Planet Science: Our World in Motion Quiz
Produced by Planet Science, this quiz is an engaging way to get students thinking about a wide range of areas in science and engineering. It could also be used as part of a public engagement in science activity. The quiz covers topics such as: • Earth structure and plate tectonics • The rock cycle • Animals in…
Club Activity Pack
These resources from Planet Science provide a series of pen pictures of a scientist and a related experiment which can be used at home or as science club activities. Activity A: Great Social life: Toyin Solanke The geologist Toyin Solanke provides the inspiration for a simple activity demonstrating how oil is formed and how it…
Fortune Tellers
In this Planet Science resource, instructions are given for making a fortune teller so students can make one with their own questions and answers. Attractive templates are provided where the science topic links to a possible career. They can be used to stimulate interest among 9 to 13 year olds and suggest possible careers. The cooking…
Egg Box and Cress Heads
The Egg Box resource is a series of seven eggy experiments from Planet Science for children to investigate. Extra science notes are given with each experiment for parents to discuss with their children. Cress Heads has a further three experiments on growing cress, jumping beans and foil spirals from Planet Science for children…
Science Nursery Rhymes
From Planet Science, this attractively illustrated book of nursery rhymes which adapt traditional rhymes to include a scientific reference. Each nursery rhyme is followed by a brief description of the science which can be deduced from the rhyme. These can be used as starter activities for teaching all primary levels and link well…
Perfectly Printable Puzzles
These themed science puzzles and pictures from Planet Science are designed for young children to colour in and then solve the puzzle. They can be used at home or in school, curriculum information is given for teachers and carers. The puzzles support these subjects: • Biology for three to five year olds • Biology for…
Northern India - Chulas
In this Planet Science resource, students learn about the use of traditional wood stoves, chulas, which are used by the poor in India and lead to health and environmental problems. Students are asked to use scientific knowledge to assess the design of a new chula, discuss the difference between complete and incomplete combustion…
Lucknow India - Curry and Rice Makes You Hot: How?
Dr Srinath Singh, an Indian scientist is investigating how to grow rice which makes less methane which contributes to global warming. In this Planet Science resource, students are asked to discuss Dr Singh’s ideas, to carry out some research to convince farmers his ideas are viable and then to take part in a debate between…
Jaipur, India - Natural Dyes, Paints and Colours
In this Planet Science resource, an introduction on natural and synthetic dyes leads on to activities in which students devise an experiment for making a natural dye and testing its colour fastness. A feature on the Indian painter Shammi Banu and the techniques he uses to use paints made form natural sources like his ancestors is…
University of the United Arab Emirates - Jojoba: Liquid Gold for the 21st Century
In 2000, two Indian scientists persuaded farmers to plant jojoba plants in their fields. In this Planet Science resource, students are asked to research the uses of jojoba oil – for fuels, cosmetics and medicines. They then take part in activities to make adverts for the fuel and cosmetics, to design a leaflet persuading farmers…
London U.K. - Dissolving: The Acid Bath Murderer
The acid bath murderer used strong acid to dispose of the bodies of his victims in the 1940’s. Planet Science uses this gruesome story as a basis for activities which teachers could demonstrate to their students – examining whether small pieces of meat, fat, gristle and bone dissolve in acid and if alkali might be more…
Athens, Greece - Dissolving: Acid Rain
In this Planet Science resource, the effects of acidic gases emitted from power stations and cars on marble statues around the world is the stimulus for demonstrations and activities on acid rain. Students also consider the ethics of Lord Elgin removing the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon and are asked to come up with a solution…
Copenhagen, Denmark - Dissolving: Reactivity of Metals
During the war the gold medals of some Nobel prize winners were dissolved in Aqua Regia to prevent them falling into the hands of the Nazis. This story from Planet Science is used to introduce the fact that some metals (gold being unavailable in schools!) can be dissolved in acids and then reclaimed by electrolysis. Students then…
Egypt, 1st Century BC - Dissolving: The World’s Most Expensive Cocktail
The story of the pearl Cleopatra dropped into vinegar to impress mark Anthony is the basis for an investigation designed by Planet Science into whether pearls (or in this case, oyster shells or sea shells) dissolve in acidic solutions. The resource also explains where pearls come from and the chemistry behind dissolution.
Princeton USA: Can You Really Be a Burger Addict?
This Planet Science resource highlights the problems of fast foods and obesity to students. The stimulus is an American court case where a 56 year old man with diabetes and two heart attacks sued several fast food chains claiming they were responsible for his illnesses. Some scientists believe eating fast food can become an addiction.…
Texas USA: Can Malaria be Defeated by Building Tall Towers?
