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Mathematics
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How much paper comes from a tree
In this fun maths activity for KS2, students will measure the weight of different paper-based packaging materials and calculate the potential number of items that could be produced from an average tree.
This task will teach learners how to use division to solve real-world problems. It can also function as part of a wider scheme of learning centred around utilising mathematics to comprehend ratios and proportions or as an introduction to sustainability concepts.
By considering the number of natural resources needed to make common everyday items, we can also become informed consumers with more awareness of the environmental impact of our consumption.
What you will need
How much paper comes from a tree worksheet
Selection of paper products
Scales
Pencils
Erasers
Calculators
The engineering context
Engineers must possess knowledge of the number of items they can produce from a single source. For instance, in clothes manufacturing, production engineers should be aware of the number of shirts or dresses that can be made from a single roll of fabric.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to know how to use division to solve practical problems, they will be able to convert grams to kilograms, and they will be able to calculate how many paper-based items can be made from one tree.
Download for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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How to work out scale
Scaling activity to change the size of items
In this activity learners will change the scale of items, by doubling or halving the size and drawing them to a new scale. Learners will be shown that multiplication and division are useful methods to change the scale of an item.
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within maths and science. This resource focuses on the use of multiplication and division in the context of scaling an item to either double or half its size.
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners how to work out scale or to reinforce understanding of multiplication and division. It could be used as one of several activities within a wider scheme of learning focusing on the use of maths to understand ratio and proportion. It could also support the development of drawing skills in art.
The engineering context
Structural engineers collaborate with architects to design various structures, such as houses, hospitals, office blocks, bridges, oil rigs, ships, and aircraft. They create scaled-down drawings for each of these structures.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will know how multiplication and division can be used to work out scale, they will be able to scale drawings back to their original size by either scaling up or scaling down, and they will be able to solve simple problems in scaling contexts, i.e. two times larger and two times smaller.
Download the activity sheets for free!
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation
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Pizza fractions
Understanding fractions through a pizza cutter approach
Fractions are an important concept in mathematics, and what better way to understand them than by slicing up a delicious pizza?
Through hands-on exploration, you will discover that fractions are not just numbers on a page but a real-life concept we encounter daily. By dividing our pizza into slices, we will learn how to represent fractions visually and understand their relationship to the whole pizza.
Activity
This activity is one of a set of free STEM resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum and the delivery of key topics within maths and science.
This fun maths game could be used as a starter or main activity to introduce fractions and can be developed further with other objects and a combination of halves and quarters.
Students could complete this activity either as individual learners or as table groupings. It introduces learners to fractions, i.e. a half and a quarter. The presentation slides highlight the national curriculum requirements, with the learners being able to understand what a half and quarter are by dividing a recognised shape.
Download our free, printable pizza fractions handout to begin. Actual pizzas could be used as an alternative to the handouts. Appropriate food hygiene and handling precautions would need to be applied.
The engineering context
Understanding fractions helps engineers solve many problems in a wide range of specialisms. For example, how to divide materials so people can carry equal loads.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to understand that a half and quarter are ‘fractions of’ a whole object, they will recognise, find and name a half as one of two equal parts of a unit, and they will recognise, find and name a quarter as one of four equal parts of a unit. They will understand that fractions, halves and quarters can be combined as part of a whole unit.
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
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Analyse energy consumption data
Use data on energy consumption to investigate how average values are calculated
This scheme of work is designed to enable students to explore the relevant issues of energy cost and efficiency. Learners will use functional mathematics to understand that published facts and figures may not always be accurate, and that mathematical insights are necessary to scrutinise data.
In this engaging activity for KS3, students will analyse data related to electricity consumption, with a focus on how average values are determined. Students will also evaluate the accuracy of published data sources and consider potential biases. This resource would work well as a main lesson in maths.
This activity uses data for England. Students in Wales, Scotland, or Ireland may wish to research data for their areas.
To begin the activity, prompt students to create a list of the various types of housing that individuals reside in. Which type of house is likely to require the most energy?
Provide students with the Resource Sheet handout, which displays typical yearly electricity bills for different housing types. Students should collaborate in groups of 2-4 to review and analyse the data, and answer the questions included on the resource sheet.
Students should be encouraged to reflect on the meaning of this data rather than just accepting it at face value – can they find raw figures and do the calculations to support the information shown?
