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Design, engineering and technology
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Design a football robot referee
Designing a robot that can perform the duties of an assistant referee during a football game
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of football on the moon to design a robot that can perform the duties of an assistant referee during a game in the ‘Lunar League’. They will consider the challenges associated with playing football on the moon and the duties of an assistant referee. They will then produce a labelled sketch of their idea to meet a set of design criteria.
This is one of a series of resources that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of football on the moon to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on learners designing a robot to act as an assistant referee during a game of football on the moon.
The teacher will introduce the theme of playing football on the moon and the challenges that would be faced when doing this, before explaining the task to learners and introducing the design brief. Learners will then have time to sketch their design ideas and report back to the class on their successes and failures and what they would do differently if they were to repeat the task.
As an extension learners can design a logo for the Lunar League that could be shown on the side of the robot assistant referee; produce a model and prototype of the design idea, using electronics to make it functional; and/or design a robot referee for the games of football to be played on the moon.
This activity is designed to take between 50-80 minutes.
The engineering context
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we play sports and keep fit?
Engineers have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure that their work is sustainable and that they do not negatively impact the environment. This includes the use of sustainable energy sources to power products.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand the challenges associated with playing football on the moon; understand the roles and responsibilities of an assistant referee in a game of football; and be able to design a robot that can perform the duties of an assistant referee for a game of football on the moon.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Design a robot to draw lines on a pitch
Sketching an idea and writing a microcontroller program for the line painting robot to follow
This resource focusses on robotics engineering where learners design and write a program for a robot that could mark out the pitch lines for a game of football.
Students will produce a labelled sketch of their idea and write a microcontroller program for the electronic aspects of the robot.
This is one of a series of resources that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of sports to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Engineering.
The teacher will introduce the theme of playing football on the moon and the challenges that would be faced when doing this, before explaining the robot design worksheet and task ahead to design and assemble their robot and then program it to complete the task assigned.
This activity is designed to take between 90-140 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Pens, pencils and coloured pencils
Crumble controller board and USB download cable
Three red crocodile clips and three black crocodile clips
Three AA batteries and battery pack
Two Crumble motors
Crumble software and computer hardware for programming
The engineering context
Electrical, electronic and control engineers need to have knowledge, understanding and skills associated with circuit design and assembly, and the programming of electronic control systems.
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we play sports and keep fit?
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand the challenges of living and playing football on the moon; be able to produce a labelled sketch of a design for a moon based pitch marker robot and be able to write a program for the electronics of the orbit, so it can mark out the pitch.
All activity sheets and supporting resources to design a robot are free online to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Energy transfer
Explore energy transfer and energy efficiency using wind turbines
The concept of energy transfer is brought to life in this activity, showing students how the kinetic energy of wind can be harnessed to power homes and businesses. Windmills and wind turbines are based upon the principle of trying to create a shape where air flow causes the maximum possible change in kinetic energy. The hands-on nature of this task, which involves modifying a basic wind turbine to generate electricity, will appeal to students’ curiosity and creativity.
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology (DT).
Tools/resources needed
Electric fans
Turbines at 5 angles (Most blades can be bought as kits, or partial kits can be purchased where students can build their own blades)
Wires
Rulers
Crocodile clips
Voltmeter
Ammeter or multimeter
Model Generator
Activity: Explore energy transfer and energy efficiency using wind turbines
This activity gives students the opportunity to explore how the energy efficiency of turbines is directly affected by their design (shape and angle, which can be determined through the study of aerodynamics).
The engineering context
This activity provides a real-world context, introducing students to the principles of aerodynamics and energy efficiency in engineering design. As they explore how the shape and angle of turbine blades affect energy conversion, they’re learning vital principles relevant to fields such as renewable energy engineering, mechanical engineering, and environmental engineering.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students should be able to describe how energy is transferred using turbines and explain the importance of efficiency in devices. They will have designed an investigation to determine the relationship between efficiency and turbine design (shape and angle). Students will also have developed critical thinking skills as they control variables and analyse results to improve accuracy. In addition, they’ll gain a broader understanding of renewable energy resources, highlighting the need to develop alternative ways to generate electricity.
