet Mercury and the spacecraft being designed and built with the aim of investigating the 'weird' planet. The issue reports on current news stories including the launch of the two Galileo 'In-Orbit Validation' (IOV) spacecraft, new missions…
space:uk - Spring 2012, Issue 34
From the UK Space Agency, this issue of Space:UK magazine contains a variety of news stories and features on: • Green planet - how space is helping to save one of the world's more valuable resources • Space, time and LISA - the UK-built mission to invesitgate ripples in space and time • Free-fall science -…
The ESA/ESO Astronomy Exercise Series
The object of this resource, produced by ESA and ESO, is to present various small projects that will pass on some of the excitement and satisfaction in scientific discovery, to students. Using elementary geometrical and physical considerations, students will be able to derive answers that are comparable with the results of much…
The Kilogram
This Catalyst article looks at the changing definition of the kilogram, a unit of mass and a base unit in the SI system (the International System of units). It has been found that the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK), made in 1879 and kept in a vault in Paris, has lost about 50microgrammes of mass over the years. This may…
Science – the Big Questions
This Cape Farewell video features a conversation at the National Oceanography Centre about how scientists from different disciplines work together to answer the big questions. This can be used to review some of the ways that scientists have arrived at their ideas about global climate change. It offers a way of summing up what students…
The Voyages
This Cape Farewell video clip provides a general introduction to the voyage of The Noorderlicht to Svalbard and to the Cape Farewell scientists Simon, Val and Sarah. The scientists discuss their work with two teachers, Mike and Subathra. The presentation called Setting the Scene complements the first video clip by providing a…
Life in the Water: Teacher Guidance
These teachers’ notes were produced to support the use of the series of video clips and activities about a Cape Farewell expedition to the Norwegian Arctic. The notes provide detailed guidance on each of the video clips and activities. They also suggest a series of six lessons based on the resources. The version of the notes…
Why Do We Use Animals in Medical Research?
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at how, and why, animals are used in medical research. The information provided by is based on thorough research and understanding of the facts, historical and scientific. The leaflet is useful as information for teachers and also as background or research…
Animal Research in the UK
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at how many animals are used in the UK, the types of research undertaken and the species of animals involved. Both of these leaflets use official figures to provide a precise snapshot of the extent of animal research in the UK in 2011 and look at trends…
Animal Welfare and the Three R's
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at the replacement, refinement and reduction (3R's) principle in animal research. It describes: • Replacement of animals in research with alternative techniques; • Refinement of scientific procedures to enhance animal welfare; • Reduction…
How Is Animal Research Regulated?
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at the regulation of animal research in the UK. The law safeguards animals while allowing important medical research to continue. The leaflet is useful as information for teachers and also as background or research information for students. The information…
Animal Research Benefits Us
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this information leaflet looks at examples of how animal research has led to the understanding of medical conditions and the development of new therapies. Animal research has been important in the development of many major medical advances. Studies that use animals have played a role…
The War Against Malaria
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this resource is a Key Stage Three science or citizenship activity looking at malaria, one of the world's greatest killers. Why is such a small amount of research funding dedicated to this serious condition? Why should it take a celebrity sufferer, Cheryl Cole, to bring malaria…
Where Do Medicines Come From?
From Understanding Animal Research, these materials help students understand the process of drug discovery and development. Aimed at Key Stage Three students, it shows that the drug discovery process is long and complex and involves several different stages, including basic research, animal testing and clinical trials. The…
4/5- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Activity sheet
Animals in Space
Produced by Understanding Animal Research, this resource looks at how animals have a central part to play in all sorts of research, not just in the development of drugs. This activity illustrates how animals have contributed to space programmes and encourages students to consider the ethical implications of science in an unusual…
Does Melting Ice Expand?
Produced by Nelson Thornes, this resource helps students look at aspects of how science works. In particular, students are asked to plan an investigation into whether water expands when it freezes or when it thaws. The context is set by considering that in winter many people report burst water pipes when a thaw sets in following…
Don’t Have the Foggiest Which Is the Smoggiest!
Produced by Nelson Thornes, this resource helps students look at aspects of how science works. It looks at the different forms of smog that affect major cities because of their high density of population and air pollution from industry and motor vehicles. The activity is designed to let the students review the causes of different…
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