In this simple STEM activity for kids learners will investigate how a balloon can be used as a simple speaker. They will blow up the balloon, tap it and listen to how to sounds travel through it. They will then discuss the outcome of their experiment and explain why the balloon speaker works in the way that it does. This activity could be used as a starter activity to introduce the concept of sound and how it travels, or as one of several activities within a wider scheme of learning focusing on sound. Activity: Balloon speakers This is one of a set of free resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within maths and science. This resource focuses on using a balloon as a simple speaker to amplify sound. What happens when you tap the balloon? What can you hear and feel? Why do you think this is happening? This is a quick and easy STEM activity that will take approximately 15 – 20 minutes. The engineering context Engineers must understand how speakers work in order to successfully design products that use them, such as phones, music players and TVs. Sound engineers must understand how sound can be amplified and transmitted from one place to another. For example, at a concert. Understanding how speakers work is a very important part of this. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this exercise students will know that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium in the ear. They will also be able to use a balloon as a simple speaker and explain how it works. Lastly, they will understand how pushing air closely together affects the volume of sound travelling through it. Download the Balloon speakers 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. 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

Secondary classroom poster where Professor Eleanor Stride explains her innovative research using bubble engineering. Download the single poster or order a full set for free from the IET Education website.

A maths-based challenge to find stations on the rail network based on their journey times Can you use a rail network map to find stations based on journey times? Use your math skills to complete our station hunt activity sheet in this fun STEM challenge for kids! This is one of a series of free resources developed in conjunction with Network Rail to develop understanding and skills in key maths, science, and engineering concepts. Activity: In this fun maths challenge, learners will use a known starting position (station) and a journey time to identify a destination. It will involve adding different combinations of journey times to identify the answer. This activity could be carried out as individuals or in pairs and could be used as a one-off main lesson activity to develop basic maths skills in context. Learners will complete the questions on the activity sheet using the station hunt map as a guide. They should find the starting point station and move along the rail lines, adding up the time as they go along, until they reach their destination station. The transport speeds are estimates based on typical values, found using the most common search engine. Any statistics or data on transport speeds used in this activity are solely for the purpose of this activity and may not be an accurate reflection of actual current times, which may vary due to seasonal, environmental or legal limitations, for example. Additional complexity could be added by adding a set time (for example, 15 minutes) when train changes are needed. As an extension activity, students could work out their own journey time questions and try them on their friends. How long will this activity take? This activity will take approximately 30-50 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Pencils Calculators The engineering context Calculating times is a vital skill that engineers use – it helps them make decisions about the best way to complete a task. For example, it helps aerospace engineers plan how much fuel to carry on a plane to allow it to fly for a long time. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to solve a contextual problem using a time calculation and they will understand how to calculate different journey times between rail stations. Download the free Network Rail maths challenge activity sheet! All activity sheets, worksheets 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

In this activity learners will sketch and annotated design for a sustainable pair of sunglasses aimed at the young professional adults of the future. This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about generating design ideas or sketching, or part of a wider scheme of learning covering design processes and techniques. It could also be used as part of an introduction to sustainability issues, such as the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment. Resources required: A4 or A3 paper, if not using handout Pencils, pens, coloured pencils and sketching tools Optional, if available: 3D CAD software for extension activity Download the activity sheets for free! And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

A set of printable resources and guidance notes giving teachers and technicians the basic ingredients to run their very own Faraday Challenge Day. This cross-curricular activity day brings science, design and technology, engineering and maths together in an engaging way. The IHEEM challenge is based on the IET Faraday® Challenge of the same name from our 2021/22 season of IET Faraday® Challenge Days. Students are given an engineering brief (found in the student booklet) to help IHEEM to design a prototype which could be used in a children’s hospital to make a stay in hospital more comfortable and relaxing for young patients and their families, carers and friends. They will need to demonstrate that they have the engineering skills required to engineer and construct a working prototype of their design and pitch their products to the judges. Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12-13 years (year 8 England, and equivalent), the challenge encourages the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. This activity day can be tailored to the needs of your school and your students by adapting the PowerPoint presentation and the editable student booklet. What’s included? The complete set of downloadable materials includes: Teachers’ pack A list of the practical materials needed, presenters’ notes highlighting key areas and reinforcing key themes throughout the day, some handy hints on how to deliver the day . . . plus printable Faradays currency and student certificates. Student booklet Available as an editable MSWord document to allow the booklet to be adapted to meets the needs of your students and your school. PowerPoint presentation A step-by-step guide for your students throughout the day, with supporting notes for the delivery of the presentation. Film clip Full briefing video introducing the challenge to your students. All online resources are free to download, and the student booklet and PowerPoint presentation are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. And please do remember to share your activity highlights with us @IETeducation

