Design and make a card model of a car body from a net In this engaging engineering activity for kids, pupils will learn about nets, wheels, and axles. They will combine these technologies to make the base and body for a cardboard car. This activity introduces and builds on knowledge of nets to make a complex three-dimensional shape suitable for the body shell of a car. It could be used at KS1 to develop practical skills making nets. Pupils may want to customise their car bodies by adding colour or graphics. However, please note that this needs to be done before the body is stuck together. Furthermore, it can reduce the risk of tearing if this is done before the net is cut out. As an optional extension, students could also customise the design of their vehicles, or even design their own body shells. The fold lines on the handout are all ‘valley’ folds – that means they are on the inside angle when produced. If they were on the outer face they could be referred to as hill folds. This activity will take 30-60 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Copies of the car body handout, printed on card, 1 per pupil (plus spares) Scissors Glue sticks Optional: Sticky tape or double sided sticky tape Coloured pencils Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Pre-made model of the example shape, for demonstration (this could be made large size, for example by printing out on A3 card) The engineering context Nets are used to make almost all forms of card packaging, ranging from simple cereal boxes with clear polymer ‘windows’, to display stands. A large supermarket may contain hundreds of thousands of different nets! Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity learners will know that 3D shapes can be constructed from nets using folds and tabs and they will be able to make a complex 3D shape from a 2D net. Download the activity sheets for free! 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

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.

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 to KS3 science materials Using the short video ‘Bionic Limbs’, this activity is a quick, engaging introduction to a KS3 science materials lesson looking at the properties of modern materials. It encourages students to think about how technology is changing our society by generating their own ideas for prosthetic devices that they think will be realistic in the near future. There are takeaways for KS4 biology and KS3 product design. 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. Download the activity sheet and quiz 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.

Design a sports wheelchair for a Marathon race This activity is focused on the design of racing wheelchairs, but also develops understanding about the use of search engines. It considers the use of different search terms when using internet-based research using search engines and how this affects the outcomes of the search. The main activity involves designing a racing wheelchair considering key aspects to enhance its performance. The first London Marathon wheelchair race took place in 1983 in which 19 people took part with 17 completing the race. The winner, Gordon Perry, set a winning time of just over 3 hours and 20 minutes. With the advancements in engineering and technology since that date, wheelchair racing has come a long way, and in 2021, Marcel Hug won the London Marathon’s men’s wheelchair race setting a new course record with a time of just over 1 hour and 26 minutes! 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 the context on the internet and design a wheelchair for sports use. This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to develop skills in designing. It could also be used to teach learners about how to search the internet effectively to gain the information that is most applicable to their requirements. 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 Pens, pencils and drawing instruments Computer access for internet searching 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.

Explore the body parts that can be replaced with prosthetic devices With the constant advancement in materials and prosthetic technology, this engineering activity for kids explores different materials and their suitability in the use of prosthetics for different body parts. Students will gather data on different materials to create a presentation that can be used to discuss new materials and the part that they play in the development of prosthetic devices. This free STEM resource is aimed at secondary school students. Students will be encouraged to think about how technology is changing our society. This lesson can be introduced by talking about skeletons. An anatomical skeleton can be used as a prop. Do you know what can be done when joints wear out in our skeletons? Students will be divided into teams and asked to come up with a list of body parts that can be replaced with prosthetic devices. Each team will explain their results to the rest of the class. Students can vote for the device they think is most likely to be made in the future. This activity will take roughly 15 minutes to complete. The engineering context 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 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. The resources within this, and the related activities, encourage students to investigate the properties of smart materials and carry out some data manipulation. Students will also explore the possible moral and ethical issues associated with people potentially choosing to replace healthy body parts with artificial prostheses because they offer higher performance. Suggested learning outcome By the end of this activity students will be able to explain what joints are and how they work. They will also be able to suggest links between modern technology and health. 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

IET Faraday® DIY Challenge Day This engineering challenge for kids aims to create a device that consistently serves table tennis balls to a player so that they can practice their skills at the table tennis table. By creating this brilliant machine, a player can practice table tennis on their own while the machine serves back to them. Activity introduction The Faraday Challenge ‘Table Tennis Server’ has been designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12 – 13 years (year 8, and equivalent). Each team will be asked to assign: a team leader; an accountant; an assessment coordinator; two scientists; two mathematicians; two design and technologists; manufacturers and designers. Each team member will need to be assigned more than one role and feed into different aspects of the day. You can adapt this set of resources for larger numbers of students if, for example, you wish to run the event for the whole year group. If this is the case, you will need to increase the number of team booklets and practical resources appropriately. We have provided a set of printable resources and guidelines 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 (STEM) together in an engaging way. The 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. Introductory PowerPoint presentation A step-by-step guide for your students throughout the day, with supporting notes for the delivery of the presentation, including links to the related film clips. The engineering context Table tennis is a growing sport in the UK. Practice, as with most things, is the key to improving at the sport. The only problem is that it is hard to practice on your own. Being able to return service is often what provides the edge in terms of winning and losing. Within this challenge, students will work in teams to design and make a prototype device that will serve tennis balls consistently across a table tennis table. The server must fit securely on the edge of the table and serve at least four balls accurately and precisely in the same position, and allow the ball to be returned. Download the activity sheets for free! All online resources (including film clips!) 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. For additional related videos, please visit the IET Education website.