This resource from Planet Science aims to give students an insight into the problems caused by the disease malaria and to come up with creative solutions to combat the disease. Malaria is a major worldwide life threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes, particularly in hot countries - it kills an African child every…
This House Wants to Clone Britain's Top Footballers to Improve the Standard of Play!
Human cloning involves copying a person’s DNA to create someone who is a clone of that person. In this Planet Science resource, students carry out research into cloning and then take part in a debate. Some students play the roles of believers in human cloning who think the technology will have enormous benefits, which may…
This House Believes in Using the Three Little Pigs to Grow a Heart for the Tin Man
This resource, from Planet Science, discusses xenotransplantation and whether it is a life saver or just plain wrong? The resource provides a number of web links so that teachers and students can research the ethics of organ transplants and the arguments for and against the use of animal organs (xenotransplantation) in order to set…
This House Believes No Invention Has Been Better Than Sliced Bread
The focus of this debate, from Planet Science, is to consider inventions past and present. The resource provides a number of web links so that teachers and students can research the arguments for and against whether the invention of sliced bread (or another invention such as mobile phones) was the greatest ever in order to set up…
This House Believes Pink Brussels Sprouts Should be on the School Canteen Menu
The resource from Planet Science presents the arguments for and against genetic modification of food. It provides a number of web links so that teachers and students can research the arguments for and against the genetic modification of food to set up a classroom debate. The resource is aimed at Key Stage Three students. The Planet…
Science Passport
This Planet Science resource provides an individual record of student achievements at Key Stage Two and therefore provides tangible information to Key Stage Three teachers to build upon that success. A choice of investigations and structured follow-up helps teachers to plan for a more effective primary to secondary transition. Three…
Burn Baby Burn
This Planet Science resource is a crossword on fuels and simple combustion which can be used to assess students' learning. Answers are entered horizontally onto a grid to reveal another word written vertically. A second crossword gives extra clues so it may be more suitable for the less able. The resource is aimed at Key Stage…
Colds and Flu: Sheer Poetry
In this Planet Science resource, students are given a collection of limericks which contain some facts about colds and flu. Each limerick has a question attached to it which students have to answer. This could be used to assess how much students have learned about viruses or as a research exercise using the answer grid given. Finally…
Rocks Word-fit Puzzle
This puzzle, from Planet Science, is a wordsearch revision and literacy exercise aimed at students who have completed work on geological changes at Key Stage Three. There are extra clues for the less able. The puzzle links to the Earth rock hunter game, which is based on a space invaders format and allows students to collect rocks…
The Little Book of Experiments
This resource from Planet Science and the Astra Zeneca Science Teaching Trust features new ideas and fun activities for teachers to do in their classrooms and/or parents to do at home. Teachers can select activities according to the age and level of student or by curriculum area. Parents can select by topic or alphabetically. The…
Lost in Interpretation
These lesson activities from Planet Science are designed to improve students’ scientific literacy in regard to data and its interpretation. The resource encourages students to be critically reflective when data is presented and interpreted by the scientists involved and/or the media and to be aware that this can lead to scare…
The Placebo Effect
This investigation, provided by Planet Science, covers three lessons. The aim of the lessons is to introduce students to the concept of the placebo effect - that something which cannot have any effect does in fact have the same or similar effect as the drug or experiment being tested. This is usually due to the person being tested…
Let’s Get Detoxed: Scientific Claims from Advertising
This resource, from Planet Science, examines the claims made by AquaDetox that toxins can be extracted from the body by electrolysis of a salt solution in which feet are bathed. The lesson activities revise the way in which toxins are removed from the body naturally and use practical work to investigate and question the claims made…
Case Studies
These five case studies, provided by Planet Science, describe the work of people who are not scientists but who use the transferable skills developed in science in their work. The case studies can be used as a follow up to activities one to six, and also to emphasise how important it is to study science. The professions looked…
Who's in My Team?
This activity, from Planet Science, encourages students to collaborate, communicate and work as a team as well as developing their research and presentation skills. Students carry out a piece of social science research in the form of a survey to find out their peers’ opinions on a scientific topic, and work as a team to gather…
Magnificent Spagh-edifices
This activity from Planet Science involves a building task using spaghetti, blu tac and marbles and is designed to show students that challenges in life and in the workplace often require ‘sticking at it’ and managing emotions. Motivation and a drive to succeed are important. The resource is aimed at Key Stage Three students.
The Answer's in the Solution.. Or Is It?
This activity, provided by Planet Science, encourages students to develop their problem solving skills to determine the composition of a mystery powder. They will revise some of the food tests, improve their observation skills, analytical techniques and then use the process of deduction. This resource is aimed at Key Stage Three…