Download our activity sheet and related teaching resources
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Create a foldable football goal
Designing and making a foldable goal that could be transported to and used in Lunar football matches
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of football on the moon to design and make a model of a foldable goal for use in a Lunar league football game. They will consider the issues with playing football on the moon and transporting equipment to it. They will then design and make a model of a goal that could be folded into a tube for transport, then opened up and used.
This is one of a series of resources that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of football on the moon to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on learners designing and making a model of a foldable goal that could be transported to, and then used for a game of football on the moon.
The teacher will introduce the theme of playing football on the moon and the challenges that would be faced when doing this, before explaining the design brief and task ahead to design, make and test a model goal.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by providing templates for the shape of the goals and/or pre-cutting the straws and string into required sizes.
As an extension students could organise a Lunar Football League with other groups in the school; design and make a model of a space rocket to get your goals to the moon and/or design foldable equipment for other sports, such as Rugby goals or a cricket sightscreen.
This activity is designed to take between 60-100 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Paper straws
Scissors
String (or wool)
Ruler
Pencils
A bamboo skewer or similar thin rod
Sticky tape
A cardboard tube (E.g. the inside of a cling-film/tin foil roll)
A small ball, such as a table tennis ball
The engineering context
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we play sports and keep fit?
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand the challenges of living and playing football on the moon; design and make a model of a foldable goal; and understand the function of different shapes of structure.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Smart and modern materials
The new materials changing the way we live
Discover and explore the new materials changing the way we live with our Smart and modern materials activity.
The development of new materials with incredible properties are changing the way we live: from LCD TVs to super light airliners, these materials have quickly found their way into pretty much all of the modern technology around us.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this practical lesson, students conduct different tests on a selection of materials and identify each one from its properties. The tests include Eureka cans, electrical circuits, and other interesting investigations to test the density, hardness, magnetic and conductive properties of materials. This activity can be tailored to include tests that best investigate the properties of the materials you have available.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
Tools/resources required
Resources required for class:
Samples of 8 to10 different materials, with more than one sample of each if possible. All the samples should be able to fit in the available eureka cans
Access to accurate weighing scales
Safety glasses.
Resources required per team:
HB pencil, copper coin*, knife**, iron nail, small steel file
Eureka can and an accurate measuring cylinder
A magnet
Powerpack/battery pack, 3 leads, light bulb and holder, crocodile clips
A pad of sticky notes.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
To watch the ‘Nature reinvented’ video, please visit IET Education website.
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Maths for D&T poster
Secondary classroom poster where your students can find out about the equations and formulae needed for D&T.
Download the single poster or order the full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.
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Design the trainers of the future
Designing footwear for sports use
Trainers are one of the most commonly worn shoes in our culture. They provide comfortable support for our feet as we go about our active lives as students, athletes, educators and engineers. The design of trainers (and all athletic shoes) is based on how they will be used and is an example of bioengineering.
This activity introduces the concept of research through product analysis to support the design process. The main activity involves designing a trainer.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this activity, learners will use the theme of the London Marathon to respond to a design context, investigate existing products for inspiration and design a trainer.
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to develop skills in designing. It could also be used to introduce the review of existing products to inspire design solutions.
Tools/resources required
Pens, pencils and drawing instruments
Variety of trainers/shoes for comparison
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation
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Calculate energy use at home
Calculating the energy used by different electrical appliances and devices within the home
In this activity learners will calculate the energy usage of different electrical appliances. They will first calculate the power consumption using P = I V, then use the results of these calculations to work out how much energy each uses in kilowatt hours (kWh).
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach about electrical power and energy, and how each are calculated. It could also be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focussing on electricity and the National Grid or as an exercise to use mathematical skills in a practical context.
This is one of a series of resources developed in association with the National Grid ESO, to allow learners to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on calculating the energy usage of different appliances and considering how this could be reduced. National Grid ESO ensure that Great Britain has the essential energy it needs by ensuring supply meets demand every second of every day.
This activity is designed to take between 40-70 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Writing implements (pens or pencils)
Calculators
The engineering context
Engineers have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure that their work is sustainable and that they do not negatively impact the environment. This includes reducing energy consumption wherever possible. As such, it is important that all engineers understand how products and systems are powered and how much energy they use.
