Practical 12 in the History in STEM practical series. In practical 12 we take a closer look at the history of biomagnifcation, by taking a trip through history to look at the impact of mercury over the years. With examples from the ancient Rome all the way to modern Japan, it gives the students a good idea of the human impact on the environment through the release of toxins. After that, we turn our attention to more modern times, by playing “bioMAGNIFIED” a card game simulation of bioaccumulation in the ocean food web. All cards are provided, with instructions and include mini and maxi cards, as well as coloured backs to help the students quickly sort the cards at the end of a game. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 13 in the History in STEM practical series. What better way to celebrate the upcoming Pi Day then with this series of activities to calculate Pi. Try 4 different methods of calculating this amazing number, ranging from basic all the way to modern methods of computation: Method 1: The classic. Compare ratio of circumference to diameter. Method 2: Use Archimedes ancient method using polygons. Method 3: Try something a little different with Buffon’s Needles Method 4: Go new school with some python and the infinite series Note: You do not need to know how to code for this. If you install the free program Anaconda, there are instructions in the sheet on how to open the file in the zip folder to run the simulation. Each of the methods takes a different approach from a different era in the race to get the most accurate Pi value. Method 1-3 require very little setup. Comes with the editable activity sheet, a history of the calculation of Pi introduction and the Jupyter notebook file for the coded calculation. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 14 in the History in STEM practical series. With the upcoming equinox, this is the perfect moment to try out this practical. The more indepth version of Measuring the World - Circumference of Circles, this extended practical takes place over 3 months, recording the angle of the shadow at solar noon once a week to determine a host of information, such as the latitude of the city you live in, the tilt of the earth’s axis, confirm dates of solstices and equinoxes as well as calculate the circumference of the Earth. Each weekly measurement takes no more than 5 minutes, and can be done in small groups on rotation. After the 3 months, graph your data and have a look at the trends to deduce the range of information described above. The end result is a project that covers angles, graphs, and an optional triganometry component for advanced level students. There is even a task that a photography class could tackle to get even more accurate results and add an additional layer of cross-curriculum goodness. Don’t forget each comes with an introduction covering the history of the topic in question, in this instance, calendars. The file is editable to suit your needs. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 16 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical set focuses, first and foremost on replicating Gallileo’s famous free-fall experiment. Students use modern technology to record with slow motion video and calculate an object in free-fall’s velocity, momentum and acceleration. There is also a proof of concept to show that surface area, not mass, is a major factor in determining acceleration. Finally, using YouTube, they look at momentum in moving vehicles, using technology to analyse video frame by frame to get an estimate of a cars velocity, momentum and accelaration. As always, it includes an introduction covering the history of the theory across multiple continents and over a period of over 2000 years. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 17 in the History in STEM practical series. This is part 1 of a 2 part series of practicals covering the history and development of the camera. This practical starts looking at the camera obscura and gives a variety of uses for the phenomona, including as an eclipse viewer and as a full room camera obscura. As always, there is an intro looking at the history of the camera obscura, including its use across the world and a quick look at its discovery. The practical could be completed in as little as 45 minutes, but is probably best suited for 90 minutes, to give students time to explore. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 18 in the History in STEM practical series. This is part 2 of a 2 part series of practicals covering the history and development of the camera. This practical starts looking at producing and developing photo paper using a pinhole camera and household chemicals, and is followed by a method to produce photosensitive paper using silver nitrate and sodium chloride. As always, there is an intro looking at the history of the camera and photo development, including its use across the world and a quick look at its discovery. The practical is probably best suited for 90 minutes, to give students time to explore. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 19 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical starts with a model of how disease could be spread through a population, using a simple alkaline and acid/base indicator to give a big reveal. This is followed by another small teacher demo to show the importance of washing hands, followed by a final activity where students can see just how well they actually wash their hands with some simple tools. Given the lockdown being the topic of the moment, this practical is as relevant as ever. With an introduction covering the major epidemics throughout history, as well as a look at how our modern techniques to combat disease developed, this has all you need to have an exciting set of lessons on the topic of disease. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 20 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical experiment looks at a material, Pykrete, developed during WWII that was ultimately deemed a failure, but is perfect for testing forces and strength of different materials. Comparing up to 4 versions of ice with different added components to augment the properties, students will test its strength and ability to hold masses of increasing size, as well as time how the added substances effect melting time. A great way to look at a number of physics themes for any class already looking at WWII in their history lesson. Note: You need a freezer in order to complete this practical, all other materials should be able to be obtained relatively easily. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 21 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical, “The Slow Roll” takes a look at two classic experiments completed by Galileo in order to “prove” that a falling object does in fact accelerate when it falls. The most difficult object to get will be a ramp long enough for the test, however, I have used cardboard shipping tubes (for posters and the like) in the past to great success. This practical is also great because it gives the students another way to measure time, getting them to think outside the box of what can be used to take measurements and even to get accurate results. This is a practical they will be sure to remember. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available.