The engineering context
Energy efficiency refers to the use of less energy to perform a specific task or achieve a particular outcome. In other words, it is the ability to accomplish the same level of output using less energy input. Energy efficiency can be achieved through the use of more efficient technologies, equipment, or processes, as well as through changes in behaviour and practices. It is an important concept in the context of sustainable development, as it helps to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, and lower energy costs.
Examples of energy-efficient practices include using energy-saving light bulbs, improving building insulation, and upgrading to energy-efficient appliances.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will understand that mathematics is used as a tool in a wide range of contexts, and they will be able to use mathematics to interpret the impact of energy costs on society.
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
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What is energy efficiency?
Use mathematics to investigate the topical issue of the cost and efficient use of energy
This engaging activity for KS3 seeks to teach students how to use mathematics to investigate the topical issue of the cost and efficient use of energy. This is a thought-provoking exercise that will teach students to think about sustainability and develop their understanding of mathematical modelling.
In this activity students will investigate the topical issue of the cost and efficient use of energy. Using functional mathematics, they will recognise that published facts and figures are not necessarily accurate and that mathematical insight should be used to probe data.
As an optional extension activity, students could quantify how energy is used for heating within a dwelling. The quantification could be in terms of units of energy and/or cost. They could then find comparable data for one or more dwellings of different design, for example of different sizes, of radically different design (e.g. flats vs. detached houses), or dwellings designed to be eco-friendly. They should analyse the differences in energy performance identified.
This is a quick and simple activity that will take approximately 15 – 30 minutes to complete.
Tools/resources required
Projector/Whiteboard
The engineering context
Energy efficiency refers to the use of less energy to perform a specific task or achieve a particular outcome. In other words, it is the ability to accomplish the same level of output using less energy input. Energy efficiency can be achieved through the use of more efficient technologies, equipment, or processes, as well as through changes in behaviour and practices. It is an important concept in the context of sustainable development, as it helps to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, and lower energy costs.
Examples of energy-efficient practices include using energy-saving light bulbs, improving building insulation, and upgrading to energy-efficient appliances.
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
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How does a Sat Nav system work?
Learn about the technology behind satellite navigation systems and discuss the pros and cons of using them
Can your students consider how a GPS system functions and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using them?
This activity is suitable for KS3 and KS4 and encourages students to undertake research and produce a visual display.
This activity is an engaging investigation into the uses of communication technology in the modern world.
This activity is an individual activity and could be run in an ICT suite to allow students to use the internet for research.
Distribute the Sat Nav handout to students. This handout gives some outline information about satellites and an un-annotated diagram. Students can cut out or copy the un-annotated diagram and add information to this to produce a visual display of how a Sat Nav system works.
There are a series of questions on the Sat Nav handout. Questions 1-4 are designed to get students to undertake research on the topic of satellites and their functionalities and capabilities.
This is a simple activity that will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
How does a Sat Nav system work?
What we often refer to as ‘Sat Nav’ is properly called the Global Positioning System (GPS). This uses satellites that continually transmit a signal. They are like an accurate orbiting clock. The signal from at least three and up to seven satellites is received and compared by the Sat Nav device. Using some complicated maths, the Sat Nav device can work out not only where it is on the Earth’s surface, but at what altitude it is as well. The position information is compared with a map downloaded and stored by the Sat Nav device. The satellites tell you where you are, and the mapping hardware fills in the pictures of the road around you.
The satellites need to have a clear path through the air to the Sat Nav device – this is normally called a clear line of ‘sight’.
The engineering context
Living in a highly technological world, where access to information and entertainment is at our fingertips, the Inform and Entertain Me topic is a gateway to engage and introduce students to the principles and technology that form the basis for communication devices that are used in our everyday lives.
Download the free How does a Sat Nav system work? activity sheet!
All activity sheets, worksheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Reading maps and scale drawings
Work out how to reach destinations using a scale map
In our daily life we take 21st-century technology for granted. Some could argue that we aren’t developing basic skills, as technology often does the work for us. When the technology fails, however, the absence of some necessary skills could create difficult situations.
Can your students use our worksheet and presentation to work out how to reach a destination from a scale map?
This activity is an engaging investigation into the uses of communications technology in the modern world.
There is an opportunity to audit the students’ skills such as visualisation or map-reading to form a scale drawing. These are skills that may not have been developed due to the use of various electronic devices.
As a visualisation activity, distribute the Lost Now presentation as a handout or display it using a data projector. This is an activity where the process of thinking about what the map might show is more important than the actual outcome of the sketch they would produce. The handout has text handouts that can be printed and given to the students. There is also a map using Ordnance Survey symbols that might be better displayed on a screen using a data projector.
