Investigate how different battery voltages affect their brightness is key to understanding how series electrical circuits work. In this fun exercise for KS2, students will construct three separate lamp circuits: one powered by a single AA battery, one powered by two AA batteries and one powered by three AA batteries. Students will learn about current, voltage and how simple series circuits work. Activity: Investigating lamp brightness This resource is part of a collection of free STEM resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focuses on the investigation of how different supply voltages affect the brightness of a lamp. This activity could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on electricity and electrical circuits. It can be completed as individuals or in small groups, dependent on the components available. How long will this activity take? This activity will take approximately 45-75 minutes to complete. Parts and components required: Red and black crocodile clips 1.5 V AA batteries and holders with wires 4.5 V lamps and holders The engineering context Engineers need to be able to understand how basic electrical circuits work. This includes current flow and how supply voltage affects the brightness of lamps in simple series circuits. This knowledge could be used when investigating, designing, or making electrical and electronic circuits in the future. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will have an understanding of what is meant by the terms current and voltage, they will have an understanding of why the brightness of a lamp changes with the number and voltage of the batteries that it is connected to, and they will be able to construct simple series circuits using batteries, lamps and crocodile clips. Download the free Investigating lamp brightness 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

Using lemons and limes to power an LED In this fun STEM activity learners will construct a series circuit consisting of four fruit batteries and an LED. They will learn about the main parts of a battery and how fruit can be used to provide enough voltage to light an LED. They will also investigate how the brightness of the LED changes depending on the number of fruit batteries used in the circuit. This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focuses on the use of fruit to power a light emitting diode (LED). This could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on electricity and electrical circuits. This activity could be completed as individuals or in small groups, dependent on the components and tools available. Lemons or limes can be used, or a mixture of both. Each lemon or lime should provide between approximately 0.7 and 0.9 V. This can be tested by using a multimeter if required. The total voltage of the series circuit can be calculated by adding up the voltage of each individual battery. This arrangement would produce approximately 2.8 – 3.6 V depending on the voltage of each individual piece of fruit. How long will this activity take? Approximately 40-65 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Red and black crocodile clips Lemons and/or limes Zinc coated nails 50 mm lengths of 1 mm or 2 mm diameter copper wire Low voltage hi-bright LEDs Wire cutters The engineering context Engineers need to be able to understand how basic electrical circuits work. This includes the main parts of a battery and how they work to power electrical output devices. This knowledge could be used when investigating, designing or making electrical and electronic circuits in the future. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will understand how fruit can be used to make batteries that can power electrical output devices, they will know the main parts that make up a battery and they will be able to construct a series fruit battery circuit that lights an LED. 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

How to draw an exploded view 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 design and technology and maths. This resource focusses on drawing exploded views of products. Different types of drawing are used to communicate different types of information. Exploded views show how the component parts of a product relate to each other. These are widely used to support the assembly of products, for maintenance activities and when building flat pack furniture at home. Producing an exploded view develops drawing skills, whilst simultaneously allowing concepts such as dimensions, proportion and scale to be introduced in a practical context. In this activity learners will produce an exploded view drawing of a pen, working in proportion and ideally to scale. This could be used as a one-off activity, an extension to maths learning on scale, or linked to D&T activities such as product analysis or section drawing. It could also be used in conjunction with the IET primary poster – Exploded Views. 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.

