Translate parallel to the y axis – looks at what happens to the graph of y=f(x) when it is transformed to give the graph of y=f(x)±a. Starting with the graph of y = x2, different values of a are added or subtracted to the graph. The explanation continues to show that the graph is translated parallel to the y axis…
Stretch parallel to the y axis – looks at what happens to the graph of y=f(x) when it is transformed to give the graph of y=af(x). Starting with the graph of y = x2, different values of a are used to show that the graph is stretched from the x axis parallel to the y axis. The next example shows that the translation works with…
Highest common factor and lowest common multiple – The first example finds the highest common factor of 6 and 15 by listing all the factors of each number, highlighting all the common factors and indicating the highest common factor. A similar technique is used to find the lowest common multiple of 6 and 15. Highest common…
Factors – Beginning with the definition of what a factor is this video proceeds to find the factors of 12 with the aid of a factor bug. The factor bug is a visually stimulating method of finding factors and suitable for use with younger students. After finding the factors of 18, the factors of 17 are found. The fact that 17…
Curves of pursuit – This video demonstrates how to construct curves of pursuit. Beginning by drawing a square, students are taken through the required steps. The video ends by suggesting different shapes as starting points. Sequence designs – Beginning with the sequence of square numbers, a new sequence is generated…
Introduction to graph transformations – The video begins by suggesting that all graphs in a family are related in some way. There follows a useful explanation of function notation linking the notation to the inputs and outputs of a function machine. The four graph transformations; translate parallel to the y axis, translate…
Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions – The explanation begins by showing the difference between a proper fraction, an improper fraction and a mixed number. Pictorial representations of the fractions are used to aid understanding of how a mixed number and an improper fraction represent the same value. The…
Adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator – This video begins by showing the common mistake of adding the numerator and adding the denominator and explaining why this cannot be correct. The correct method is used with a pictorial representation to aid understanding. The video continues with a series of simple…
What are fractions? The basics – This video covers the basics of fractions beginning with the definition of the numerator and the denominator. Simple examples are given to illustrate that fractions are a way of describing proportion. There follows an explanation of how a fraction also represents a division calculation. Equivalent…
Short division – Six examples of dividing numbers using the short, or what is sometimes called the bus stop method. The examples progress in difficulty with the first two examples not requiring any remainders, the next two examples having remainders within the calculation and the last two examples having remainders in the answer.…
Short multiplication – Four examples of multiplying numbers using the column method. The examples progress in difficulty multiplying two digit numbers by a single digit number, multiplying a three digit numbers by a single digit number and multiplying a decimal by a number with a single digit. Gelosia method of multiplication…
Column subtraction of whole numbers – Six examples of subtracting whole numbers using the column method. The examples progress in difficulty subtracting numbers with two, three and four digits. The later examples include the need to ‘borrow one’ from one column to the next. Column subtraction of decimal numbers…
Column addition of whole numbers – Five examples of adding whole numbers using the column method. The examples progress in difficulty adding numbers with two and three digits. The third and fourth examples include the need to ‘carry one’ from one column to the next. Column addition of decimal numbers –…
Richard Needham, from the National Science Learning Centre, demonstrates how to use time lapse video to speed up action that would otherwise be either too slow to notice within a normal school science lesson, or to provide opportunities to explore gradual changes outside a classroom. Examples of biology experiments which could…
From the Science Museum, this resource contains a booklet of fun science activities using everyday ingredients, with notes for teachers. The booklet contains step-by-step instructions for science activities and experiments that are safe and easy to do in the classroom or at home. The individual activities allow exploration of…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to flames, from hydrogen to candle wax. A flame is a chemical reaction between two substances in a gaseous mixture. Normally,…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to the factors which affect the rate of dissolving and the particle model explanation. The rate of dissolving depends on the surface…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop understanding of filtration, evaporation and distillation as methods to separate various types of mixtures. Understanding filtering rests on…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop ideas relating to the distinction between combustion and decomposition in the context of ‘burning’ materials. Combustion is a reaction…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea that some crystals incorporate water molecules within their structures. Whether the change from hydrated copper sulfate to anhydrous…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea of chemical change by showing that in some reactions substances decompose. Chemical changes often involve two substances reacting together…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea of chemical change by showing reactions that takes place between substances in solution. Many chemical reactions involve solutions and…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea of chemical change by showing a reaction that takes place on heating to a higher temperature. These resources cover the reaction between…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea of chemical change by showing reactions that take place spontaneously at room temperature. These resources use novel approaches to cover…
These downloadable animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to introduce density as a property to identify substances. The first animation introduces the idea of density by comparing the masses of equal sized blocks of different…
These downloadable animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to emphasize that a substance can be in any of the three states and there is nothing special about room temperature states. The state of a sample of a substance depends…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to predict the possibility of the gas state with the particle model and understand that ‘gases’ are substances which happen to have boiling points…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to introduce a particle model to explain why a substance can exist in both the solid and liquid states and why different substances have different melting points. The…
These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to develop the idea of a substance as a kind of ‘stuff’ which has a definite melting point. The idea of a melting point can be introduced using…
Produced by Solar Spark, this activity allows students to see a condensation polymerisation reaction in action as the polyamide polymer, Nylon, is produced. This is a condensation polymer made of two parent monomers, a di-amine and a di-acid chloride. The reaction can be used to illustrate: • polymerisation • chemical…
In this National Science Learning Centre video, Simon Quinnell investigates the way different materials conduct heat using conductivity blocks and ice cubes. The video shows how the ice cubes melt at different rates depending on the thermal conductivity of the materials they are sitting on. Simon explains how this experiment can…
In this National Science Learning Centre video, Zoe Crompton shows two activities that primary teachers can use in the winter. Each one involves using snow or ice. The first activity is inspired by the question "Why do we put salt on the roads?" It demonstrates a fair test to compare the effectiveness of table salt and…
© The National STEM Centre. About Us. Contact Us. Terms & Conditions. Cookies. Website Help.
Web design by iWeb