Practical 22 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical, “Oh Mummy” is a great biology/history cross over, as students test various methods to mummify a piece of apple. Easy to set up, this practical is great for generating discussions in a number of areas of biology, ranging from human anatomy, looking into how food is broken down, or even cultural practices (due to the introduction covering mummification practices of multiple nations), just to name a few. You can even encourage the students to brainstorm on additional theories to test, allowing the students to go through the scientific method. A real all-rounder, interesting practical that the students will remember for years to come. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 23 in the History in STEM practical series. This practical, “Round the World” is a chance for the studens to build a model solar system that they can use to make mathematical calculations with. Start with a history of how the current heliocentric model was developed, before having the students use simple tools and materials (pencils, glue, scissors, cardboard boxes and rubber bands), to build a moving model of Earth, Venus and Mercury around the Sun. Then, have the students use the model to calculate ratios of year length, before finally analysing the models strength and weaknesses, with a research task to compare the year length calculated for Mercury and Venus, with that of the accepted values by the broader scientific community. This combines history, physics and mathematics and art all in one lesson. Includes diagrams and tips for the teacher for alternative ways to approach the task depending on time and skill level of the students. Also includes a print out template for the students to glue to the cardboard for easy cutting and for decoration of the model. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 24 in the History in STEM practical series. In this practical the students will test out the age old proverb of “Red Sunset, Sailor’s Delight. Red Sunrise, Sailors Warning”. This practical will take a few weeks to complete, but requires almost no material, beyond what many students have, namely a camera (or phone), pen and paper. The students observe the colour of the sunset over a time period set by yourself, and record what the weather is like the following day. The practical includes history of how people attempted to predict weather in the past, continues to an experiment with observations and finishes with a short research activity where the students go online to research other proverbs. This one is perfect for group work and allows for a great cross-curriculum link between Science, Mathematics, History and Geography. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 26 in the History in STEM practical series. In this practical the students will be able to build their own telescopes using equipment available available for less than 5 dollars. They will be even able to make their own lenses, upcycling plastic bottles. This package includes an experiment printout with an introduction including a history of astronomy pre and post invention of the telescope. The practical can be done in a 60-90 minute lesson or split up over multiple lessons if needed. If you want, they could even take the telescope home for further investigation/homework tasks to extend the use of the project. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for about 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 25 in the History in STEM practical series. In this practical the students will be able to build their own microscopes using equipment available in most labs. They will be even able to make their own lenses, using methods that might have been used in the early days of the invention of microscopes. This package includes a printout with an introduction, including a history of microscopes, as well as a printout template which students can use to build their microscopes with. The practical can be done in a 90 minute lesson and the microscope can be used in conjunction with their phones to take images of the slides they observe, adding a modern touch to this old instrument. The practical takes in the history, while also giving students a hands on experiment to explore a concept that is difficult to grasp. They can even take the microscope home with them and all the material is recyclable, making this a good practical for the environmentally conscientious school. This is definitely a practical they won’t forget. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for about 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Practical 27 in the History in STEM practical series. In this practical the students will be able to test the effect of various heat treatments on bobby pins to determine what properties each treatment gives, and what would they appropriately be used for. The practical does not require much equipment, but gives real quantitative data for comparision. It also gives a chance for the students to delve into the history of metals. The introduction discusses the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages, as well as some examples of how heat treatment was used throughout history. When working in a group, if the equipment was already laid out, the data for this practical could be collected in 45 minutes. More about the History in STEM practical Series This series is designed to bring quality cross-curricula material to STEM subjects, that help students to explore and discover phenomena normally taught, while getting a glimpse into the history of its development. In addition, a number of the practicals give the students the opportunity to play “Mythbusters”, looking at a number of different methods and having to reason why one or the other was the more likely or useful method. From Ancient Greece to Vikings, China to the Golden age of the Muslim empire and beyond to India, the series takes a look at some of the most important STEM achievements throughout history. There is a plan for about 40 of these such practicals in this series, so, if you liked this one, consider looking at some of the others, or check out some of the bundles available. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

A great activity to do on a cover lesson, or as an intro to a new maths topic, this prepared diorama just needs to be cut out and stuck together, to create a 3D picture of the famous Archimedes, the famous mathematician known for calculating pi and finding the density of the king’s crown. This includes both a pre-coloured file, as well as a black and white image that the students can colour themselves, giving you plenty of options to keep the students entertained and informed. Please note: This file ONLY contains Archimedes Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

A great activity to do on a cover lesson, or as an intro to a new maths topic, this prepared diorama just needs to be cut out and stuck together, to create a 3D picture of the famous Alan Turing, the famous mathematician known for building the machine that ended up breaking the enigma code. This includes both a pre-coloured file, as well as a black and white image that the students can colour themselves, giving you plenty of options to keep the students entertained and informed. Please note: This file ONLY contains Alan Turing. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

A great activity to do on a cover lesson, or as an intro to a new chemistry topic, this prepare diorama just needs to be cut out and stuck together, to create a 3D picture of the famous Democritus, the famous ancient philosopher who is one of the first credited with suggesting the atom. This includes both a pre-coloured file, as well as a black and white image that the students can colour themselves, giving you plenty of options to keep the students entertained and informed. Please note: This file ONLY contains Democritus. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

A great activity to do on a cover lesson, or as an intro to a new biology topic, this prepare diorama just needs to be cut out and stuck together, to create a 3D picture of the famous Ibn al-Nafis, the famous ancient scientist known for numerous things including discovering how blood flows through the heart. This includes both a pre-coloured file, as well as a black and white image that the students can colour themselves, giving you plenty of options to keep the students entertained and informed. Please note: This file ONLY contains Ibn al-Nafis. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

A great activity to do on a cover lesson, or as an intro to a new biology topic, this prepare diorama just needs to be cut out and stuck together, to create a 3D picture of the famous Hippocrates of Cos, the icon ancient Greek known as the “Father of Medicine”. This includes both a pre-coloured file, as well as a black and white image that the students can colour themselves, giving you plenty of options to keep the students entertained and informed. Please note: This file ONLY contains Hippocrates of Cos. Copyright © 2020 The Efficient Science Teacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.