Students should complete the three activities outlined in the presentation either in groups or as individuals.
Tools/resources required
Ruler (a transparent ruler showing millimetres is best)
Calculators
Students will need Ordnance Survey symbols from the website below (either print sheets of the symbols or display them on a screen to save on copying).
The engineering context
Living in a highly technological world, where access to information and entertainment is at our fingertips, the Inform and Entertain Me topic is a gateway to engage and introduce students to the principles and technology that form the basis for communication devices that are used in our everyday lives.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to make informed decisions about technology for social, economic and environmental reasons, they will be able to use scale drawing and they will have an understanding of how waves are used to carry a communications signal.
Download the free Reading maps and scale drawings activity sheet!
All activity sheets, worksheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Design a magnetic tool holder
**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
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Tool holder testing
Students compete to make the strongest electromagnetic tool holder for a surgeons robotic arm.
A practical activity where students work in teams to build their own electromagnet and use this to make an ‘arm’ with an electromagnetic gripper at one end.
They are given some basic parts to start and a budget - a sum of ‘money’ or tokens with which to buy the other parts. Once their arm and gripper are complete they have 30 seconds to move as many paper clips from one pile to another as possible. The team moving the most paper clips in the allotted time is the winner.
This activity makes students consider the factors involved in electromagnet strength and design.
Download the activity sheets for free!
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Maths behind a heating system
This is a practical exercise in which students will utilise their mathematical knowledge to solve problems and apply formulas. Specifically, they will compute the length of pipes necessary for an underfloor heating system. They will also write a brief explanation of how a sustainable underfloor heating system operates.
This can be effectively taught within mathematics or within design and technology, as part of resistant materials or product design.
How long will this activity take?
This activity will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete
Tools/resources required
Green School film
Projector/Whiteboard
Measuring equipment e.g. tape measures or trundle wheels
Squared paper
The engineering context
Sustainability is a key consideration in modern engineering practices. As the world faces pressing environmental challenges such as climate change and resource depletion, engineers must design solutions that not only meet the needs of society, but also minimise their impact on the planet.
Sustainable engineering involves developing systems, products and processes that are socially, economically, and environmentally responsible. This can include reducing carbon emissions, optimising energy use, minimising waste, conserving natural resources, and designing products that can be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lifecycle.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to describe the operation of a sustainable underfloor heating system and they will be able to create and apply mathematical formulae in a practical context.
Download the free Maths Behind a Heating System activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Water treatment systems
Investigate the salinity of different water samples
Water is crucial to human life, but it can also be a killer.
Drinking or cooking water contaminated with micro-organisms or chemicals is a leading cause of disease and death across the world. Poor facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste water can quickly lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this practical activity students investigate the salinity of three different water samples using a multimeter. Students first calibrate their salination probe and test the salinity of their solutions. Students can be asked to suggest how errors might have appeared in their results and what could be done to minimise or eliminate them.
This activity can be used as an extension to the ‘Filtering water’ activity.
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
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Input, process and output
In this activity students will make a simple infrared circuit to develop their understanding of this technology.
Our “Time for a Game” worksheet introduces students to infrared technologies, using the technology behind the Nintendo Wii as a real-life example.
Through building and testing an infrared circuit, students will learn to identify which components are inputs and outputs, a critical skill that deepens their understanding of how electronic systems function and enables them to design more complex circuits in the future.
This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology (DT). This can be effectively taught within systems and control, or electronic products approaches within design and technology, or through science with an emphasis on energy, electricity and forces.
Activity: Build and test an infrared circuit
Students will work in pairs to construct the circuit outlined in the “Time for a Game” worksheet. After building their circuits, they will test their functionality under different conditions and answer key questions about their design. This hands-on approach will allow students to identify the input and output components of the circuit, understand its performance in various lighting conditions, and consider how these factors would influence the design of a Wii controller.
The engineering context
By building and testing an infrared circuit, students will gain a practical understanding of the engineering process, from conceptualization to testing. Furthermore, this activity will inspire students to consider a career in engineering, as they experience firsthand the creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving that this field entails.
Suggested learning outcomes
Students will develop a working prototype of an electronic circuit, gaining practical experience in the process. They will learn to identify inputs and outputs in a circuit and test its performance under different conditions. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to apply their findings to hypothetical design situations, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This activity will teach students the ability to explain how their research findings could affect their design ideas, enhancing their communication skills and technological literacy.
