Argue for and against different technological products The ‘Who’s the winner’ scheme of work provides students with an opportunity to collect data which they can use as evidence to debate whether people should be encouraged to engage in computer-based sport activities. This activity provides a context for the scheme, by focusing on the wider issues relating to society and health. It helps set the scene for the ‘question of sport’ unit of activities by providing a ‘big picture’ in relation to the connection between society and health and the development of new technologies. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity which allows students to explore social, ethical, economic and health issues relating to the Nintendo Wii and present their findings in a persuasive, coherent and focussed argument. 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 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

Consider history of energy sources and their pros and cons This lesson plan is designed to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the changing use and types of energy sources over time. It’s an engaging resource that delves into how and why the variety of energy sources used domestically have evolved, offering a broader context for understanding the development of new types of energy sources and the factors propelling these changes. Taking a journey through history, learners will see the evolution of energy sources, from primitive times to the present day. They’ll consider the advantages and disadvantages of different energy types and how technology and societal needs have influenced their adoption. This exploration will provide them with a foundation to understand the importance of new energy sources and the complexities involved in their development. This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within science, maths and design and technology (DT). Activity: Considering the history of different types of energy sources and their pros and cons In this activity, students will create a timeline showcasing the development and implementation of a specific energy source. They’ll start by brainstorming different types of energy sources used throughout history, then discuss how these sources are used in homes. Each team will research their allocated energy source, noting key points in its development, what made it popular, and factors that made it less desirable. The engineering context Every new energy source represents a triumph of engineering – a solution to a problem, an improvement on what came before. This activity will show students how engineers have shaped our energy landscape throughout history. By understanding the challenges and triumphs in developing new energy sources, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the field of engineering and may be inspired to become the problem solvers of the future. Suggested learning outcomes By participating in this activity, students will gain the ability to illustrate how mankind’s energy sources have evolved over time. They’ll understand the factors that necessitated and facilitated the change in our energy sources, and why some alternative sources were adopted faster than others. This comprehensive understanding will enable them to appreciate the complexities of developing new energy sources, and the economic and environmental considerations involved. Download our 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. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation

Design an experiment to test advertisement claims on water filtration equipment Water is crucial to human life, but it can also be a killer. Water contaminated with micro-organisms or chemicals, which is then used for drinking or cooking, is a leading cause of disease and death across the world. Poor facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste water can quickly lead to the spread of dangerous diseases. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links This activity gets students to design an experiment or experiments which will test the claims of companies producing various types of domestic water filtration equipment. It can take 60 - 90 minutes to complete depending on the number of adverts chosen from the ‘Product advertisements’ student handout, and if the related short film is shown as an introduction to the session. You can stream and download this film for free by clicking on the link in the related resources section below. 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 (including film clips!) 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

Explore a range of engineered and smart materials The Materials fit for purpose activity comprises a series of short, focused tasks with a strong emphasis on developing creative thinking. Students explore a range of smart materials to identify why they have been specifically designed and engineered to provide the requisite properties and characteristics for a given purpose. This activity requires students to be creative when applying knowledge and understanding in science to a design and technology context. This has a predominantly design and technology, and engineering focus, although the activities could be used in science, either as starters or extension activities. 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. 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

Students build a communications device and develop a protocol to communicate with each other This is an engaging and practical activity in which students will work in small teams to investigate the necessity of developing standards and protocols for communication using a basic electrical circuit. Their objective is to build a basic communication device and establish communication between teams. Each team should receive a copy of the ‘Building the Communicator’ handout and proceed to assemble their circuits. This activity is a great way to introduce students to the history and practical use of telecommunication while also engaging their creativity and problem-solving skills. How long will this activity take? This activity will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Per team: One non-latching push to make switch Connecting leads One light bulb (3V approx) and holder One 3V power supply (best to use cells so that bulbs do not blow) Supply of crocodile clips The engineering context Telemedicine engineers are professionals who specialise in designing, developing, and implementing technological solutions for remote medical care. They utilise their expertise in engineering, software development, and medical equipment to create systems that enable patients to receive medical care remotely. Telemedicine engineers also work closely with healthcare providers to understand their needs and develop solutions that address their challenges. Telemedicine engineers play a critical role in expanding access to healthcare for patients in remote areas. They contribute to the development of cutting-edge technology that allows medical practitioners to deliver high-quality care to patients from a distance. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to build a simple electrical circuit, design a code for easy transmission of messages between two teams and explain why global protocols are required. 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