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.

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.

In this engineering activity, students will work in groups to share their knowledge of the use of technology in sport. They will each give a 60 second presentation about the topic to their group. This task is aimed at secondary school students and could be used as a starter activity with ‘Create a portable beep tester’ as the main activity. It is an ideal exercise for learners to both demonstrate and develop their knowledge of the topic of technology in sport, and share with their peers. Activity introduction This activity encourages learners to recall information, helps learners develop their oral presentation skills and encourages learners to work together to develop their knowledge. The teacher will first state to students that they will be demonstrating their existing knowledge of the use of technology in sport. They will also be developing their knowledge further by working with other learners in this group and listening to their presentations. Learners will be expected to work in teams of four. Their topic to talk about will be ‘the use of technology in sport’. Each learner in the group will, in turn, speak about this topic to their team for 60 seconds. They must try not to hesitate, deviate or repeat any information! Each group of four will write a summary of the main points learnt and read it out the class. This can be both in terms of knowledge of the topic and oral presentation techniques used. The engineering context Sports Technology is an ideal topic for teaching about programmable components and embedded intelligence in products. These are key parts of the 2014 programme of study for Design and Technology at key stage 3. It is also an ideal vehicle for using the BBC micro:bit in the classroom and developing the product integration skills of learners. Technology in sport This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Technology can be used in sports to enhance performance and help participants to improve their fitness and stamina. For example, automated beep tests can be used to monitor fitness levels during training sessions and set targets for future improvement. In this unit of learning, students will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for an electronic beep test that can be used to help people monitor and improve their fitness levels. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to describe how technology can be used in sport, present an oral presentation on the topic of technology in sport and they will be able to work as part of a team to develop their knowledge of technology in sport. Download the activity sheets for free! And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.

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.

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.

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

Testing fitness to decide whether people should engage in computer-based sport With such a wide variety of fitness-based computer games available, this engineering activity for kids encourages children to collect data to find out if video games for fitness have the desired effect on fitness levels. Do technology games really enhance fitness? Can you increase your fitness levels by being in front of a gaming computer? Use this activity to help answer these questions while at the same time questioning the validity of data and the difficulties of carrying out a fair test. This lesson involves a series of discussions and ranking activities to develop students understanding of the link between fitness, pulse rate, respiration, and activity. This activity was designed as a science activity but would be an excellent opportunity to be taught in conjunction with PE and mathematics. Students will divide themselves into groups of 4 to 6 and have a discussion to establish what the group understands by the meaning of the word ‘fitness’ and clarify a group definition. Students should consider the following questions: what do we mean by someone’s level of fitness? What is a pulse rate? What is respiration and where does it happen? Why do we need our heart and blood? What is energy and how does it relate to activity? What you will need Projector Whiteboard The engineering context 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 sports activities. The investigation highlights how difficult it is to control all variables and therefore carry out a fair test. The students’ evaluation of the investigation will allow them the chance to question the validity of the data, question the size of the data set used and question the time span data needs to be collected over before it can be used to confirm a claim. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this engaging activity students will be able to explain what is meant by fitness, pulse rate and respiration and how they are affected by activity. They will also be able to explain how fitness relates to level of activity. 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. You can stream and download the related films for free by clicking on the appropriate link in the related resources section below. Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Form a constructive argument in a debate Virtual reality versus real-world sports tasks participants to form a constructive argument in a debate based on the question: ‘which is more important to our society - the development of the Nintendo Wii or encouraging more people to take up sport?’ Students research and evaluate the social, ethical, economic and health issues relating to simulation sports versus real-world sports. Form arguments for and against this topic and present the findings in a persuasive, coherent and focused argument. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard Access to the internet for the research activity, or copies of appropriate pre-printed resources 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. Please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Learn about how electronic intercom circuits can help players communicate In this activity students will gain an understanding of how soundwaves travel and are received to allow them to be heard in the ear. Building on students pre-existing knowledge of circuits this activity focusses on how football players on the Moon could communicate to each other using electronics. Students then apply their skill to build an intercom circuit. This resource uses the theme of football on the Moon to allow learners to develop their knowledge and skills in design & technology, mathematics and science. In this activity learners will use the theme of football on the Moon to learn about how electronic intercom circuits can help players communicate. The teacher will introduce the activity and explain how sound waves allow us to hear. The teacher will then discuss the problems communicating on the Moon and explain why an electronic circuit is necessary. Learners will then have the opportunity to manufacture and test their own intercom. This activity can be simplified (particularly for less able students) by placing components onto the PCB/stripboard prior to soldering and/or using helping hands to hold PCB/stripboard in place. As an extension learners can research what methods could be used to make the intercom wireless. This activity is designed to take between 40-60 minutes. Tools/resources required Paper cups and string Sharp pencils and sticky tack Electronic components (see PPt list on slide 7) Soldering irons and stands Helping hands Wire strippers and cutters Lead free solder PCB making kit Tracing paper to print PCB mask Stripboard (see PPt slides 16-18) Stripboard track cutters The engineering context Engineers create and develop communication systems for numerous activities that take place in very different environments. For example, deep sea divers need to communicate underwater and armed forces have to communicate in all weather conditions. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this free resource students will be able to understand how hearing works translating sound waves; understand how sound waves can travel through string by vibration and wire by electrical signal; and be able to build an intercom circuit. 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.