This Primary IET Faraday® DIY Challenge Challenge Day encourages students to consider how engineers work together to solve real-life problems. It enables students to experience the knowledge, understandings and skills engineers use within their work and the ways in which their strengths can be used to achieve an effective outcome. The students will need to work as a team to design a way of getting lighthouse keepers back to the mainland from a lighthouse based on a small island 200 metres from the nearest land. The design will need to use a zip line to carry the keeper safely across the waves which can be high during storms. The students will have access to the Faraday shop and a budget of Faraday money. They will need to plan what resources to buy and manage and record their budget. At times they may need to make decisions about affordability and effective use and should be encouraged to identify alternative, possibly cheaper, approaches to their final designs. At the end of the challenge day students will be asked to present their prototypes by demonstrating how their design could carry the lighthouse keeper safely to the mainland. Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 8-11 years, the challenge encourages the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. This activity day can be tailored to the needs of your school and your students by adapting the PowerPoint presentation and the editable student booklet. The complete set of free downloadable materials includes: Teachers’ pack A list of the practical materials needed, presenters’ notes highlighting key areas and reinforcing key themes throughout the day, some handy hints on how to deliver the day . . . plus printable Faradays currency and student certificates. Student booklet Available as an editable MSWord document to allow the booklet to be adapted to meets the needs of your students and your school. PowerPoint presentation A step-by-step guide for your students throughout the day, with supporting notes for the delivery of the presentation. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Examine and analyse existing products This is one of a set of resources developed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology (DT). This resource focusses on analysing existing products. This could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focussing on the design process. Activity: How to carry out a product analysis In this activity students will learn about two techniques that are commonly used to analyse existing products – the 5 Ws and ACCESS FM. They will discuss the key terms in each of these techniques and use them to investigate familiar products. They will also complete an interactive quiz to test their knowledge. The 5 Ws Who: Who is the user of the product? What: What does the product do? What materials is it made from? Where: Where is the product used? Where was it made? When: When is the product used? Why: Why does the product exist? Why is it designed the way that it is? ACCESS FM A = Aesthetics – How does the product appeal to the five senses? C = Cost – How much does the product cost to make or to buy? C = Customer – Who will buy or use the product? E = Environment – How does the product affect the environment? Is it made from recycled materials? S = Size – What is the length, width and height of the product? S = Safety – Is the product safe to use? F = Function – How does the product work? What does it do? M = Material – What materials and components have been used to make the product? The engineering context Understanding product analysis is vital for budding engineers. It equips them with the ability to evaluate how well products and systems perform their intended functions. By understanding why products are designed the way they are, they can devise better engineering solutions in the future. Suggested learning outcomes Upon completing this activity, students should understand what is meant by ‘product analysis’. They will be able to use the 5 Ws to examine existing products and apply ACCESS FM for detailed analysis. By discussing key terms and investigating familiar products, they will develop a deeper understanding of how products work and how they can be improved. This knowledge will serve as a solid foundation for their own design processes in the future. Download our activity sheets for free! 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. You can download our step-by-step instructions below as both a classroom lesson plan and a PowerPoint presentation. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Making drums and earmuffs from different materials, to test the amount of noise they make and dampen In this engaging STEM activity learners will develop their knowledge and understanding of sound. They will learn how to make a homemade drum using different materials and test how each material affects the sound. They will learn how to make a homemade set of earmuffs using different materials and test how well each material dampens the sound. Musical instruments bring joy and entertainment to millions of people in the world every day, but do you know how they work? Let’s find out! This is one of a set of free STEM resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within maths and science. This resource focuses on making a DIY drum and set of earmuffs, using different materials to investigate their effects on sounds. This activity could be carried out as individuals or in small groups, used as a main lesson activity to develop knowledge and understanding of how sound works, or as part of a wider scheme of learning focusing on sound and musical instruments. An optional extension could be for students to decorate the drum and earmuffs to personalise them and add visual appeal. This exercise will take approximately 70 – 90 minutes. Tools/resources required Container, bowl or bucket for the drum body Different materials for the drum skin, such as plastic bags, tissue paper, normal paper and assorted fabrics Drumsticks (pieces of wood or pencils could be used instead) Strips of card Scissors Different materials for the earmuffs, such as cotton wool, cardboard, foam or polystyrene PVA glue, glue sticks and/or sticky tape The engineering context Sound engineers try to ensure that music is recorded in a way that produces good results for the listener. It is extremely important that they understand how sound is both created and dampened, and which materials work well for this. An understanding of how sound is both created and dampened is vital to the development of products for the music industry. For example, musical instruments, earphones, speakers, and portable music players. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this fun STEM project students will be able to make a drum and test the amount of noise made and a set of earmuffs that test how well they dampen sound. Finally, they will be able to investigate the effects of different materials on sound. 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.

