Investigating Poisoning
Investigating serious crimes such as murder, rape and terrorism requires forensic science experts. These people work alongside the police to find the evidence that will bring the culprit to court. In this Catalyst article, Tony Hargreaves looks at criminal poisoning and shows how forensic science is used to solve serious murder cases.
Colour Mixing
This video from the Royal Institution describes how colour mixing works. Colours of light cannot be mixed in physics but different cones in your eyes are sensitive to different colours. The brain interprets a mixture between the two as a colour somewhere between the two. In the case of magenta, your brain invents this colour…
Cloud Chamber
This video from the Royal Institution shows tracks within a cloud chamber. A supersaturated layer of alcohol vapour exists just above the floor of the chamber and the ionisation radiation causes vapour to condense along the path of the radiation. An Americium source is introduced into the chamber so that tracks from alpha radiation…
Food and Drugs
This book is the fourth in the series of Chemistry in Industry. The text focuses on how food can be produced and preserved by chemical means; crop protection through the use of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides; the use of pain killers – anaesthetics and analgesics; and how drugs can be used to fight infection. Chapter…
Quick Frozen Foods
This educational booklet, published by Unilever in 1956, gives the history and techniques of food preservation by freezing. Starting with the observations of Clarence Birdseye amongst the Inuits and his subsequent experiments, the booklet follows the story of the changes in the way peas were picked and sold. A full description is…
Biofuels
Produced by Debating Matters, this topic guide puts the biofuel debate in context, providing information, a reading list and weblinks. The resource encourages students to debate issues such as: • Are biofuels environmentally friendly? • Fuel versus food • A waste of time, money and energy? • Should governments…
Uncovering the Magical World of Signalling
This Catalyst article takes a look at the winners of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2012 who revealed how cells communicate. All functions of the human body require signals to be released, detected by a receptor in the right place and an appropriate response to be mounted. For example, hormones can be released into the blood stream…
Speak to Me, Lichen
In this Catalyst article, students at La Sainte Union Catholic School in North London investigate the link between lichen species and air pollution around their school. Lichens are indicators of changes in air quality; tolerant species replace those which are sensitive to a given pollutant. This effect is observed across urban…
Ecology
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 from members of the association that had appeared in the ASE journal,…
Alison Foster: a Chemist in the World of Plants
Alison Foster has combined her education in Chemistry with her love of plants to engage in some exciting projects at the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens. This Catalyst article gives a profile of her career choices, and introduces a public engagement activity called Chemistry in the Garden. Alison began her career in the pharmaceutical…
Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies or Weetabix
This Catalyst article looks at how scientists can use material recovered from archaeological sites to see how crops have been introduced to different countries over the history of farming. Three processes by which some plant material can be preserved are explained. The ratio of carbon isotopes from the collagen in animal bone can…
Secondary Science Technicians
Science technicians are an integral part of any school science team and offer invaluable back-up to science teachers. In this Teachers TV video, two science technicians at Manor School, York, work with Simon Quinnell, senior science technician at the National Science Learning Centre, to develop their skills, inspire students and…
Seeing Into Bacteria
This Catalyst article describes how biophysics is helping in the search for novel antibiotics. Bacteria produce an array of proteins to kill off their competitors. These proteins, called bacteriocins, are very efficient at penetrating the defensive outer layers of bacteria cells by moving through specific membrane transporter…
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…
Questions and Answers
Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), these naked Scientist podcasts look at a wide range of general science questions in an accessible and informative way. In these podcasts, the Naked Scientist answers questions from callers into Talk Radio 702 in South Africa. Question and answer from the 25th May…
Molecular Modelling for Advanced Level Students
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry represents the manufacturers of most of the medicines and vaccines supplied to the National Health Service, in the UK. As part of their programme to encourage the study of science in schools, in 1995, the ABPI produced a book for post-16 students, on the subject of molecular…
Risk Assessment
These resources, from Innovate Educate and The Avenue, are linked with a web site that describes the reclamation of a former coke-manufacturing plant in Chesterfield. There are a range of activities undertaken on the site and this provides an excellent context to allow students to look at risk assessments. These activities give…
4/5- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Teacher guidance
Case Studies on Education-Industry Partnerships
From CIEC Promoting Science, this information booklet is useful for those wishing to develop successful partnerships between schools and local science-based industries. It is a collection of papers that describe how different groups have encountered and handled major issues and problems while developing their education-industry programmes.…
Vitamin C - the Elixir of Life?