With the development of prosthetics progressing all the time, this engineering activity for kids will enable students to find out about the systems and controls, electronics and engineering behind the ever-advancing technologies in prosthetics and body centric communications. This is a great resource to create educational discussions on the ethics of medical robots, body centric antenna as well as prosthetics. Activity introduction Body centric communications have abundant applications in personal healthcare, smart homes, personal entertainment, identification systems, space exploration and military. This topic investigates the driving technology behind body centric communications, explores current health applications of these devices, possibilities for the future and the ethical issues surrounding these advancements. In this activity students are introduced to how the present body centric antenna, plus prosthetic technology, could be compared to science fiction ‘cyborgs’. Students will also be asked to discuss ethical issues around this idea. You could start the discussion by focusing on the positive achievements that are possible using BCAs and prosthetic devices. Then you could progress to the more sinister cyborg possibilities. Draw the discussion together in a plenary and seek a class consensus. Students can use different ethical positions to look at the issues. How would you consider the issues from a utilitarian viewpoint? How about from rights-based, moral duty or selfish ethical positions? As an extension you can run a debate getting the students to adopt contrasting ethical standpoints in favour for and against Cybermen. The engineering context Body centric communications refers to any communication on, within or around the body using wireless technology. Engineers play a key role in the advancement of healthcare as they create access to these life-changing technologies. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this STEM activity students will understand how an antenna turns radio frequency radiation into a voltage and vice versa, they will understand the role of antenna in electronic communications systems. They will also be able to consider ethical standpoints on using advanced technology to control prosthetics. 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 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

Learn about dance floors that generate electricity and consider how output is linked to activity The engineers behind the Watt Nightclub in Rotterdam turn the energy created by clubbers on the dance-floor into power for the lighting. There’s even a giant battery to monitor the energy and encourage the crowd to dance even more. Doing your bit for the environment doesn’t have to be boring! This engaging STEM activity is perfect for KS3 students and gives them the opportunity to develop their understanding of graphs in an engineering context. Students will learn about dance floors that generate electricity and consider how output is linked to activity. There are a number of slides within the presentation that show different graphs and students are invited to develop their own descriptions to explain their shape. Discuss as a class what the amount of electricity is dependent upon (for example, the number of dancers, how energetically they dance). Also discuss how these variables can change, e.g., they can increase steadily, decrease steadily, or vary over time. Some students may raise the issue of the type of music being played. Popular, lively tracks are likely to get everyone on the floor, all dancing energetically, whereas a slower and/or less popular track immediately following will reduce the energy output (as people dance less energetically and/or a number of people go to get a drink, etc.). Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this free resource students will have an understanding of linear functions in practical problems and they will be able to construct linear functions from real-life problems and plot their corresponding graphs. They will also be able to discuss and interpret graphs modelling real-life situations. 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. 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 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.

Students design an ideal set of headphones This is an engaging exercise aimed at secondary school students. This resource will allow learners to understand ergonomics and aesthetics in an authentic context and apply their findings in a creative and challenging way. Students are given the opportunity to think about acoustic engineering and to analyse earphones currently on the market in a structured, detailed, and creative way. They are then encouraged to investigate the potential development of the product. Download our free activity sheet below to view a case study of a pair of Bang & Olufsen earphones. Discuss as a class the styling and marketing of this product. The CAFEQUE (Cost, Aesthetics, Function, Ergonomics, Quality, User, Environment) principles can then be used to analyse them. Using what they have learnt from this product, ask the students to analyse their own headphones/earphones and to produce a critique of them. They should focus on which areas they would develop and why. To support the students, use the ‘Acoustic Engineering’ presentation for assessment criteria that stipulate what is expected in this detailed design-development sheet. These criteria can be developed with the students, using the example as a starting place. Tools/resources required Projector/whiteboard A range of earphones and headphones (these could be provided by the students or collected by the department over time) Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this resource students will understand how to analyse a product. They will also be able to identify areas for development when analysing a product and they will be able to present their design considerations when deciding which areas and features to develop. Download the activity sheets for free! Also available Acoustic Engineering 1 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.