Prepare a suitable housing for the circuity, assemble the circuit and produce a wand and maze layout for the game In this hands-on STEM project students will learn how to make and test a steady hand game circuit. They will prepare a suitable housing for the circuit, assemble the circuit themselves and produce a wand and maze layout for the game. This is a great way for primary school students to learn all about how simple circuits work and develop their understanding of what is meant by the terms ‘make’ and ‘break’ when referring to the flow of current around a circuit. This could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on electricity and electrical circuits. It could also be used in conjunction with the IET Education Primary Poster – Circuits and Symbols. This activity could be completed as individuals or in small groups, dependent on the tools, equipment and components available. Tools/resources required Plastic cups 350 mm lengths of 2 mm diameter copper wire 150 mm lengths of 2 mm diameter copper wire 150 mm lengths of 1 mm diameter copper wire Multi strand insulated wire or crocodile clips Solder 9 V batteries and clips 9 V buzzers with wires Masking and/or insulating tape Double sided tape and/or sticky pads Pillar drill or electric hand drill 2 mm drill bits Soldering equipment (soldering irons, stands, sponges) Wire cutters and strippers Safety glasses The engineering context Engineers need to be able to understand how basic electrical circuits work. This includes current flow, voltage and how to ‘make’ and ‘break’ circuits. This knowledge could be used when investigating, designing or making electrical and electronic circuits in the future. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will have an understanding of the terms ‘make and break’ when they refer to simple circuits. They will also be able to assemble, fit and test a simple circuit for a steady hand game and they will be able to safely and accurately drill holes in plastic. Download the activity sheets for free! All activity sheets, worksheets and supporting resources are free to download, printable 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. The resource is 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

In this lesson, learners will apply the lift equation to carry out a real-world aircraft design activity. This will support their understanding of: manipulating the subject of equations; using equations; interpreting data presented in tables and graphs. The resource is designed to support teaching of key engineering concepts at both key stage 3 and key stage 4, including the GCSE in Engineering. This resource focuses on the application of maths in engineering. This could be used as a one-off main lesson activity, as an introductory lesson to a wider unit of work focussing on aerodynamics or as part of a scheme on aircraft design using all of the resources developed in association with Arconic. Activity: Writing flowchart programs to meet a given design brief Students will firstly view our Flying by Numbers presentation to make sure that they understand the concept of lift and the lift equation. Using the information from within this presentation, they will change the subject of the formula to make wing area and velocity the focus, and then interpreting data using the tables and graphs that have been provided. Download our activity overview and presentation for a detailed lesson plan on how to write a flowchart program to meet a given design brief. What is the lift equation? The lift formula is as follows: L = d x v2 x s x CL / 2 Where: L = lift; for level flight this equals the weight of the aircraft d = density of the air. This changes with altitude – the higher you get, the ‘thinner’ (less dense) the air is v = velocity of the aircraft s = wing area of the aircraft CL = coefficient of lift. This is read from a graph Wing area: s = 2 L / (d x v2 x CL) Velocity: v = √(2L / (d x s x CL )) The engineering context This lift equation is used by aerospace designers to determine the necessary characteristics of an aircraft so that it can fly. Suggested learning outcomes This lesson will teach students how to manipulate the subject of a formula. They’ll be able to use a formula and interpret data in tables and graphs. Download our activity sheet and related teaching resources The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Understand sustainability issues in engineering and how these are applied when designing a product The resources is designed to support teaching of key engineering concepts at both KS3 and KS4, including the new GCSE in Engineering. This resource focuses on designing a sustainably powered aircraft for the future. In this activity, learners will design a sustainably powered aircraft of the future. They will learn about the alternatives to using petrochemicals to power aircrafts. It will build understanding of sustainability issues in engineering and how these are applied when designing a product. This activity will also encourage students to get creative as they design a sustainable, but aesthetically pleasing aircraft. This could be used as a one-off main lesson activity, as part of a wider unit of work focusing on sources of energy and sustainability issues in engineering or as part of a scheme on aircraft design using the resources developed in association with Arconic. It is intended that learners complete this activity as individuals. Some prior understanding of sustainability issues and energy generation methods may be advantageous. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard Basic drawing equipment CAD software (if producing final design using CAD) The engineering context Sustainable design and the use of finite and non-finite resources is required learning as part of both the new Design and Technology and Engineering 9-1 GCSE courses. The knowledge gained can also be used when selecting sources of energy for future product and system designs. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will know that oil is a non-renewable, finite resource, they will be able to understand and apply sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals for powering aircraft and they will be able to communicate design ideas using sketches, notes and annotations. 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