Power engineering is a very important field which focusses on how energy is generated, transmitted and used by homes and businesses. There are lots of well-paid and rewarding careers available in this area.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to calculate the power consumption of different appliances using P = I V; calculate the energy consumption of different appliances; and be able to show calculated data as part of a table.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Engineering prosthetics
Discuss the work of medical engineers and the use of smart materials for prosthetics
The development of new materials with incredible properties is changing the way we live. From LCD TVs to super light airliners, these materials have quickly found their way into pretty much all of the modern technology around us. One area where modern materials have made a huge impact is in the development of prosthetic devices. Some of these devices are beginning to outperform ‘natural’ body parts.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity is a quick, engaging introduction to a lesson looking at the properties of modern materials. With the help of a series of short videos ‘Nature Reinvented’, ‘Prosthetic design’ and ‘Bionic Limbs’, students make the connection between materials, prosthetics and the way in which engineers work.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Aerodynamics in action
Through this fun and engaging STEM activity, learners will understand how aerodynamic and streamlined shapes are used in our day to day lives and the design, technology, and engineering principles behind them.
This is a free resource aimed at secondary school children. Students will have the opportunity to learn about aerodynamic forces and aerodynamic design and how these design principles enhance speed and efficiency in a product. A brilliant engineering activity for kids.
Students will start to understand the basic principles of aerodynamics by looking at familiar products that have been designed with ‘speed’ in mind and through identifying features common to these products.
Later, they could start to explore the requirements of aerodynamic design through testing simple shapes in a wind tunnel and through water. The activity focuses on students acquiring an understanding of aerodynamics through testing, experimenting, and developing.
This activity is designed to be taught through science and design and technology simultaneously, as a cross-curricular project. However, it can also be tackled independently from each subject.
What do the images have in common? Why have they been designed in that shape? Could they be split into themed groups?
As an extension students could be asked to consider the social/economic and technological benefits (and drawbacks) of each example. This will give some reasoning behind the development of the final design and illustrate how there are many different factors affecting the design.
The engineering context
Aerodynamics refers to the way air moves around things. Anything that moves through the air reacts to aerodynamics. Aerodynamics acts on aeroplanes, rockets, kites and even cars!
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to identify areas where aerodynamics is used in real life and they will be able to describe the social/economic and technological effect of the work.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Cybersecurity poster
Secondary classroom poster where your students can find out about cybersecurity and how it affects the world we live in.
Download the single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.
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Gear ratios
In this activity learners will carry out a practical investigation to investigate how spur gears work, including calculation of simple gear ratios and assembling models of simple gear trains.
Gears are used to change the speed at which something turns. A series of gears that turn each other are called a ‘gear train.’
This resource has been developed with the support of the Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre and focuses on the role of gears in a mechanism. The main activity involves making a series of spur gears to calculate gear ratios and see them working.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity, to introduce the concept of gears in D&T or the practical use of ratios in maths, or as part of a project/series of lessons creating a mechanised object.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.
Tools/resources required
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Sharp pencil
• Card and Split pins
• Blu Tack (for piercing the card safely)
• Cardboard (Alternative: foam board and thumb tacks)
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
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Spaghetti bridge
Building a bridge from spaghetti
Working in teams, participants have 45 minutes and 15 pieces of spaghetti to build a bridge. How to make a bridge? Teamwork with spaghetti! After this time, the structures are put to the test to see which is the strongest by hanging an increasing load from each bridge until it fails.
Bridges are structures that are designed to support a load, such as the cars and lorries that need to cross above a river. The structure of a bridge has a significant affect upon its strength and its stiffness. A bridge made from square shapes can be made significantly more rigid and less likely to collapse by adding reinforcement to form triangles. This principle is widely used in civil engineering.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity could be used in Key Stage 2 as a stand-alone design and technology or maths activity, as a focused task to develop skills in the use of the glue gun, or as part of a structures project investigating bridges. This hands-on STEM playing and learning resource is science and maths for KS2.
