Case Study: Ewan Bloomfield - Energy Consultant
In this case study, Ewan Bloomfield explains how he came to be an energy consultant. He describes what attracted him to the job, his education history and what gives him job satisfaction. He then talks about seeing how his work affects people's lives, especially when working within developing countries across the world. He…
Case Study: Ella Sprung - Editorial and Production Assistant
In this case study, Ella Sprung, explains how she came to work as an engineer. She describes her ambitions when younger, her education history and the role models who inspired her. She then talks about seeing how her work affects people's lives, especially when working within developing countries across the world. She is now…
Case Study: Gita Patel - Financial Controller
In this case study, Gita Patel explains how she came to be a financial controller. She describes her ambitions when younger, her education history and the role models who inspired her. She then talks about seeing how her work affects people's lives. Having travelled widely, she is able to see how the organisation that she works…
Case Study: Lucho Osorio - International Co-ordinator
In this case study, Lucho Osorio explains how he came to be an International Co-ordinator working in the Practical Action Markets and Livelihood programme. He describes his ambitions when younger, his education history and how he got where he is today. He then describes the tasks that give him the most job satisfaction and talks…
Case Study: Olivia Comberti - Digital Design Consultant
In this case study, Olivia Comberti explains how she came to be a digital design consultant. She describes her ambitions when younger, her education history and the role models who inspired her. She then talks about seeing how her work affects people's lives, especially when working within developing countries across the world. She…
Floating Garden Challenge
This challenge, from Practical Action, requires students to design and build a model structure that will enable farmers to grow crops even in an area that may become flooded. A floating garden, built on a base of aquatic weeds, is a cheap and sustainable way of allowing people to grow vegetables. The resource can be adapted to…
Water
Produced by Practical Action, these materials contain ideas and support for students undertaking a CREST award. There are stimulus materials that help students look at an issue of sustainable development. These materials look at provision clean and reliable drinking water. It looks at sustainable systems such as rainwater harvesting,…
Transport
Produced by Practical Action, these materials contain ideas and support for students undertaking a CREST award. There are stimulus materials that help students look at an issue of sustainable development. These materials look at sustainable transport. In Nepal, the building of ropeways that allow people and farmers' products…
Shelter
Produced by Practical Action, these materials contain ideas and support for students undertaking a CREST award. There are stimulus materials that help students look at an issue of sustainable development. These materials look at the provision of sustainable housing. They describe different construction methods, such as mud, clay,…
Food
Produced by Practical Action, these materials contain ideas and support for students undertaking a CREST award. There are stimulus materials that help students look at an issue of sustainable development. These materials look at the production of food. This includes: • Irrigation • Composting • Donkey ploughs…
Energy
Produced by Practical Action, these materials contain ideas and support for students undertaking a CREST award. There are stimulus materials that help students look at an issue of sustainable development. This project looks at the issues around providing sustainable energy in poor communities. It encourages students to investigate…
Product Analysis: Impacts on People and Environment
This resource from Practical Action includes a presentation and worksheets which give Key Stage Three and Four students opportunities to understand more about the impact of existing and new products on people and the environment. The presentation is packed with useful activities to reinforce students' learning. The activities…
Sustainable Design: What Is the Role of a Designer?
In this resource from Practical Action, a presentation and linked activities provide design and technology teachers with opportunities to highlight the different values and beliefs that designers may hold. Students can engage in exploring their own values about the responsibilities of designers and companies too. The powerpoint…
3/5- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Activity sheet
100 Small Things to Make a Difference
This brightly illustrated poster, from Practical Action, encourages students to think carefully about the effects of waste on the environment. It gives lots of ideas for ways to reduce the harmful effects of waste, showing that everyone can make a difference, and includes links to useful websites. It separates the issue into the…
Squashed Tomato Challenge
This Practical Action resource presents a fun hands-on and brains-on challenge for Key Stages Two to Five. The problem: In Nepal many farmers living on the mountainside grow fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. To earn a living they need to sell these at the local market. The problem is getting to market involves a long,…
- 3/5
- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Activity sheet
Small Is...Challenge
In celebration of its founder, Fritz Schumacher’s centenary year Practical Action have created Small Is...Challenge. Schumacher’s philosophy was based on the idea that even a small change can have a big impact on people’s lives. The challenge for students is to look at technologies from the last 100 years and invent…
Effects of Climate Change - Images
A number of images from Practical Action showing the effects of climate change and climate change adaptation. The images can be freely used by students and/or incorporated into teaching resources by teachers. The following text describes each of the photographs: • Drought in Kenya means there is little water left for herds…
Food for Thought
From Practical Action, in this activity students design and make a product using local and/or organic ingredients. They will also gain knowledge and understanding of the design and make process, write a design specification and produce a step-by-step plan for making a product. Further resources are available from the Practical Action’s…
Reusing Textiles: Waste to Wear
In this activity, from Practical Action, students are challenged to design and make a good quality textiles product from some throwaway textiles collected from home or bought from a charity shop. Further resources are available from the Practical Action’s Sustainable Design and Technology database.
Redesigning for Sustainability: Less is More
From Practical Action, this resource gets students to look at how a product could be redesigned to require less packaging. Companies are being encouraged to develop ‘environmentally-smart’ retail packaging design. In this activity, students are challenged to redesign a familiar product so that it has less (and more sustainable)…
Where's the Impact?
From Practical Action, this resource looks at life-cycle analysis and how it is used to work out the environmental impact of different products.
- 5/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Activity sheet
Winners and Losers
This resource, produced by Practical Action, helps students think about who the winners and losers are when making product choices.
Let's Negotiate
From Practical Action, this resource encourages students to look at how design specifications are balanced when developing new products.
Line-ups
This resource, from Practical Action, helps students to evaluate the environmental, economic and social impacts of everyday products.
Belief Circles
From Practical Action and the Royal Academy of Engineering, this short starter activity helps students to think about their own values and those of their peers in relation to the sustainability of engineering. The activity encourages an awareness of the impact of engineering on the environment and sustainability. It also helps…
Design Abacus
From Practical Action, this resource is an eco-tool used to compare the sustainability of two products or design ideas.
Moja Island Renewable Energy Engineering
From Practical Action, this 1-2 hour class activity uses the supply of energy for an island community to help students to understand renewable energy options.
Six R's
This resource from Practical Action helps students look at the 6Rs, their definitions and products which illustrate the 6Rs in action. These are: rethink, reuse, recycle, repair, reduce and refuse. Students look at the definitions carefully again and rank each of the Rs in terms of which contributes most and which least to making…
Where Does My Food Come From?
These activities, from Practical Action, encourage children to think about where their food is produced. The interactive presentation shows children where some common foods are sourced. There is also an activity using food labels to illustrate the source of foods. It could be used as a homework activity to illustrate where the food…
Where Do Tomatoes Come From?
From Practical Action, this activity encourages children to think about food miles and the environmental impact of food production, supply and consumption. Children compare the impact of UK-grown and imported tomatoes.
Where Do Bananas Come From?
From Practical Action, this activity encourages children to think about food miles and the environmental impact of food production, supply and consumption. This activity tracks the issues associated with the supply of bananas to the UK .
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Activity sheet
Measuring the Weather
From Practical Action, this resource shows how to make a series of simple instruments to carry out weather recordings. They can be used to help children take and record measurements, understand the weather and also begin to think about climate change. Children then note weather forecasts and compare them to the actual weather to…