**In this fun activity for kids, students will construct a miniature catapult capable of firing a marshmallow! ** This exercise will allow students to develop practical skills using a saw and a glue gun and their communication skills as they work as part of a team. This activity could be used in Key Stage 2 as a straightforward design and technology project. It could also be integrated with history and drama. This activity will take approximately 100-180 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required For the marshmallow holders: Copies of the marshmallow catapults holder (handout) printed on card Scissors Glue sticks For the catapult structures: Square section softwood: 8 x 8 x 590 mm, 6 pieces per team plus spares Saws Vices, bench hooks, mitre boxes or similar devices to secure the wood when cutting Glue guns (one per team) 2 elastic bands per team (one small, one large) plus spares For testing: A bag of marshmallows Optional: Copies of the marshmallow catapults structures (handout) printed on paper Sandpaper Baseboards or A3/A4 pieces of cardboard for use as baseboards when using glue guns The engineering context Did you know that the word ‘engineer’ was initially used to describe people responsible for building siege weapons in ancient times? During the sieges of towns and castles, it was customary for skilled experts to construct catapults to breach defences and demoralise the defenders. Among the various catapult types, one was known as the ‘onager’, named after a wild donkey renowned for its fierce kick. The individuals responsible for building this particular catapult were referred to as ‘onager-neers’, a term that eventually evolved into engineers. Catapults need to have a structure which is both strong and stiff. Otherwise, the forces they experience when used can cause them to break. A catapult made from square shapes can be made significantly more rigid and less likely to collapse by adding reinforcement to form triangles. The principle is still widely used in civil engineering for structures ranging from cranes to aircraft structures and the roofs of buildings. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity, students will be able to understand that triangles can be used to reinforce structures, they will be able to safely operate a saw to cut wood, safely use a glue gun, and they will be able to design and make a structure. 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 each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Learn how to make the base of a moving vehicle from card Build a car with axles that moves! Budding inventors engineer the base and body for a model car made from card with wheels and axles. This is a fun practical activity for participants to make a simple 3D shape from a 2D net. The KS1 DT activity then introduces axles and wheels to enable the car to move. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, pupils will make the base of a moving vehicle to understand how cars are designed and how axles work to allow cars to move. Download the free resources! 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 Copies of the car base handout, printed on card, 1 per pupil (plus spares) Axles, 2 per pupil – for example, wooden skewers Plastic tubing – this can be short sections cut from drinking straws Wheels, 4 per pupil Scissors Glue sticks Optional: Sticky tape or double-sided sticky tape Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Coloured pencils Pre-made model of the base, for demonstration (this could be made large size, for example by printing out on A3 card) Download the activity sheets 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 And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Design an experiment to test how long it takes a vehicle to move down a slope In this series of activities, pupils will learn about nets and wheels and axles. They will combine these technologies to make the base and body for a vehicle made from card, finishing by evaluating the performance of the assembled vehicle. This activity evaluates the performance of the vehicle previously manufactured by the pupils. It involves recording the time taken by each vehicle to go down a slope. This can be converted into the speed of the vehicle. It could be used at Key Stage 1 or 2 to develop an understanding of the use of testing and numeracy skills. 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 teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation

Making the tallest structure The shape of a structure has a significant effect on its strength and its stiffness. A structure made from squares can be made significantly more rigid and less likely to collapse by adding reinforcement to form triangles. This principle is widely used in civil engineering when designing new bridges and buildings. In this activity, pupils develop both their skills in using a glue gun and demonstrate their understanding of how structures can be reinforced, by making a structure from spaghetti. In this activity, participants begin by predicting how a square structure would affect the properties of a building and for any suggestions as to how it could be made stronger. Then working in teams, pupils have 15 minutes to build a structure from spaghetti. This is a competition – the tallest structure wins. The structure must be free-standing – that means nothing else can support it. Each team can only use 12 pieces of spaghetti – they can break some of it into smaller lengths if needed to reinforce the structure. Once the fifteen minutes has passed, each team reviews the structures, comparing which is the tallest and identifying how each structure could have been made stronger or taller. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links This activity teaches transferable skills to the construction industry and beyond. This activity could be used in Key Stage 2 as a stand-alone activity, as a focused task to develop skills in the use of the glue gun, or as an introduction to a design and make project, such as the spaghetti bridges. If the view of the teacher is that their pupils do not have sufficient maturity to use the glue guns, this activity could be carried out using spaghetti and marshmallows – an example of this is included in the additional websites. Download the free resources! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Building a bridge from spaghetti Working in teams, participants have 45 minutes and 15 pieces of spaghetti to build a bridge. How to make a bridge? Teamwork with spaghetti! After this time, the structures are put to the test to see which is the strongest by hanging an increasing load from each bridge until it fails. Bridges are structures that are designed to support a load, such as the cars and lorries that need to cross above a river. The structure of a bridge has a significant affect upon its strength and its stiffness. A bridge made from square shapes can be made significantly more rigid and less likely to collapse by adding reinforcement to form triangles. This principle is widely used in civil engineering. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links This activity could be used in Key Stage 2 as a stand-alone design and technology or maths activity, as a focused task to develop skills in the use of the glue gun, or as part of a structures project investigating bridges. This hands-on STEM playing and learning resource is science and maths for KS2. Tools/resources required 1-2 packets of spaghetti Glue guns (one per team) Optional: Baseboards or A3/A4 pieces of cardboard for use as baseboards when using glue guns Download the activity sheets for free! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Learn how electronic switches work and assemble a variety of different switches in this fun and engaging STEM activity! This is a free resource that could be used in KS2 as an extension to an activity to introduce circuits, or to support a design and make project, such as the doorbell activity or adding a motor to the ‘cardboard cars’ activity. This activity will take approximately 70-90 minutes. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard 4 x AA batteries in holder Buzzers (e.g. Miniature Electronic Buzzer 6v) 3 lengths of wire, each 100-150 mm long (only a single length is required if a battery holder with attached wires is used; no wires will be needed if the buzzer also has attached wires) 4 metal split pin fasteners and 1 paper clip per pupil A5 pieces of card (can be cut to A6 for backing of the paper clip switch and 2 x A7 for the folded and foil switch) Metal foil Sticky tape or electrical insulation tape. (Potential sources for the components include Rapid or TTS Group) If needed: Wire cutters/strippers Optional: Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Scissors Pre-made models of each switch, for demonstration Electronic switches An electrical circuit is a group of components that are connected together, typically using wires. The wires are usually copper metal, which is highly conductive, coated with insulating plastic, to prevent electric shocks. The circuit must be continuous (i.e., have no breaks) to allow electricity to flow through the components and back to its source, such as a battery. Switches make a gap in the circuit to stop electricity flowing when they are open. There are a wide variety of different types of switches that can be used. The engineering context Circuits form the basis of all electrical equipment, ranging from lighting in homes to televisions and computers. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to construct an electrical switch, they will have an understanding that a complete circuit is required for electricity to flow, and they will be able to construct an electrical circuit. 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

In this activity pupils will assemble a simple electric circuit. This is a great way for KS2 students to develop an understanding of how electric circuits function. This free resource could be used in KS2 as an engaging stand-alone activity to introduce circuits, as an introduction to a design and make project (such as the doorbell activity) or as an extension to add a powered element to another design and make activity (such as adding a motor to the ‘cardboard cars’ activity). This activity will take approximately 50-60 minutes. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard Components: 2 x AA batteries in holder Electric motor (e.g. 3V 13100 Rpm DC Motor) 3 lengths of wire, each 100-150 mm long (only a single length is required if a battery holder with attached wires is used) Either: 2 metal split pin fasteners and 1 paper clip per pupil, or one switch per pupil Sticky tape or electrical insulation tape. If needed: wire cutters/strippers (to cut excess wire lengths) (Potential sources for these components include Rapid online and TTS group) Optional: Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Pre-made models of the circuit, for demonstration Electrical circuits An electrical circuit is a group of components that are connected together, typically using wires. The wires are typically copper metal, which is highly conductive, coated with insulating plastic, to prevent electric shocks. The circuit must be continuous (i.e., have no breaks) to allow electricity to flow through the components and back to its source, such as a battery. Switches make a gap in the circuit to stop electricity flowing when they are open. The components included in an electric circuit could range from motors, light sources and buzzers to programmable integrated circuits. The engineering context Circuits form the basis of all electrical equipment, ranging from lighting in homes to televisions and computers. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to construct an electrical switch, they will understand that a complete circuit is required for electricity to flow and they will be able to construct an electrical circuit. Download the free How to make a simple electrical circuit 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