Tools/resources required
1-2 packets of spaghetti
Glue guns (one per team)
Optional:
Baseboards or A3/A4 pieces of cardboard for use as baseboards when using glue guns
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
![IETEducation](https://d2w4qhtqw2dbsq.cloudfront.net/profile_live/3108890/small.jpg)
Microwaves and health
Explore the risks associated with exposure to microwaves
Living in a highly technological world, where access to information and entertainment is at our fingertips, the Inform and Entertain Me topic is a gateway to engage and introduce students to the principles and technology that form the basis for communication devices that are used in our everyday lives.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This engaging activity allows students to explore the hazards and risks associated with exposure to microwaves. A microwave monitor is used to measure the microwave radiation from a microwave oven and a working mobile phone at a range of distances.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
![IETEducation](https://d2w4qhtqw2dbsq.cloudfront.net/profile_live/3108890/small.jpg)
Design a jetpack
Consider how a jetpack works and sketch an idea for a wearable jetpack
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of football on the moon to design a jetpack that can be worn by either the players or referee during a moon football game. They will look at jetpack design and the different parts of a jetpack. They will then sketch an idea for a wearable jetpack for use during the game.
This is one of a series of resources that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of football on the moon to develop their knowledge and skills in Science, Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on learners looking at jetpack aviation to design a jetpack that the players or referee can use during a game of football on the moon.
The teacher will introduce the theme of playing football on the moon and the challenges that would be faced when doing this, before introducing and explaining how a jetpack works. Learners will then have time to go through the design brief and sketch their design ideas before reporting back to the class in an informal style or as part of a formal presentation.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by providing sentence starters for annotations/labelling of sketches and/or providing templates for learners to draw around, such as images of the referee and players.
As an extension learners can make a life size model of the jetpack or design a spacesuit to be work by the players and/or referee.
This activity is designed to take between 50-80 minutes.
The engineering context
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we play sports and keep fit?
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to design a wearable jetpack for a game of football on the Moon; know the different parts of a jetpack; and understand how jetpacks function and the technology needed to make them work.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Design an astronauts menu
Selecting and comparing foods for a spaceflight to the moon
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of travelling to the moon to design a menu that is suitable for astronauts. They will experiment with different types of food and test their suitability for space travel. They will then decide what food astronauts eat in space and create a menu that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for space travellers, and considering ready to eat food packages… And don’t forget the salt and pepper!
The teacher will introduce the activity and the theme of lunar travel and exploration and finding out about food in space, before playing a video for students to watch. Teachers will then introduce the design brief and set students the task of designing an astronauts’ menu.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by providing partially completed menu ideas to guide learners; providing premeasured ingredients to reduce the chance of errors when designing the menu; and/or providing foods that are suitable rather than asking learners to bring examples in from home.
As an extension students could design packaging for each of the food items in their menu and/or discuss ways of storing the packaged food on a spacecraft, so it is kept safe on the way to the moon.
This activity is designed to take between 55-80 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Pens and pencils
Zipper seal bags of all sizes
Aluminium foil
Plastic wrap
Recyclable storage containers
Plastic shopping bags
Masking tape
Markers
Portion sizes of food for tasting
The engineering context
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we eat and prepare food, how will we develop the facilities to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives?
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand the main considerations when designing a menu for astronauts; know the types of food that are suitable for space travel and be able to test and develop ideas for a menu for astronauts going to the moon.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Make a terrarium to grow grass on the moon
Grow grass in a terrarium to use on a football pitch on the Moon
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of football on the moon to make an experiment of terrarium, so that grass can be grown for a lunar football game.
This is one of a series of resources that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of football on the moon to develop their knowledge and skills in Science, Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on making a closed terrarium with glass jars to show how grass could be grown on the moon, therefore overcoming some of the external temperature issues of growing grass in this environment.
The teacher will introduce the activity and the theme of travelling to the moon, before discussing the challenge with learners. Teachers can carry out demonstrations at stages throughout the lesson to show what is required and check that all learners understand and carry actions out in the correct order.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by providing pre-measured amounts of materials and marked jars for learners to fill to.
As an extension students can discuss and experiment with the effects of rotating the jars. What would happen if this didn’t take place? Students could also have a go at identifying other plants that could be grown in the terrarium for use on the moon e.g. food plants.
This activity is designed to take between 35-65 minutes plus growing time and of course, caring for your terrarium.
