In this design activity, students will produce a 3D model of a robot arm. It’s part of a series of activities that sees students designing and modelling the physical elements of a robot arm. This 3D modelling activity assumes that students have previously made a 2D model of a robot arm in the Build a robot arm activity (if they haven’t, they may benefit from trying the 2D modelling activity first!). 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 design and technology (DT) and science. Activity: Designing and modelling a 3D robot arm In this hands-on activity, students will be divided into small teams and tasked with taking inspiration from their previously completed 2D models of a robot arm to construct a 3D model. This arm will then have to lift three identical objects between a “start” and “end” location. The arms will be judged on how accurately the items are transferred, the lack of damage to the items being moved, and the time needed to complete the moves. Students will need consider factors such as grip, hand operation, item protection, and structural rigidity (i.e., how do they stop the arm from bending?). Teams will have the opportunity to test, improve, and refine their designs based on constructive feedback provided by the class. The engineering context Understanding how to design and build a robotic arm will introduce your students to key concepts in mechanical engineering and automation technology. Robot arms are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, ranging from loading machines to assembling cars, welding parts together and spray-painting products. They are also used in delicate applications such as bomb disposal and repairing space craft while in orbit. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of the lesson students will be able to design and build a 3D model. They will also have developed their creative and problem-solving skills, teamwork abilities and a practical understanding of the workings of robot arms. Download our activity sheet 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. Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation below. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Research a form of transport that fulfils the needs of a community Try out this engaging STEM activity to learn all about the future of technology in the automotive industry! This exercise is suitable for KS3 and encourages the development of students’ research, communication and teamwork skills. Activity: What is the future of community transport? In this activity students will work in teams to research an existing or possible future form of community transport. They will mark their system against the agreed criteria from the starter and present their findings to the rest of the class. Students will be split into ten groups, so the full range of systems are researched. Allocate each team a different concept for community transport from the handout Tomorrow’s Choices. This handout contains ten existing and futuristic community transport systems. Each sheet contains a hyperlinked URL for further information and a table for them to mark the system against criteria. Students should write into the table the agreed criteria from the starter activity. Teams will then present their findings and provide a quick explanation as to how their transport works. As an optional extension, students could use the internet to research extra information on their transport systems. They could then use this information to produce a detailed presentation on how the transport system works. This could be a poster or a computer presentation. Teams will need access to the internet to complete this activity. If possible, put the handout on the shared system so teams can access them through their computer. This allows them to use the hyperlink to the website for research. They can type their answers into the grid directly or print out the sheet and write on them. This activity will take approximately 50 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Computers with internet access Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to use ICT to research an existing or possible future community transport and they will be able to use criteria to judge how well it fulfils social, environmental, and economic needs. 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

**This activity gets students to use their knowledge of electromagnetism in order to design and build a magnetic tool holder for a surgical robot. ** Students learn how simple scientific principles can be used in sophisticated applications, how electric circuits can be switched on and off, and the factors that can affect the strength of an electromagnet. Activity introduction Each group is a dedicated design team with a compelling mission – to craft a comprehensive outline design for a tool holder tailored to seamlessly integrate with a surgical robot’s arm. The task at hand: • Each surgical tool boasts a magnetic fitting, necessitating the utilisation of an electromagnet within the tool holder to ensure a secure grip. • A dynamic approach is required considering the diverse range of sizes and weights among these tools; This entails varying the electromagnet’s strength to account for this. Guided by these challenges, teams will brainstorm, innovate, and collaborate to present their inventive solutions in a concise one-minute presentation to the rest of the class and assessed according to the success criteria on the design brief. The engineering context Telemedicine employs contemporary communication technology to provide medical diagnoses and patient care, even when the physician and patient are geographically separate. Remote surgery entails utilising robotic systems within the operating room to aid surgeons during procedures. The surgeon observes the patient through a terminal and controls robotic surgical instruments using a specialised console. Suggested learning outcomes Upon completion of this activity, students will gain an understanding of the capabilities of surgical robots. They will grasp the transformation of basic scientific principles into intricate applications, comprehend the functioning of electric circuits’ activation and deactivation, and discern the variables impacting the strength of an electromagnet. Download the free activity sheet! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

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

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.

Testing the operation of pulley systems and calculating their mechanical advantage This GCSE maths resource looks at how pulleys work and is fully-curriculum linked. Download the resource for free to teach KS4 pulleys to your class. What are the advantages of a pulley system? Mechanical systems allow us to perform tasks that would otherwise be very difficult, enabling us to lift objects that would otherwise be far too heavy to move. For example, cranes on building sites that move heavy materials. This GCSE mathematics resource focuses on testing pulley systems and calculating their mechanical advantage. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity in which students will will test and calculate the mechanical advantage of three different examples of simple pulley systems designed to lift loads. It will build knowledge and understanding of how pulley systems work, along with improving related numeracy skills. 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

Make a fun craft project and use your maths to find out about structures with this quick and easy marshmallow igloo. Igloos are built out of blocks of ice or snow by Inuit people living in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. They were used as temporary shelters when people were hunting. No need to worry, we won’t be expecting people to go into the Arctic and carve blocks of ice, this one is going to be made out of marshmallows – yum! You’ll only need a few simple items to make this project, and it can be an edible experiment too. The magic of maths is hands-on fun this Christmas! What you’ll need: • Bag of mini marshmallows or bag of marshmallows • If you are making the buttercream icing, you will also need • 70g softened butter • 150g icing sugar Activity sheets and notes for teachers can be downloaded for free. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Oh ho ho, and please do share your homemade igloos with us @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

Exploring the movement of a human arm for robotics design This is an engaging starter activity in which students examine how human arms move. Learners will also discover how this movement can be replicated with a mechanical arm using a smart material. Students can then subsequently use this information to support the design of a robot arm. This lesson can be followed by 3D modelling, which looks at designing and modelling a 3D robot arm and build a robot arm, which looks at how to make a robot arm with carboard. It’s one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in science (specifically biology), engineering and design & technology (D&T). Activity: Exploring the movement of a human arm for robotics design By examining the movement of their own arms, students will learn how robot arms might be designed and how smart materials can play a role. Students will first bend their arms and be asked to monitor and describe the mechanics involved (muscles, joints, etc.). They will then consider how this natural bending motion can inspire the design of robot arms. Learns will be introduced to shape memory alloy (SMA) springs, which can be deformed or stretched and then revert back to their original shape when heated (this can be achieved using an electrical current). Finally, students will be tasked with explaining how SMAs could be used to create movement in a robot arm. Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan on the movement of a human arm. The engineering context Robot arms are an example of a programmable system. They are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, ranging from assembling cars to spray-painting products. They’re also used in more dangerous applications for humans such as bomb disposal and repairing space craft as they orbit the earth. Suggested learning outcomes Students will learn that a human arm moves due to the contraction of muscles, and they’ll understand that a robot arm can also use contraction or rotation to achieve movement. Finally, they’ll learn that shape memory alloys can revert to a previous shape when heated. Download our activity sheet and related teaching resources 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.

In this solar panel STEM project, students will investigate the photovoltaic effect by manufacturing a simple circuit and integrating it into a product, in this case a version of the popular jitterbug project. The jitterbug is a device that moves due to vibrations caused by an off-centred mass on a motor’s driveshaft, can be powered by sunlight when connected to a photovoltaic (PV) cell. Learners will gain insight into the works of sustainable technology by learning about photovoltaic cells (these solar-powered cells are a primary component in renewable energy solutions). This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It is part of the ‘Let there be light’ scheme of work, which involves investigating how photovoltaic cells are used and then using this technology to make a series of electronic circuits of increasing complexity. This could form the basis of a Design and Make Assignment (DMA) project in design and technology (DT), with cross-curricular links with Science. The engineering context Understanding how to build a simple circuit is one of the fundamental skills in engineering. It provides the basis for understanding electricity and electronics, which are integral to many areas of engineering - from electrical and electronic engineering to computer engineering and even mechanical and civil engineering. Furthermore, photovoltaic cells, or solar cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity. This technology plays a key role in renewable energy solutions, which are becoming increasingly important due to the global push towards sustainable living. Understanding how photovoltaic cells work gives students insights into this technology, preparing them for future innovations in the field. Suggested learning outcomes Upon completion of this lesson, students should have a comprehensive understanding of how photovoltaic cells work and how they can be integrated into a circuit. They will gain hands-on experience in manufacturing a simple circuit and integrating it into a product. This activity not only deepens their understanding of the photovoltaic effect but also exposes them to the practical side of electronics and product design. 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 (including the video), and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your class’s and your schools’ needs. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

In this activity, students will design a fun infrared ‘tag’ game. It ideally needs to be preceded by our input, process and output activity as students must draw on their earlier work for designing the game. It’s one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in engineering and design & technology (D&T). Activity: Designing an infrared ‘tag’ game Students will design a new version of the classic tag game using their electronics knowledge to create a fun interactive experience. Learners will review our design brief to design a novelty “tag” game using emitter and detector circuits (which have been tested previously in input, process and output) to indicate when a player is “tagged”. The game needs to be easy to use and playable both indoors and outdoors. As a class, students will review the key requirements of the brief and discuss these in pairs. They will then draw their design ideas with annotations. From their ideas, they’ll select one design for modelling using 3D CAD software. Finally, they should present their idea to the class for feedback on how it can be improved. Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan on designing a fun infrared tag game. The engineering context Infrared technology has been used in the design of all sorts of fun devices, from TV remote controls to Wii remotes, mobile devices, and laser tag games. By understanding how this technology works, learners can start their journey to potential careers in computer games engineering. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyse a design brief. They’ll also be able to explain how research findings affect design ides as well as be able to generate ideas for a product. Finally, they’ll be able to produce a 3D CAD model of a design idea. 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. Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation and please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Discuss safety issues in personal transport and analyse data to work out which form of personal transport is currently the least safe Personal transport is becoming safer as technological advancements are made and more and more safety features are designed. In this fun STEM activity students will consider what safety features are in use today. Students will first name some personal transport methods, including those they use. In pairs they can discuss any safety features of these methods, why they are important and then they will rank the transport systems in order of how safe they think they are. The ‘Safety statistics A’ handout includes a chart which shows the proportion of reported road casualties by road user type and severity in Great Britain in 2012. The students will then interpret the data and write down what it shows. They can then compare this to the ranking they did in the discussion earlier. The handout shows that car occupants and pedestrians are the most common types of road casualties. How do you think safety can by improved for car occupants and pedestrians? Ask the students to think about what safety measures already exist and then ask them to think about what features cars should have in the future. This engaging activity that is the perfect way for KS3 students to develop their critical thinking skills. How long will this activity take? Approximately 30-59 minutes to complete. The engineering context Car and road safety engineers are professionals who are responsible for designing and developing vehicles and road systems that are safe for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. They work on various aspects of vehicle and road safety, including crash testing, airbag seatbelt development, pedestrian protection, and traffic control systems. These engineers use their knowledge of physics, mechanics, and materials science to develop innovative solutions to improve vehicle and road safety. They also work closely with government agencies, automakers, and other organisations to develop and enforce safety regulations and standards. The work of car and road safety engineers is vital to ensuring the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on our roads. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to interpret data from a chart, discuss the importance of safety features in personal transport and identify car and road safety features. 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

Make a Chinese zodiac animal wheel to learn about cutting and assembling a simple graphic product. In this activity learners will learn about cutting and assembling a simple graphic product. Learners will use a template to cut out the circle templates for the Chinese zodiac animal wheel and also learn about the twelve zodiac animals. In the Chinese zodiac, each year is represented by an animal with a different personality. Why not find out more about this tradition and a Chinese zodiac animal wheel from a template? 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. Tools/resources required Thin card Scissors Pencils Sticky tack Paper fasteners The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Learn about cutting and folding simple 3D structures by making a fortune cookie from card. In this activity learners will learn about cutting and folding simple 3D structures within a graphics project. Learners will use a provided template to cut out the circle for the fortune cookie. The fortune cookie first appeared in 1890 in San Francisco, USA. They have a typical shape and contain a message on paper. It became a Chinese New Year tradition even though fortune cookies only reached China in 1989. 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. Tools/resources required Thin, coloured Card Scissors Glue sticks Paper fasteners Decoration materials 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 learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Use modern technologies to enhance flight. In this activity learners will make use of the theme of the future of flight to design a wearable cockpit that makes use of new and modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), which have the potential to completely change how pilots interact with and control their aircraft. Produce a specification for their design requirements and a mind map of ideas. They will then produce sketches of their initial ideas before producing a completed final design. 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. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Programme the system using the accelerometer and LED display This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. There are many reasons to monitor heart rate. For example: There are 2.7 million people in the UK currently suffering from heart problems. The quicker these problems can be found and treated the better the chance of a full recovery. Athletes measure their heart rate during training to ensure that they are training in their optimum physical range. In this unit, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for a personal heart monitoring system. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will develop their programmable system using the BBC micro:bit’s inbuilt accelerometer to detect motion created by the pumping of the heart. 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

Investigate aspects of biomedical signal processing The use of different types of signals is hugely important in all areas of healthcare. Signal processing engineers are involved in everything from extracting information from the body’s own electrical and chemical signals to using wireless signals to allow search-and-rescue robot swarms to communicate with each other. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this practical session students investigate aspects of signal processing. Working in teams, students convert an analogue brain signal into a digital format and transmit it across the classroom to another team using flashes from the LED on the Digital Communicator that they will need to build. The other team will record the digital format and rebuild the original waveform from that information. This activity can be used as a hands-on extension to the ‘Which Imaging Technique?’ activity (see Related activities 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

Design and make a solar powered night-light circuit In this engaging and practical STEM activity, designed for secondary school students, learners will investigate the photovoltaic effect by designing and making a solar power night-light circuit. The ‘Photovoltaic cells’ scheme of work involves investigating how photovoltaic cells are used and then using this technology to make a series of electronic circuits of increasing complexity. This could form the basis of a design and make activity in Design and Technology, with cross-curricular links with Science. This could be used as a short design and make project in Electronics or Product Design within Design and Technology. It could be extended into a longer project using the ‘Design Guide (handout)’ to provide a structure for the sequence of tasks to be carried out. Students should be divided into pairs or small teams. Their design brief is to design and manufacture a prototype solar powered night-light. The prototype should be powered by solar energy, produce no waste by-product with normal use, provide an appropriate illumination for a task (to be identified), illuminate automatically when the light level drops (below an identified level) and it should be manufactured from reused materials, where possible. Tools/resources required Access to appropriate CAD software for circuit modelling and development Modular electronics kits or prototype boards (breadboards), as appropriate Transistor sensor circuit help (handout) Design Guide (handout) A range of components to manufacture the circuits Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will have an understanding of how photovoltaic cells work, how they can be used and the impact of using photovoltaic cells in aesthetic, economic, and environmental issues. 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 how photovoltaic cells work and investigate the photovoltaic effect In this engaging STEM activity, designed for secondary school students, learners will discover how photovoltaic cells work, how they differ from solar thermal cells, and they will investigate the photovoltaic effect. The ‘Photovoltaic cells’ scheme of work involves investigating how photovoltaic cells are used and then using this technology to make a series of electronic circuits of increasing complexity. This could form the basis of a design and make activity in Design and Technology, with cross-curricular links with Science. This is a short activity which involves investigating the photovoltaic effect. It could be used as a starter activity in Electronics or Product Design within Design and Technology, or to provide students with extended background information during the design and make project. It could also be used as a starter in Science. Students will be given the ‘What is a photovoltaic cell’ handout. They should consider the following questions: How do photovoltaic cells differ from solar thermal cells? What commonly available products use photovoltaic cells? What are the advantages and disadvantages of photovoltaic cells? What factors would affect the positioning of a photovoltaic cell? Tools/resources required Internet access Ideally, small operational models of solar thermal and photovoltaic cells that the students can handle Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to list the two types of solar panel and give examples of how they are used, and they will be able to explain how photovoltaic cells 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

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

Understanding aerodynamics by making and testing an aerofoil Aerofoils are designed to allow aircraft to fly. The design of these is crucial to minimise drag and increase lift. This is one of a set of resources produced in conjunction with the engineering company Arconic. The resources are designed to support teaching of key engineering concepts at both KS3 and KS4, including the new GCSE in Engineering. This resource focuses on understanding aerodynamics and making a simple aerofoil. Students will learn about the terms lift, drag, and thrust and how these apply to aircraft. This engaging activity will build knowledge of aerodynamics theory and how this can be applied. This could be used as a one-off main lesson activity, as an introductory lesson to a wider unit of work focusing on aerodynamics or as part of a scheme on aircraft design using all of the resources developed in association with Arconic. It could also be used to support our existing IET Faraday resources. This activity can be completed as individuals or in small groups. A small piece of paper (A5) would be suitable to make the aerofoil. Air could be applied by blowing or using an electric fan on a low setting. The aerofoil could also be attached to the desk with a piece of spring during the testing to prevent it from moving backwards and so that flight can be more easily observed. This could be fed through the space inside the aerofoil, and taped to the desktop at both ends, allowing some slack so that it can raise/fly. Alternatively, a wood dowel could be inserted loosely through a hole made in the top and bottom of the aerofoil. This activity will take approximately 50-60 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard Small pieces of paper or thin card Tape, e.g. masking tape String Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will have an understanding of the terms lift, drag and thrust, they will have an understanding of how an aerofoil works and they will be able to make and test a simple aerofoil design. 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