The science behind communication technology From founding communications, such as the fire beacon, to being able to communicate with space, there is no denying that developments in communication have advanced at a rapid speed. This topic presents students with communications of the past, present and future, helping them to understand the principles that form the basis for these developments. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity introducing students to the science behind communication technology, giving them an understanding of some of the vocabulary and concepts used. 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 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

Primary classroom poster highlighting the basic components and symbols in a circuit. Download the single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.

What is sustainable energy? What is a carbon footprint? The “Energy Efficiency” curriculum explores the meaning of these terms and encourages students to research what they can do as a school community to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. The activities use the example of Howe Dell Primary School, which was designed with the principle of sustainability. This provides a framework for students to compare their own school and identify simple energy-saving measures that they can implement to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. By studying Howe Dell Primary School, students can see how cutting-edge technology and science are being used to achieve sustainability goals. Activity overview Show the students the Green School film. Ask them to briefly discuss, as a class, the following questions: What do we mean by “sustainable energy” resources? What types of sustainable energy resources are found in buildings today? What does “carbon footprint” mean, and how is it calculated? What is sustainable energy? Sustainable energy is energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is energy from renewable sources that do not produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants. Sustainable energy is important for a number of reasons. It helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which are a finite resource and produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It also helps to improve air quality and create jobs in the clean energy sector. What is a carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by an individual, organisation, event, or product. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. A carbon footprint can be calculated for any activity or entity. There are several different methods for calculating carbon footprints. They all involve measuring the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during a product or service’s production, transportation, use, and disposal. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity, students will be able to explain what “sustainable energy” and “carbon footprint” mean, and they will be able to describe and explain what sustainable technologies could be used in their school. Download the activity sheets for free! 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

What is sustainable energy? What is a carbon footprint? The “Energy Efficiency” curriculum explores the meaning of these terms and encourages students to research what they can do as a school community to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. The activities use the example of Howe Dell Primary School, which was designed with the principle of sustainability. This provides a framework for students to compare their own school and identify simple energy-saving measures that they can implement to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. By studying Howe Dell Primary School, students can see how cutting-edge technology and science are being used to achieve sustainability goals. Activity overview Show the students the Green School film (available on the IET Education website). Ask them to briefly discuss, as a class, the following questions: What do we mean by “sustainable energy” resources? What types of sustainable energy resources are found in buildings today? What does “carbon footprint” mean, and how is it calculated? What is sustainable energy? Sustainable energy is energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is energy from renewable sources that do not produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants. Sustainable energy is important for a number of reasons. It helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which are a finite resource and produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It also helps to improve air quality and create jobs in the clean energy sector. What is a carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by an individual, organisation, event, or product. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. A carbon footprint can be calculated for any activity or entity. There are several different methods for calculating carbon footprints. They all involve measuring the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during a product or service’s production, transportation, use, and disposal. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity, students will be able to explain what “sustainable energy” and “carbon footprint” mean, and they will be able to describe and explain what sustainable technologies could be used in their school. Download the activity sheets for free! 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

In this lesson, students will learn about the development of aerodynamics through history. It’s an engaging starter activity where students will be introduced to the concepts behind aerodynamic design, including how simple shapes can be tested in a wind tunnel and through water. Learners will explore the basic principles of aerodynamics by looking at familiar products (such as cars) that have been designed for speed. As part of the lesson, students will examine how these products have evolved and how aerodynamic principles have influenced these developments. They’ll be asked to identify common features across different products and understand how these features all contribute to speed. This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in science or design and technology (DT). Activity: Learning about the history of aerodynamics This activity will ask students to research images of a selection of cars and aeroplanes from the 20th and 21st centuries (without looking at exactly when they were made). Students will then try to arrange these images in chronological order and explain their decision-making process based on the aerodynamics of each vehicle. Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan for teaching students about the history of aerodynamics. The engineering context From making the fastest Formula One car, to designing more fuel-efficient aeroplanes, aerodynamics is a fundamental skill for mechanical engineers. By exploring the evolution of cars and airplanes, students will develop an appreciation for how advancements in aerodynamics technology have shaped the look and design of many cars and aeroplanes over the years. Suggested learning outcomes Students will be able to identify trends in the development of aeroplanes and cars. They will gain an understanding of what influenced these developments and be able to explain the role of aerodynamics as part of this. Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation 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. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