Tools/resources required
Clean jam jar and lid
Activated charcoal
Stones
Soil
Grass seed
The engineering context
Travelling and potentially living on the moon presents all sorts of challenges for engineers to overcome. For example, how will we breathe, how will we cope with much lower gravity, how will we play sports and keep fit? How will we grow plants, grass and food?
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand the concept of living organisms surviving on the Moon; set up an experiment to grow grass in a terrarium and be able to evaluate the findings of the experiment.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
![IETEducation](https://d2w4qhtqw2dbsq.cloudfront.net/profile_live/3108890/small.jpg)
Explore electrical resistance
Testing the electrical resistivity of different materials
In this activity learners will make use of the theme of electrical resistance to experiment with an electronic circuit. They will learn how to use an electronic multimeter and will then apply their skills to test the electrical resistivity of various materials.
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach about resistors and their use. It could also be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focussing on the selection of materials for different applications.
This is one of a series of resources developed in association with the National Grid ESO, to allow learners to use the theme of electronics to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Science. This resource focusses on practical experiments investigating the resistance of different materials. National Grid ESO ensure that Great Britain has the essential energy it needs by ensuring supply meets demand every second of every day.
The teacher will explain what is meant by resistance and then explain the task to the learners through a series of practical hands-on activities. At the end of the session the teacher will get the learners back together to discuss their findings.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by setting up the multimeter in advance to the correct range before handing to learners.
This activity is designed to take between 45-70 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Multimeters (digital or analogue)
Assorted resistors, including 33kΩ
Breadboards
Crocodile clips
Pencils and paper
Glass of water
Table salt
Selection of materials (for the extension activity)
The engineering context
Many components, such as integrated circuits, can be damaged by high current. An understanding of resistance allows electrical engineers to select resistors to protect these components, ensuring the effective and continued operation of the electronic devices.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to choose materials based on their resistivity; understand the basics of resistance; and be able to use electronic devices to measure resistance.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Make a flood barrier system
Design and make a circuit to detect an overflow from a river and raise a temporary barrier using Crumble
This is one of a series of resources produced in association with Fairfield Control Systems that are designed to allow learners to use the theme of waterways to develop their knowledge and skills in Design & Technology and Engineering. This resource focusses on designing and making a programmable electronic system to control a flood barrier.
This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by providing a partially completed template for producing the systems block diagram; pre-download the example program onto the Crumble microcontroller boards; and/or provide a diagram to aid with system assembly.
As an extension students could design a mechanical system to convert the rotary motion from the motor to the movement of a barrier; update the program to take account of this mechanical movement (e.g. the time needed to move the barrier); and/or add light or sound outputs to the system to warn people when the barrier is moving.
This activity is designed to take between 70-110 minutes.
Tools/resources required
Crumble controller board and USB download cable
Three red crocodile clips and three black crocodile clips
Three AA batteries and battery pack
Crumble motor
Bowl of water for testing
To make a moisture sensor:
Copper tape
Card
Sticky tape
Scissors
The engineering context
The waterways (including their protection, maintenance and control) is an excellent context to explore opportunities that working in the engineering industry presents. For example, designing and making control systems that help the waterways to work more effectively.
Electrical, electronic and control engineers need to have knowledge, understanding and skills associated with circuit design and assembly, and the programming of electronic control systems.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will be able to design and make an electronic control system for a flood barrier; understand how block diagrams are used to represent systems; and be able to use programmable components to solve a real engineering problem.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
![IETEducation](https://d2w4qhtqw2dbsq.cloudfront.net/profile_live/3108890/small.jpg)
Changing perceptions with design
Developing a marketing and branding campaign for Pure Water
An essential part of a product’s identity is the logo that is used to represent it. In this activity, students will work on developing a ‘marketing and branding’ campaign for a drinking water product by Pure Water. The campaign will need to design the overall package for the scheme, including logos, slogans, adverts, podcasts, posters etc. As a class, brainstorm what the essential criteria are for an effective logo. Then participants generate a range of ideas select their best idea and develop this in a suitable form.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity requires participants to apply understanding of creative thinking, product development and graphic design to a design and technology context.
Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
Tools/resources required
Projector/whiteboard
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
To watch the ‘Pure water’ video, please visit the IET Education website.