Simple sliders and levers can be used to create movement in a picture. This activity teaches participants how levers and sliders work and how they can be used to create an engaging moving picture in a card or a book. How can I teach levers and sliders? This could be used in Key Stage 1 as a stand-alone activity or as a KS1 introduction to a design and technology project, such as: a greetings card - for example, a Christmas card where Santa’s sleigh moves across the sky a story detailing a journey – for example, inspired by a book they are reading (such as ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’); alternatively, this could be a fictional journey of their own devising the development of the book could be carried out as a class activity where each table or group of pupils works together to produce one or two pages, contributing to the book produced by the full class. This could also be linked to a story-writing activity in literacy a moving display - for example, charting the different activities carried out during a day, where the slider or lever indicates the changing time. On completing either model, pupils could also apply colour to their mechanism or add details to the background. Tools/resources required Copies of the moving pictures handout, printed on card, 1 per pupil (plus spares) Plain card (for the simple slider and lever backgrounds) Split pin-type metal fasteners (1 per pupil plus spares – see image in presentation) Scissors Sticky tape Glue sticks Optional Coloured pencils Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Pre-made models of each mechanism, for demonstration Download the activity sheets 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. All activity sheets and supporting resources for this KS1 DT activity are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. Please do share your learning highlights with us @IETeducation.

Looking at linkages using card models In this activity pupils will make models of three simple linkages from card. This is a fun STEM activity and a great way for KS2 to learn all about simple linkages. This resource could be used as a stand-alone activity or as an introduction to a design and make project, such as a greetings card with moving parts, a moving poster or display or a ‘grabber’ to pick things up. Activity: It can be advantageous to use a hole punch to create the holes where needed as this reduces the risk of tearing. Alternatively, the holes could be made by pushing through the card with a sharp pencil, into a piece of modelling clay. If tearing does occur, this can be addressed by using sticky tape on the rear of the part or background. For a moving pivot, the fastener goes through the two moving card parts and is opened up; for a fixed pivot, the fastener goes through a moving part and the background is opened up. Guides can be attached using sticky tape at each end. Whilst glue could be used, in practice this may not provide a sufficiently strong joint. As an extension activity students could produce a composite linkage that changes a single input motion into different types of output motion. Alternatively, students could create a moving model of an animal. The presentation can be downloaded below and includes detailed images for the making tasks plus additional support information for the teacher, such as examples of linkages made by pupils. Tools/resources required Copies of the linkages handout, printed on card, 1 per pupil (plus spares) Scissors Sticky tape Glue sticks Optional: Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) Pre-made models of each linkage, for demonstration The engineering context A mechanism is a group of parts that allow or change movement in some way. In practice almost all products that contain moving parts – ranging from scissors to pop-up books to car engines – include some form of mechanism. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to identify the parts of a linkage, they will know how simple linkages change the direction of motion and they will be able to cut and assemble simple linkages using card and scissors. 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