What makes one set of headphones better than another? This is a fun STEM activity designed for secondary school students that will allow them to understand ergonomics and aesthetics in an authentic context and apply their findings in a creative and challenging way. These starter activities have been inspired by the ‘Sound Design’ film and focuses upon the development of earphones and headphones. Students are provided with the opportunity to analyse earphones currently on the market in a structured, detailed, and creative way. They are then encouraged to investigate the potential development of this product. Download our free activity sheet for a range of starter activities. These activities are designed to be as flexible as you need them to be – they could form the basis of the lesson or be used as starters for a series of lessons. As an extension to this activity students could complete the main activity in this series titled ‘Acoustic Engineering 2’. Tools/resources required Sound design film (below) Projector/whiteboard A range of earphones and headphones (these could be provided by the students or collected by the department over time) Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand how to analyse a product. They will also be able to identify areas for development when analysing a product and to be able to present their design considerations when deciding which areas and features to develop. 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

From founding communications, such as the fire beacon, to being able to communicate with space, there is no denying that developments in communication have advanced at a rapid speed. This topic presents students with communications of the past, present and future, helping them to understand the principles that form the basis for these developments. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity introducing students to the differences between analogue and digital communication. An analogue signal can be rendered useless by small amounts of interference, whereas a digital signal remains coherent. 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

This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons to create a working prototype of a step counter. Walking is an excellent form of exercise that most people can take part in. The average person walks 3000-4000 steps per day. The National Health Service in the UK has set a challenge for each person to walk 10,000 steps per day. This can be counted using a step counter or stepometer. In this unit of learning, learners will integrate a BBC micro:bit based programmable system into a complete and commercially viable step counter product, that will aid people taking part in this challenge. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will integrate a BBC micro:bit based programmable system into a working product prototype. 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. 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

Creating designs for novel products using magnets In this fun STEM activity students will learn about how magnets can be used to attract or repel each other. They will use their knowledge of how they work to identify and sketch design ideas for two novel products that make use of magnets and magnetism. This resource is a great way for KS2 students to learn all about magnets and could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on magnets and magnetism. It can also be used in conjunction with other IET Education resources, developed alongside the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. 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 science and design and technology. This resource focuses on identifying and sketching design ideas for innovative products that make use of magnets. This activity could be completed as individuals or in small groups. This activity will take approximately 40-60 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Bar magnets with N and S poles marked Modelling materials (for extension activity) Pencils, pens and sketching equipment CAD software (for extension activity) Modelling tools and equipment (for extension activity) Magnetic forces Magnets are made from materials such as iron and nickel and they have a north pole and a south pole. When the north pole of a magnet is placed near the south pole of another magnet, they will attract each other. When two poles that are the same are placed near each other, they will repel each other. For example, north to north and south to south. The engineering context Engineers need to know the properties of magnets, which materials are magnetic and which materials are non-magnetic. This knowledge could be used when identifying and creating potential solutions to future engineering problems. For example, when developing green transport solutions. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to describe magnets as having two poles, they will understand how magnets attract or repel each other and they will be able to identify and design ideas for products that make use of magnets. Download the free Magnetic forces STEM 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