Produced by CIEC Promoting Science, the activities in this resource allow students to examine science concepts applicable to the healthcare industries and the work of people in the sector. The activities in the resources cover areas that include: • Determination of the vitamin C content lost into solution during the cooking…
Tablet Coating: Not Just a Pretty Colour
These activities, produced by CIEC Promoting Science, help students understand about the formulation and design of coating used for tablets taken as medicines. Designed originally as a unit of GNVQ teaching, the materials contain a range of practical investigations that would be useful for students studying post-16 chemistry, applied…
Industrial Encounters: Good Practice for School Links
From CIEC Promoting Science, this guide aims to help schools and science-based companies make the best use of their opportunities to liaise together. It concentrates upon using link activities to enrich aspects of the school science curriculum but there are many principles in the guide, with a more general application. There…
Skill 6.9 Organising a Scientific Conference
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, has students looking at the organisation of a scientific conference. This helps to give an insight into conferences as an important communication channel between scientists. Components of a conference include presentations, discussions, workshops and poster sessions.…
Skill 6.8 Evaluating Scientific Posters
In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students evaluate a poster that they have previously prepared. Students will: • plan the presentation of a scientific poster • anticipate questions that may be asked on the topic • evaluate the quality of a scientific poster. Students…
Skill 6.6 Evaluating Presentations
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity sees students delivering a presentation that they have prepared. This practices the delivery of presentations but also forms part of a guided evaluation exercise. The activity provides opportunities for students to: • deliver a presentation and evaluate their…
Skill 6.7 Preparing a Scientific Poster
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, gives students the opportunity to look at some genuine research posters and to identify the components and layout employed. Students then create their own poster on an A-level topic. The activity will help to improve students' ability to summarise information…
Skill 6.5 Dragon’s Den: I Need Some Funding
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, encourages students to think how presentations to a possible funding-provider may differ from those to colleagues. This helps to reinforce that the content and delivery of presentations may be different depending on the audience being addressed. In the activity,…
Skill 6.4 Preparing a Longer Presentation
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity develops the skills needed to prepare and deliver a formal presentation. During the activity, students will: • select an appropriate topic for a presentation to the class • carry out the necessary research to collect the information needed • develop…
Skill 6.3 Presenting a Review Using PhotoStory
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, looks at the use of slideshow-movies of photographic images as a powerful means for students to create presentations. PhotoStory, or other similar computer software, can quickly create video presentations by linking together digital still images. Commentary and…
Skill 6.2 Storyboarding an Issue
in this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students research a topical, scientific or technological issue. The information is then assimilated into a storyboard approximating to the format of a scientific article. The activity requires students to decide on the best way to summarise and present key pieces…
Skill 6.1 Preparing a Short Presentation
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, aims to help students develop the skill of acquiring information from presentations and demonstrates how good presentations are structured and delivered. Students are challenged to: • identify good and bad practice in the delivery of presentations •…
Skill 5.13 Writing for Different Audiences
This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, revisits students' scientific writing skills but with a focus on writing for a more general audience. This is akin to the sort of writing found in newspapers, magazines and some websites. The task requires students to write an article for an audience of GCSE…
Skill 5.12 Writing a Practical as a Research Paper
Produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, this activity sees students write up a practical report in the form of a research paper. This helps to promote more thought about the relevance of the practical work students undertake at A-level. The activity provides an opportunity for students to apply their scientific writing…
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