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

Learn how to make a doorbell circuit in this fun STEM activity for KS2 This fun STEM activity for kids will teach you all about electrical switches and will show you how to build your own doorbell circuit! In this activity pupils will assemble a doorbell circuit. This develops understanding of how switches are used and how electrical circuits function. This could be used as a KS2 engineering activity or as a design and make or general STEM project. The presentation, which can be downloaded below, includes an image of the circuit and detailed instructions on preparing and joining the wires. As an alternative switch for an extension activity, a ‘blister switch’ is an improvement on the metal foil switch. It comprises of two pieces of foil, each connected to the circuit, but separated by a piece of card in which a square or circle is cut. The foil needs to be taut over the cut-out hole. When the top piece of foil is pressed, this should make a connection; and when pressure is released, the foil should cease to make contact. This activity will take approximately 70 – 90 minutes. Tools/resources required Projector/Whiteboard Components: 4 x AA batteries in holder Buzzers (e.g. Miniature Electronic Buzzer 6v) 3 lengths of wire, each 100-150 mm long (only a single length is required if a battery holder with attached wires is used; no wires will be needed if the buzzer also has attached wires) 2 metal split pin fasteners per pupil A7 card, 1 piece per pupil Sticky tape or electrical insulation tape. (Potential sources for the components include Rapid online and TTS group) If needed: Wire cutters/strippers Optional: Hole punches (ideally single hole punches) A7 card, 1 per pupil Metal foil A4 card and coloured pencils Scissors Pre-made model of the circuit, for demonstration The engineering context Circuits form the basis of all electrical equipment, ranging from lighting in home to televisions and computers. An electrical circuit is a group of components that are connected together, typically using wires. The wires are usually copper metal, which is highly conductive, coated with insulating plastic, to prevent electric shocks. The circuit must be continuous (i.e. have no breaks) to allow electricity to flow through the components and back to its source, such as a battery. Switches operate as an input device that make a gap in the circuit to stop electricity flowing when they are open. A circuit will normally also have at least one output device, such as a buzzer to produce sound or a bulb to produce light. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this project students will be able to construct an electrical switch and they will also be able to understand that a complete circuit is required for electricity to flow. 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.

Using 2D nets to make 3D shapes Make 3D shapes using cube nets then use this understanding to build a 3D pyramid. This activity introduces the concept of making 3D shapes using 2D nets. Participants use shape nets, to make three-dimensional shapes from two-dimensional images including a cube and pyramid. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this series of activities, pupils will learn about nets and wheels and axles. They will combine these technologies to make the base and body for a vehicle made from card. It could be used at Key Stage 1 to introduce nets and develop practical skills. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation Tools/resources required Copies of the nets pyramid and nets cube handouts, printed on card, 1 per pupil (plus spares) Scissors Glue sticks Optional Sticky tape or double-sided sticky tape Pre-made models of each shape, for demonstration (these could be made large size, for example by printing out on A3 card) Download the activity sheets for free! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Designing an ergonomic shopping bag carrier for older adults In this activity students will design an ergonomic product aimed at older adults aged 60 and above. They will make use of anthropometric data to ensure that the product is fit for purpose. It’s an ideal product design lesson as it focusses on how ergonomics and anthropometric data can be used for making a shopping bag. This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in design and technology (DT). Our teaching resources explain the concepts of ergonomics and anthropometrics. Using this information students will design a product that assists with carrying several shopping bags in just one hand, ensuring it’s ergonomically designed for the carrier’s comfort. They’ll use anthropometric data to tailor the product to the target audience while considering its aesthetic appeal. After sketching and annotating their shopping bag designs, students share their work with a partner who will give feedback on what works well as well as what might be improved. Download our activity overview and presentation and ergonomic product design handout for a detailed lesson plan for teaching students about ergonomic design. What does anthropometric mean in design and technology (DT)? In design and technology (DT), anthropometric data refers to measurements of the human body. This might include measurements like hand size, height, and limb proportions. When students design products, they can use anthropometric data to ensure their product designs are comfortable, safe, and efficient for the intended users. The engineering context Designers must consider how people will interact with their products and systems. The use of ergonomics and anthropometric data allows them to make sure their products are comfortable and efficient to use. Suggested learning outcomes Students will be able to design an ergonomic product (specifically, a shopping bag) that meets the needs of older adults. They’ll understand what is meant by anthropometric data and be able to use it for aid the design of a product. They’ll also be able to communicate their design ideas using sketches, notes and annotations. Download our activity sheet and related teaching resources The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.