Making a cradle using magnets that repel each other Newton’s cradle uses swinging spheres to show how the conservation of momentum and the conservation of energy works. The device was named after Sir Isaac Newton and designed by French scientist Edme Mariotte. 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 science and design and technology. This resource focuses on producing a magnetic Newton’s cradle that uses magnets which repel each other instead of the usual metal spheres. This is a great way for students to learn all about magnets and could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on magnets and magnetism. It can also be used in conjunction with other IET Education resources, developed alongside the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. This activity will take approximately 65-90 minutes. Tools/resources required Circular magnets with holes in the middle (with N and S poles) 150 mm lengths of dowel 75 mm lengths dowel 100 – 120 mm long pieces of string (6 per unit being built) Masking tape Example of a ‘regular’ Newton’s cradle. Scissors Hot glue guns, if appropriate Magnetic forces Magnets are made from materials such as iron and nickel and they have a north pole and a south pole. When the north pole of a magnet is placed near the south pole of another magnet, they will attract each other. When two poles that are the same are placed near each other, they will repel each other. For example, north to north and south to south. The engineering context Engineers need to know the properties of magnets, which materials are magnetic and which materials are non-magnetic. This knowledge could be used when identifying and creating potential solutions to future engineering problems. For example, when developing green transport solutions. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to describe magnets as having two poles – north and south, they will understand that magnets either attract or repel each other and they will be able to make and test a ‘magnetic’ Newton’s cradle. Download the free How to make a magnetic Newton’s cradle 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

Carry out an experiment to measure how the light from a torch changes with the distance from a lamp In this activity learners will carry out an experiment to measure how the light from a torch changes with the distance from the lamp. They will record their results in a table and plot a graph. Activity: How Does the Light from a Torch Change with Distance? 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 science, design and technology, and maths (in this case, mainly science). This resource focuses on the investigation of how the light from a torch (flashlight) changes with distance. This activity is designed to be carried out in small groups. It is recommended that the teacher carry out the activity in advance of the lesson, to determine whether the distances suggested give sufficient (or excessive) spread of the light image, as this will be determined by the design of the torch used. It is recommended that new batteries are used in the torch, as the light intensity may be affected by the amount of charge remaining in the batteries. This could be used as a one-off activity in science or linked to maths learning about tables and graphs. This activity will take approximately 40-60 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Graph paper Masking tape Tape measures Torches/flashlights (with new batteries) Pencils (for extension) laser pointer (for extension) cut-out templates of simple shapes (e.g. square, triangle, circle), mounted on craft sticks The engineering context Engineers need to understand how light behaves when designing products for many practical applications. For example, when designing buildings, they may consider the provision of windows and artificial lighting; and when designing cars, they may consider the power and position of both internal and external lights and the placement of mirrors. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to carry out a scientific experiment and they will understand that the distribution of light from a torch changes with distance. 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 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

This fun STEM resource focuses on making shadow puppets while nurturing an understanding of the relationship between light and shadow. We’ve created this shadow puppet experiment to support the teaching of key topics within design and technology (D&T) and science as part of the primary national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2). This resource focuses on making shadow puppets and developing supporting knowledge about the relationship between light and shadow. This could be used as a one-off activity in D&T or science or linked with the IET primary activity ‘How does the light from a torch change with distance?’, which involves measuring how the distribution of light varies with distance from the light source. It could also be used in conjunction with learning in literacy – for example, creating puppets to perform a story being studied. Activity: Making shadow puppets Learners will make a shadow puppet using card, craft sticks and sticky tape. This not only makes learning about shadow puppets fun but also fosters creativity and storytelling skills among learners at the KS2 level. Tools/supplies needed: Card (photocopies of handouts, if used) Masking tape Craft sticks Tracing paper (for screen) Large boxes (for extension activity) Scissors Torches The Engineering Context Engineers often have to consider how light behaves when designing products for practical applications. For instance, the positioning of windows and artificial lighting in buildings, or the power and placement of lights and mirrors in vehicles, are all influenced by an understanding of light and shadow. This activity will give learners an insight into these considerations. Suggested learning outcomes Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation. Visible light is the range of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen with a human eye. Light’s brightness, or intensity, is typically measured as the power per unit area. Any object that blocks the path of light causes a shadow. This activity therefore offers a blend of scientific learning, practical skills, and creative expression, making it a comprehensive educational experience. Specifically, children will learn that blocking the path of light causes a shadow, and they’ll be able to use scissors to make a graphic product. Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources 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 nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.