Make a working prototype of a treadle pump that is designed to help people living in remote villages source water. Learners will create a functional and fully operational prototype of a treadle pump designed to lift water from wells in this task. This project aims to enhance their ability to effectively design products that address social needs. It will also improve their manufacturing skills and capacity to choose suitable materials, tools, and equipment. This activity can be utilised as the final part of a four-lesson unit, following the activities “Investigating Problems Faced by People in Remote Areas,” “Methods of Obtaining Water,” and “Card Modelling of a Treadle Pump.” Alternatively, it can be used as a standalone main lesson to provide comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. How long will this activity take? This activity will take approximately 60-120 minutes to complete. Download the activity sheet below for a full lesson plan. The engineering context Integrating social issues into the design process holds significant importance in all GCSE Design and Technology 9-1 courses, as well as the GCSE Engineering 9-1 course. Students are obligated to learn about this crucial aspect. Furthermore, they must also learn about carefully selecting and utilising materials, tools, and equipment to create prototypes. The knowledge acquired through these courses can extend beyond the classroom, finding practical applications in the future when designing and producing products to meet the social needs of individuals and communities. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity, students will be able to manufacture a working prototype of a treadle pump for people living in a remote village, they will be able to select appropriate materials, tools and equipment for the activity, and they will be able to understand the use and application of wasting, joining, forming and finishing techniques. Download the free activity sheet! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Calculate the distance from a village to a potential well position In a large semi-desert area, three small villages are to share a new well. Engineers will create the well by drilling down to the water table. But where should the well be placed? Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity in which students will determine the best location for a well between 3 villages. 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. The related GeoGebra file for this activity can be view on the geoGebra website And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Primary classroom poster summarising the FIRST LEGO League Discovery programme. Download this single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.

Make a non-alcoholic family friendly eggnog this Christmas, and learn about science and mixtures in this quick and easy festive recipe. Learn some amazing scientific facts while making this delicious, creamy Christmas treat - the magic of science is real-life fun! More recently, non-acholic eggnog has become a staple of Christmas celebrations, with Americans drinking over 58 million kilograms each year and Christmas Eve now being named National Eggnog Day. Ingredients needed: 500ml whole milk (swap for unsweetened almond milk if dairy-free or vegan) 200g caster sugar 100ml double cream (swap for full-fat coconut milk if dairy-free or vegan) 100ml water 4 egg yolks (swap for vegan vanilla pudding mix if vegan) 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (remove this ingredient if you are following the vegan recipe) Ice The engineering context Baking is engineering. It is using science, maths and technology skills to engineer and create solutions and new tasty products. Engineers need all these skills – precision in weighing out ingredients, the safety required in the kitchen and product design and quality engineering to test, taste and improve with each delicious creation! Download the free recipe and template! 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. Oh ho ho, and please do share your experiment highlights with us @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

Use card to craft your very own crown - fit for royalty… In this practical STEM activity for kids, students will learn about 3D structures within a graphics context. Learners will have the opportunity to use a template to help them cut out the parts for a crown. This exercise is aimed at primary school students and could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about simple structures made from separate parts. This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within maths and science. This resource is a structure-making activity which involves using graphics media to make and assemble a crown. Parts of this activity may be challenging to some learners as it requires good manual dexterity. Download the activity sheet below for a step-by-step guide on how to construct your own crown using card strips from a template. Once students have made their crown, the teacher will discuss the results of the activity with learners and explain how nets are used to make objects and how separate parts are used to make a larger structure. This activity will take approximately 50 – 80 minutes. Tools/resources required Glue sticks Coloured card Coloured crepe paper Scissors Paper fasteners Decoration materials Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be know what a 3D shape is, they will understand how structures are made using separate parts and they will be able to make and assemble a crown structure from card strips. The engineering context Engineers use nets to allow them to make scale models of their design ideas. Nets are also used to make almost all the card-based packaging we use. Download the free How to make a crown 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. 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

Easy DIY clay teacup project for a celebration This fun STEM activity is a perfect way to get creative with your 4- to 11-year-olds! The free activity sheet guides you through the simple steps to make a clay teacup for a celebration party or commemorative cup to keep or give away as a gift. This activity is mapped to the UK curricula for design and technology and can be done at home or at school as a cheap DIY activity with air-dry clay. Let them develop hands-on skills using a coil pot method and discuss materials as you follow along with the activity steps to discover their inner engineer. This exercise could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about manipulating materials to make products. Download the activity sheet to develop your hands-on practical skills and follow our step-by-step guide on how to make a commemorative cup, using the coil pot method. As an optional extension learners could add decoration to the inside of their cups. This activity will take approximately 60 – 90 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Air-dry clay Yogurt pots or potatoes Felt tip pens Acrylic paint Small container for water/clay mix Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will understand how structures are made using clay and they will be able to make, assemble and decorate a teacup for a celebration. The engineering context Engineers use clay to make 3D models of structures and even products like cars. Automotive engineers will make clay models of new cars to test how streamlined they are in wind tunnels. Download the free Make a DIY clay teacup 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. 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

Secondary classroom poster where your students can find out more about the ‘Engineer a Better World’ campaign. Download or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.