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.
Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Water conservation
Compare water usage within the UK to that of other countries
In this engaging activity students will examine the link between water usage at home and the number of people living in their household, as well as comparing the water usage within the UK to that of other countries.
It involves estimating personal daily water usage, interpreting complex data, and understanding how different lifestyles impact water usage. It’s a great opportunity for students to apply their mathematical and analytical skills to real-world problems.
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 maths, science and design & technology (DT). This lesson plan continues the theme of water usage developed in the Sewage Tunnels activity but can be delivered independently should the teacher wish. There is also a follow-on Water Consumption activity.
Activity: Comparing water usage within the UK to that of other countries
Students must estimate how much water they use each day and apply their mathematical understanding to interpret a wide range of complex data to develop their appreciation of why water usage is such an important issue.
The resource ‘Water consumption’ is also available as an extension activity.
Download our activity overview, presentation and worksheet for a detailed lesson plan for teaching students about water conservation. We also have a class quiz.
The engineering context
Students will learn how engineers use mathematical modelling to predict and address issues related to water usage and conservation. By demonstrating how engineering can be used to solve real-world problems, students will see the relevance and importance of their mathematical studies.
Suggested learning outcomes
Upon completion of this activity, students will have enhanced their ability to analyse and interpret a broad range of data. They will gain a deeper understanding of how mathematical modelling is used in real-world scenarios to predict outcomes and solve problems. Additionally, by reviewing, recreating, and possibly improving the mathematical information presented by a Water Board, students will significantly boost their mathematical understanding and application skills.
Download our activity sheet for free!
The lesson plan 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
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Water consumption
Learn how mathematicians predict UK’s future water usage
In this activity students will explore water consumption by looking at mathematical modelling and its real-world application in predicting water usage. Students will estimate their daily water consumption, interpret complex data, and apply their mathematical skills to understand why water usage is a significant issue.
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 maths, science and design & technology (DT). This lesson plan follows on from Water Conservation and continues the theme of water usage developed in the Sewage Tunnels activity but can be delivered independently should the teacher wish.
Activity: Comparing water usage within the UK to that of other countries
In this activity, students start by estimating their daily water usage. They then delve into complex data from the Environment Agency, interpreting different scenarios and their potential impact on future water requirements. Students will develop their own spreadsheet tool, inspired by the one on the Southern Water website, to help others estimate their water usage. They’re encouraged to improve upon the existing tool and even write to the Water Board with their suggestions.
Download our activity overview, presentation and worksheet for a detailed lesson plan for teaching students about water consumption. We also have a class quiz.
The engineering context
This activity highlights the intersection of mathematics, science, policy-making, and engineering in addressing real-world problems. By engaging in this activity, students will understand how engineers use mathematical models to predict future scenarios and develop solutions for sustainable water usage. They’ll see first-hand how engineering can make a significant impact on society and the environment.
Suggested learning outcomes
This lesson plan is designed to equip students with the ability to analyse and interpret a wide range of data, understand the application of mathematical modelling in real-world situations, and use their mathematical knowledge to review, recreate, and improve presented information. Students will also gain insights into the importance of water conservation and the challenges in meeting increasing water demands.
Download our activity sheet for free!
The lesson plan 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 worksheets and supporting lesson plan resources are free to download (including film clips!), 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
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Sustainable dancefloors: Fun STEM activity
Learn about dance floors that generate electricity and consider how output is linked to activity
The engineers behind the Watt Nightclub in Rotterdam turn the energy created by clubbers on the dance-floor into power for the lighting. There’s even a giant battery to monitor the energy and encourage the crowd to dance even more. Doing your bit for the environment doesn’t have to be boring!
This engaging STEM activity is perfect for KS3 students and gives them the opportunity to develop their understanding of graphs in an engineering context. Students will learn about dance floors that generate electricity and consider how output is linked to activity. There are a number of slides within the presentation that show different graphs and students are invited to develop their own descriptions to explain their shape.
Discuss as a class what the amount of electricity is dependent upon (for example, the number of dancers, how energetically they dance). Also discuss how these variables can change, e.g., they can increase steadily, decrease steadily, or vary over time.
Some students may raise the issue of the type of music being played. Popular, lively tracks are likely to get everyone on the floor, all dancing energetically, whereas a slower and/or less popular track immediately following will reduce the energy output (as people dance less energetically and/or a number of people go to get a drink, etc.).
