- Ditch the Dirt
Ditch the Dirt is an exciting NEW STEM challenge for pupils aged 8-14 years. It enables pupils to investigate ways of making dirty water cleaner through sieving and filtering and can also be used to explore ways of making water safe to drink.
- Crest Awards through Practical Action STEM Challenges
We have worked with the British Science Association to ensure a number of our resources can be used to help pupils achieve a British Science Association CREST Award at different levels. Suitable for primary and secondary pupils.
- Who's responsible for gloabl goals?
This lesson activity encourages pupils to consider who is reponsible for ensuring we achieve the Global Goals (also known as the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). Suitable for pupils 9-18 it stimulates discussion and debate, and help pupils recognise the role they themselves have to play.
- Global Goals
Practical Action have produced a range of different materials to support teachers in helping pupils understand the Global Goals and their targets; why they are important in reducing world poverty, and how pupils can take action themselves to help achieve them. Several activities for pupils aged 8-18.
- OF.E and ASE Energy Resources Project
Exploring energy resources provides students with an insight into their future, as the world’s energy mix is likely to look very different in the coming decades as we tackle the challenges of climate change a growing world population, and the need to connect over a billion people who currently don’t have access to electricity.
- OurFuture.Energy
OurFuture.Energy is an online education resource for 11-16 year olds, which aims to inform young people of the importance of energy in our daily lives, the basic science behind it and the challenges we face in balancing our energy use and supply to meet demand
- Exploring electricity class pack
The Exploring Electricity class pack presents an engaging way for children to investigate electricity topics. With six Genecon hand generatorsa range of accessories available, Genecon is an amazing hands-on way to learn about Electricity.The Data Harvest competition to win a class pack has now closed and the winners announced.
- Practical Action Posters
A range of colourful posters freely available from Practical Action.
- Technology Justice
Questions around technology and the right to access it in today’s world and more are explored in this engaging set of resources for students aged 9-19.
- Moja Island
Evaluating renewable energy resources, Moja Island is a discussion based 1-2 hour activity which will reinforce students' understanding of renewable energy sources.
- Practical Action evaluation tools
Support your students to evaluate products and designs. The Practical Action evaluation tools give students (aged 7-19) an opportunity to analyse their products, designs or existing products.
- #techjustice in action
A series of three videos presented by Ortis Deley, technology justice is all about ensuring everyone has access to technology that is essential for life.
- Water for the world
Help pupils find out about access to water and build their own filters. An activity developed with Engineers Without Borders as an education outreach workshop for pupils aged 7-14.
- Small Is Challenge
A design challenge for students aged 7 to 14. Students look at technologies from the last 100 years and invent a product that could help us lead a more sustainable future.
- Practical Action galleries
Images from Practical Action's projects around the world, helping poor people use technology to improve their lives. All images can be used by teachers and students for educational purposes.
- 100 Small things
A free colourful A1 Poster for students aged 7-18 with 90 ideas of small things they can do to make a difference to their global community and environment, plus space for them to add 10 ideas of their own. Divided into the 6R’s ( Reduce , Reuse, Recycle , Repair, Refuse, Rethink) it can be used as a great teaching resource as well as a poster.
- Who's most at risk
Who's most at risk? is an exciting role play activity that enables pupils aged 11-18 years to understand some of the key factors that place people around the world at risk from the effects of natural hazards.
- Global learning opportunities linked to the curriculum
These documents identify opportunities where teaching in a global context enriches pupils’ learning in the new science curricular for ages 7-14 and give examples of Practical Action's teaching resources for science. They are available for the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland curricula.
- Energy and the Global Goals
Two short activities to develop pupils understanding of why energy is essential if we are to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
- Power for the world
Downloadable resources aimed at pupils aged 7-14 working in teams as they learn about energy, energy resources and differences in energy access around the world. They go on to design and build their own wind turbine
- The wind power challenge
A hands-on activity where students are given minimal materials and challenged to design a wind powered machine that can lift a weighted cup off the floor. Teachers instruction sheets, related video clips and even certificates are available to download.
- Solarcentury solar energy resources
Solarcentury, together with SolarAid and in association with the University of York, have developed science resources for 14-16 year olds which will help answer questions about the impact and uses of solar photovoltaics (PV) in Africa and the UK.
- Floating garden challenge
A fun hands on investigation suitable for KS 2-5 pupils The problem: as a result of climate change there is more rain in Bangladesh than ever before. Land where farmers used to grow their crops is now flooded on a regular basis.
- Plastics Challenge
An exciting new challenge for pupils aged 8-14 years from Parctical Action to develop solutions to the problems caused by plastic waste globally.
- Copper Development Association Resources
The very popular Copper Development Association resources have now been expanded and updated. They are now available to download as Zip folders of interactive PDF files.
- NERC YouTube Channel
Inspirational short videos from NERC and other research partners. Our favourite video is from a research scientist who explains how his research has helped to show that imported bees for crop pollination were infected with parasites.
- Collins Key Stage 3 Science, Second Edition
Fully matched to the 2014 curriculum and designed to help students secure the key skills, knowledge and interest in science needed to succeed at Key Stage 3 and beyond.
- Climate change schools' project resources
The Climate Change Schools Resources were developed by the Climate Change Schools Project, based at the then Science Learning Centre in Durham and led by Krista McKinzey. A large number of teachers and schools in North East England were involved in their development
- Alstom hydropwer infographic
A useful downloadable infographic poster on world hydropower capacity.
- Large scale fish farming
The Nireus video shows how science is applied to fish farming in the Mediterranean
- Tomorrow's Engineers
Everything about engineering, schoool activities, events and careers in one place.
- Beat the Flood
Suitable for KS2-3 (age 7-14) pupils use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house.
- Concept Cartoons Environmental Issues
A series of Concept Cartoons produced by Millgate House Education in partnership with Practical Action
- Practical Action STEM Resources
A range of different STEM challenges that can be both incorporated into your lessons or be used as the basis for an off-timetable day. Perfect for National Science and Engineering Week.
- Copper - The Friendly Metal
A cartoon story showing the surprising impact of copper in our everyday lives.
- Copper and Electricity
A detailed study of the role of copper in electrical motors, transformers, transmission through the grid. Resistance, resistivity and drift velocity are covered in detail.
- Copper Extraction
An introduction to the extraction, purification and recycling of copper.
- Copper Mining
A guide to the mechanics, chemistry and electrochemistry of commercial copper extraction.
- Copper Recycling and Sustainability
Copper is one of the most recyclable metals. This e-source looks at the science and environmental benefits behind recycling.
- Aerosols - How do they work? ARCHIVE
For students aged between 11 and 14 years. The aerosol can turns out to be a useful way of learning about pressure and kinetic theory. Lots of really helpful interactive graphics.
- Discover Petroleum
Take a virtual tour of an oil platform and Fawley oil refinery. Find out how oil is found, extracted and processed. NEW worksheets added.
- Practical Action resources
A variety of exciting and innovative resources from Practical Action support the teaching of climate change, renewable energy resources and cross- curricular topics such as sanitation and flooding