A maths-based challenge to find stations on the rail network based on their journey times Can you use a rail network map to find stations based on journey times? Use your math skills to complete our station hunt activity sheet in this fun STEM challenge for kids! This is one of a series of free resources developed in conjunction with Network Rail to develop understanding and skills in key maths, science, and engineering concepts. Activity: In this fun maths challenge, learners will use a known starting position (station) and a journey time to identify a destination. It will involve adding different combinations of journey times to identify the answer. This activity could be carried out as individuals or in pairs and could be used as a one-off main lesson activity to develop basic maths skills in context. Learners will complete the questions on the activity sheet using the station hunt map as a guide. They should find the starting point station and move along the rail lines, adding up the time as they go along, until they reach their destination station. The transport speeds are estimates based on typical values, found using the most common search engine. Any statistics or data on transport speeds used in this activity are solely for the purpose of this activity and may not be an accurate reflection of actual current times, which may vary due to seasonal, environmental or legal limitations, for example. Additional complexity could be added by adding a set time (for example, 15 minutes) when train changes are needed. As an extension activity, students could work out their own journey time questions and try them on their friends. How long will this activity take? This activity will take approximately 30-50 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Pencils Calculators The engineering context Calculating times is a vital skill that engineers use – it helps them make decisions about the best way to complete a task. For example, it helps aerospace engineers plan how much fuel to carry on a plane to allow it to fly for a long time. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to solve a contextual problem using a time calculation and they will understand how to calculate different journey times between rail stations. Download the free Network Rail maths challenge 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

In this activity learners will sketch and annotated design for a sustainable pair of sunglasses aimed at the young professional adults of the future. This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about generating design ideas or sketching, or part of a wider scheme of learning covering design processes and techniques. It could also be used as part of an introduction to sustainability issues, such as the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment. Resources required: A4 or A3 paper, if not using handout Pencils, pens, coloured pencils and sketching tools Optional, if available: 3D CAD software for extension activity Download the activity sheets for free! And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Using the circumference formula and estimation to design an efficient revolving door This lesson tasks students with designing a functional and efficient revolving door. It tests practical maths skills such as estimation and calculating the circumference of a circle, while also challenging students with a fun design activity. It’s one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in maths. Activity: Using the circumference formula and estimation to design an efficient revolving door In this activity students will examine the design of revolving doors for maximum efficiency both in terms of reducing space and minimising heat loss. They’ll firstly be tasked with calculating the idea entrance/exit arc length based on the door’s diameter. They’ll then be asked to estimate how many people can fit into each door section and how this will impact getting 200 people in and out of the building as the arrive and leave for work. The GeoGebra file Revolving doors allows teachers to demonstrate the problem and check the solution to the first task. Download our activity overview and Revolving door presentation for a detailed lesson plan on the maths behind designing a revolving door. The engineering context Revolving doors are energy efficient as they prevent drafts (via acting as an airlock), thus preventing increases in the heating or cooling required for the building. At the same time, revolving doors allow large numbers of people to pass in and out. As such, architects and engineers need to apply mathematics to their designs, which can help to determine how they will work in practice and whether or not they’re fit for purpose. Suggested learning outcomes Students will learn how mathematical concepts like circumference and arc length are applied to solving real-world design problems. Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation for free! Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Assessing the probability of a particular situation occurring in a power station In this lesson students will use event tree analysis to roleplay an exercise where they quantify the risk of safety systems failing in a power station. This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within mathematics. In this activity, students will roleplay the following scenario: ‘A power station experiences a loss of coolant to its reactor about once per year. To prevent a dangerous explosion, a set of controls are in place. Firstly, an alarm which alerts the operator, this works on 99% of occasions. If this does fail various other systems will become operational to monitor the issue and prevent disaster.’ Using the examples in our Power station event analysis handout and Event analysis presentation, students will learn how event tree analysis can be used to model the probability of the risk of safety systems failing. Students can also use our Event analysis simulator tree spreadsheet to run simulations to check their workings. Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan (including answers) for teaching students about event tree analysis. The engineering context Event trees allow engineers to visualise the chain of events that could lead to system failures. Analysing the probabilities of these events helps them understand the likelihood of various outcomes as part of their efforts to design measures that can help to mitigate risks. Suggested learning outcomes In this lesson, students will learn about frequency trees, probability, and relative frequency. Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download (including the video), and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your class’s and your schools’ needs. You can download our classroom lesson plan for free! Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Calculate the cross-sectional areas of different aqueducts to determine which is most effective In this STEM activity students will investigate different aqueduct shapes to determine which is the most efficient design. This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within mathematics and engineering. Activity: Calculating the cross-sectional areas of different aqueducts In this lesson, students must calculate the cross-sectional area of various aqueducts to determine which one is most effective in terms of least water lost via evaporation. Using our Aqueduct presentation, learners will be introduced to the engineering behind aqueducts by estimating the volume of water follow through the aqueduct in one second. Students will then calculate the cross-sectional areas of various aqueduct shapes, including rectangles and trapezoids. To do this, learners must apply their understanding trigonometry to find the missing side lengths. Alternatively, students can use this GeoGebra file to calculate the area of the trapezium. Download our activity overview for an introductory lesson plan on trigonometry for free! The engineering context Aqueducts are constructed to carry water across gaps such as valleys or ravines. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. Aqueducts can be used to enable water to be transported to areas where it is in short supply. Suggested learning outcomes In this activity students will apply their knowledge of mathematics such as calculating the area of a rectangle and trapezium or the volume of a cuboid. They will also be able to specifically apply their knowledge of trigonometry. Finally, they’ll learn how to plot graphs using a table of values. Download our activity sheet and other 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 class’s and your schools’ needs. You can download our classroom lesson plan for free!

Designing and making a zip line for a toy This is a project to build a model of a zip Line. It could be carried out in pairs but will work for individuals. It requires some space to complete successfully but can be executed both indoors and outdoors. This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about the effect of gravity on a body falling in a controlled manner, friction or the practical application of trigonometry. Resources required: String or thin rope, 10m should be enough A ‘passenger’ for the zip line Paper clips or stiff wire Sticky tape A stopwatch or a stopwatch App on a phone A ruler or tape measure A protractor Some paper and a pen to take notes Download the activity sheets for free! And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Making a moisture sensor to check that a sports pitch is fit to play on In this engineering activity, designed for secondary school students, students will make and test a moisture sensor that referees can use to check the playability of a football pitch. This is one of a series of resources designed to allow learners to use the theme of the sport to develop their knowledge and skills in design and technology and engineering. This free resource focuses on making and testing a moisture sensor that referees can use to check the playability of the pitch. Activity introduction Your task is to make a waterlogging sensor that a referee can use to check whether the playing field is fit to play on. It should indicate when the pitch is too wet for play to safely take place. Follow the steps outlined in our free activity sheet to assemble your own moisture sensor circuit. Once the sensor is assembled place the moisture sensor in wet soil or grass to see if it works! After you have tested your moisture sensor circuit you can discuss with your teacher how successful the making of it has been. This activity will take approximately 50-80 minutes. What you will need A soldering iron, stand, sponge and mat/base Solder Moisture sensor circuit board A 9-volt battery and battery snap A 470-ohm, 1 kiloohm and 1.2 kiloohm resistor A transistor A 5 mm red LED A sticky pad The engineering context Sporting events require engineers of a wide range of disciplines to make sure that it runs smoothly and effectively. From structural engineers in charge of stadium design to textile engineers producing the players’ kits, the importance of engineers is huge. Electrical and electronic engineers need to have basic skills in circuit construction, including soldering components and testing electronic PCBs. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to make a moisture sensor circuit, they will be able to fit and solder components to a PCB and they will be able to test the moisture sensor circuit to check how well it works. Download the free activity sheet! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. 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.

Use fractions, percentages and averages to decide the best footballer In this engaging activity students will explore statistics and use them to decide on a ranking of football players. Football players are ranked in different ways and there are a variety of awards that they can be rewarded with. Each year the Ballon D’Or is awarded to the player judged to be the ‘best’. The Golden Ball is given to the best player in the World Cup tournament. In this activity, pupils are presented with data and can use it to decide who they consider to be the best footballer. The purpose of this activity is to explore statistics and to use them to decide on a ranking of football players. Pupils will compare data and use average scores to find ways of comparing data and making decisions. 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. You can download our step-by-step instructions as a classroom lesson plan and PowerPoint presentation And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Describing a sports team using fractions and percentages In this fun maths activity, students will test their fractions and percentage skills by looking at football teams. Before a big competition a squad is selected and from that the final team will be chosen. In this activity we describe the squad using fractions and percentages and then select a team. Can someone else work out which team has been selected from the fractions and percentages used to describe it? The purpose of this activity is to deepen understanding of fractions and percentages as ways to describe proportion or parts of a whole. There are opportunities to look at equivalent fractions and equivalence between fractions and percentages. 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. You can download our step-by-step instructions as either a classroom lesson plan or PowerPoint presentation And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Manufacture a traditional Chinese two-stringed musical instrument called an 'Erhu’ In this activity learners will use the theme of the Chinese and Lunar New Year to learn about and make a Chinese two-stringed musical instrument called an Erhu. They will learn about the purpose of an Erhu and its main parts. They will then use hand tools and equipment to manufacture their own Erhu and test it. The erhu is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument. It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It can imitate many natural sounds such as birds and horses. Download the activity sheets for free! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. Tools/resources required Tin can Piece of wood 2 x M5 screw, 4 x M5 nuts Fishing line Hacksaw/multi-tool Drill and drill bits Hot glue gun Wood saw Violin bows (if available) The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Design a system to drop emergency aid pallets from an aircraft. In this activity learners will make use of the theme of the future of flight to design a method or system of getting emergency aid from an aircraft to the ground safely. They will analyse existing methods of achieving this. Then use that information to create sketches of their initial ideas, before producing a developed and completed final design. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Design a personal transport system for the future. Engineers are always looking to improve existing transport systems to make them better, more efficient, and widely available to everyone. As new propulsion methods are made smaller, and materials get lighter and stronger, personal transportation systems will be developed. In this activity, learners will design a futuristic personal transport system. The transport will use a chosen method of propulsion to allow it to fly, carrying an individual or a group of people. Learners will communicate design ideas using sketches, notes, and annotations. You will need: Projector/whiteboard Sketching equipment All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Designing a new way of carrying things. This resource focusses on designing a new item of luggage that travellers can use to store and carry their belongings. Learners will create a list of design criteria for the luggage, apply mathematical knowledge in measuring the objects that need to be carried, then design the luggage itself. What you will need Pencils Rulers Tape measures (if available) A3 and A4 paper as required All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Looking at ways to keep birds away from airport runways. Bird strikes can be extremely dangerous and cause a lot of damage to aircrafts. In this activity learners will come up with ideas to prevent bird strikes. Learners will develop their analytical and researching skills, and then be able to apply these to the given design situation. You will need: Pens Pencils Rulers Projector/interactive whiteboard or computers for watching the video All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

Evaluating materials for a heat shield to prevent a piece of chocolate from melting The Solar Orbiter has to get very close to the Sun’s surface to observe how it works. It needs a heat shield, so its systems do not get too hot and melt. This fun activity make use of the theme of the future of flight to design, make and test a heat shield to prevent a piece of chocolate from melting. Test different materials to see which protects the chocolate the best and discuss their results. You will need: Polystyrene cups Scissors Materials for heat shields (e.g. milk bottle plastic, cardboard, metal foil, metal mesh) Chocolate pieces Hairdryer Stopwatch or timer Additional equipment that could be used: Thermometer Ruler Heat mats to place polystyrene cups on Oven gloves/cloths/tongs All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

In this fun Christmas STEM baking activity, students will make Rudolph cookies, with his famous red nose. Combing maths and science, this activity will teach students precision measuring, different imperial measurements, chemical changes and more. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

In this activity learners will make use of the theme of the future of flight to learn about the importance of clear communication for air traffic controllers. They will work together in groups to follow instructions to make a range of shapes using different cards. You will need: Scissors (to cut out shape cards). Shape cards. All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation

This activity will engage student’s maths and science skills, making them think about adhesives, molecular bonds and more! One of the traditions at Christmas time is to decorate our houses. In this creative Christmas STEM activity, students will be making wintery window decorations which will stick to a windowpane all by themselves! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

Make edible snowmen from puffed rice and marshmallow This easy STEM themed baking activity lets students use puffed rice cereal, marshmallows and decorative items to create snowmen Rice Krispie treats! Baking is engineering. It is uses science, maths and technology skills to engineer and create solutions and new tasty products. So, engineers need all these skills – precision in weighing out ingredients, the safety required in the kitchen and product design and quality engineering to test, taste and improve with each bake! All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

A set of printable resources and guidance notes giving teachers and technicians the basic ingredients to run their very own Faraday Challenge Day. This cross-curricular activity day brings science, design and technology, engineering and maths together in an engaging way. The IHEEM challenge is based on the IET Faraday® Challenge of the same name from our 2021/22 season of IET Faraday® Challenge Days. Students are given an engineering brief (found in the student booklet) to help IHEEM to design a prototype which could be used in a children’s hospital to make a stay in hospital more comfortable and relaxing for young patients and their families, carers and friends. They will need to demonstrate that they have the engineering skills required to engineer and construct a working prototype of their design and pitch their products to the judges. Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12-13 years (year 8 England, and equivalent), the challenge encourages the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. This activity day can be tailored to the needs of your school and your students by adapting the PowerPoint presentation and the editable student booklet. What’s included? The complete set of downloadable materials includes: Teachers’ pack A list of the practical materials needed, presenters’ notes highlighting key areas and reinforcing key themes throughout the day, some handy hints on how to deliver the day . . . plus printable Faradays currency and student certificates. Student booklet Available as an editable MSWord document to allow the booklet to be adapted to meets the needs of your students and your school. PowerPoint presentation A step-by-step guide for your students throughout the day, with supporting notes for the delivery of the presentation. Film clip Full briefing video introducing the challenge to your students. All online resources are free to download, and the student booklet and PowerPoint presentation are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs. And please do remember to share your activity highlights with us @IETeducation