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this free resource students will have an understanding of linear functions in practical problems and they will be able to construct linear functions from real-life problems and plot their corresponding graphs. They will also be able to discuss and interpret graphs modelling real-life situations.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Aerodynamics in action
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
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Analogue and digital
From founding communications, such as the fire beacon, to being able to communicate with space, there is no denying that developments in communication have advanced at a rapid speed. This topic presents students with communications of the past, present and future, helping them to understand the principles that form the basis for these developments.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
An engaging activity introducing students to the differences between analogue and digital communication. An analogue signal can be rendered useless by small amounts of interference, whereas a digital signal remains coherent.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Microchip technology
Is it ethical to use microchip implants in pets and people?
Living in a highly technological world, where access to information and entertainment is at our fingertips, the Inform and Entertain Me topic is a gateway to engage and introduce students to the principles and technology that form the basis for communication devices that are used in our everyday lives.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This engaging activity introduces students to the use of RFID technology. They investigate extensions to the use of such technology in various contexts.
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
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Make a Robinson Anemometer
Making a device to measure wind speed
In this science project, students will construct a Robinson Anemometer using common household materials. Once built, students can use it to measure wind speed either inside with domestic items or outside with the natural environment.
This activity can serve as a stand-alone project or as a component of a broader unit on weather or measurement. It is intended for upper Key Stage 2 learners (years 5 and 6).
This resource is part of a collection of free STEM resources created to aid in the teaching of the primary national curriculum, especially in the areas of science and design and technology. The purpose of this activity is to aid in teaching key concepts through the construction of a homemade anemometer.
Parts and components required:
Polystyrene balls, 25 - 40 mm diameter, 1 per anemometer
Wood/bamboo skewers, 3 per anemometer
Putty (such as Blutack or Whitetak) OR modelling clay (such as clay, Plasticine or Playdough).
EITHER 6 paper cups OR 4 paper cups and a plastic water bottle with a sports cap
Sticky tape
Tools and equipment required:
Fans, hair-dryers or other sources of moving air
Stop watches
Commercial anemometer (for extension activity)
The Robinson Anemometer
The Robinson Anemometer is a type of cup anemometer, an instrument used for measuring wind speed. It was invented by John Thomas Romney Robinson in 1846 and is named after him. The Robinson Anemometer consists of four hemispherical cups mounted at the end of horizontal arms, which are attached to a vertical shaft. As the cups rotate due to the force of the wind, the speed of the wind can be calculated based on the rate of rotation. The Robinson Anemometer is still widely used today and is considered one of the most accurate and reliable types of anemometers.
The engineering context
Engineers need to be able to measure the forces that will act on the things they need to design. They need to understand how these measurements are made so that they can be confident that their designs will meet the requirements in practical situations.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will have an understanding of what is meant by wind, they will be able to construct a simple mechanical device and they will be able to understand that the linear movement of air can be measured by the rotation of an anemometer.
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
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How Does the Light from a Torch Change with Distance?
Carry out an experiment to measure how the light from a torch changes with the distance from a lamp
In this activity learners will carry out an experiment to measure how the light from a torch changes with the distance from the lamp. They will record their results in a table and plot a graph.
Activity: How Does the Light from a Torch Change with Distance?
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science, design and technology, and maths (in this case, mainly science). This resource focuses on the investigation of how the light from a torch (flashlight) changes with distance.
This activity is designed to be carried out in small groups. It is recommended that the teacher carry out the activity in advance of the lesson, to determine whether the distances suggested give sufficient (or excessive) spread of the light image, as this will be determined by the design of the torch used. It is recommended that new batteries are used in the torch, as the light intensity may be affected by the amount of charge remaining in the batteries.
This could be used as a one-off activity in science or linked to maths learning about tables and graphs.
This activity will take approximately 40-60 minutes to complete.
Tools/resources required
Graph paper
Masking tape
Tape measures
Torches/flashlights (with new batteries)
Pencils
(for extension) laser pointer
(for extension) cut-out templates of simple shapes (e.g. square, triangle, circle), mounted on craft sticks
The engineering context
Engineers need to understand how light behaves when designing products for many practical applications. For example, when designing buildings, they may consider the provision of windows and artificial lighting; and when designing cars, they may consider the power and position of both internal and external lights and the placement of mirrors.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to carry out a scientific experiment and they will understand that the distribution of light from a torch changes with distance.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation