STEM learning resources for primary schools

Build a wind turbine

The Build a Wind Turbine resource is designed to introduce students to wind turbines though a hands-on task. Students are required to cut and build their own model wind turbine before exploring how modifications can make their turbine spin faster.

• Build a Wind Turbine PowerPoint
• Wind Turbine Template

Girls in STEM

The Girls in STEM classroom activity was developed with support from the PSHE Association to help teachers and parents encourage and nurture their child’s careers ambitions. This resource is aimed at pupils aged 9+ and introduces careers and aspirations from an early age. The lessons are also designed to help address the gender imbalance and the drop-off in interest in STEM subjects and career choice in primary school through the PSHE curriculum.

• Girls in STEM - Teachers' Notes
• Girls in STEM - Gender Stereotypes and equality
• Girls in STEM - The World of Work
• Girls in STEM - Influencers and role models
• Girls in STEM - Hopes and Aspirations

Clean, green trains

This resource uses rail travel to provide a range of learning activities, beginning with a historical setting where pupils are asked to imagine what different types of travel were like, before looking at electric motors in trains and other equipment in the home.Students are also challenged with running a good rail service using mathematical understanding and logical thinking to develop and evaluate solutions.

• Clean Green Trains - Teachers' Notes
• Clean Green Trains - PowerPoint
• Clean Green Trains - Speed Activity Sheet
• Clean Green Trains - Timetabling Activity Sheet
• Clean Green Trains - Train Types Activity Sheet
• Clean Green Trains - Challenge

Electrical conductors

Learn about electrical conductors and insulators in these Greenpower resources!Key learning points include:

• Understand the difference between an electrical conductor and insulator
• Understand related scientific terminology
• Understand different materials have different resistivity to the flow of current
• Cross-section area and length are key factors in the resistance of a component
• Suitable design can reduce energy losses
• Electrical Conductors - Teachers' notes
• Electrical Conductors - Student worksheet (differing abilities)
• Electrical Conductors - PowerPoint
• Electrical Conductors - Student Homework
• Electrical Conductors - Student Homework Answers
• Electrical Conductors Video (Sorcerer's Apprentice Scene)

Electricity - Let there be light

This resource supports the teaching of electricty and circuits and how changes in technology impact people.

• Associate the brightness of a lamp or volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells in the circuit.
• Compare and explain variations in how components function, including brightness and on/off position of switches.
• Use recognised symbols to represent a simple circuit in a diagram.
• Economic activity including trade links; the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.
• Let There Be Light - Teachers' notes
• Let There Be Light - PowerPoint
• Let There Be Light - Hand Crank Technology Activity Sheet
• Let There Be Light - Building a Water Wheel Activity Sheet
• Let There Be Light - Series and Parallel Circuits Activity Sheet

Friction

The following Greenpower resources provide teaching guides, student worksheets and videos all about friction. Activities can be differentiated for standard, in-depth and advanced levels.

• What is friction
• How is friction effected by surface materials
• Friction and lubrication
• Friction is use and where it is unwelcome
• Friction - Teachers' notes
• Friction - Student Worksheet (differing abilities)
• Friction - PowerPoint
• Friction Video - Guy Martin vs David Coulthard
• Friction Video - Lorry on Ice

Gears and Levers

Learn all about gears and levers in these resources developed with Greenpower. They include a classroom presentation, guides for teachers and students, and a homework activity to review knowledge.Topics covered include:

• How levers work
• How gears work
• How teeth count affects gear wheel movement
• Force and distance magnifiers
• Torque
• Gears and Levers - Teachers' notes
• Gears and Levers - PowerPoint
• Gears and Levers - Student Worksheet
• Gears and Levers - Homework Activity
• Gears and Levers - Homework Answers

MRI Experience

Help your students to develop their understanding of the purpose of medical imaging, MRI imaging in particular, and helps them to understand how science and technology is used every day to improve the lives of billions of people.This lesson plan encourages pupils to learn more about what MRI imaging is, what it does, why it is useful and what it’s like to have a scan.

• MRI Experience - Teachers' notes
• MRI Experience - PowerPoint
• MRI Experience - Student Worksheet

Speed

Produced in partnership with Greenpower, these resources cover speed and the following elements:

• Recording speed in a range of units which can be inter-converted
• Instantaneous speed is the speed over a short time period
• Average speed is the speed for a whole journey
• The calculation of speed, distance and time
• Speed - Teachers' notes
• Speed - PowerPoint
• Speed - Student Worksheet
• Speed - Student Homework
• Speed - Siemens Safezones Project

The Human Body

This resource supports the teaching of skeletons and muscles to support simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system.

• Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
• Identify and name main parts of the human circulatory system; describe functions of the heart, blood vessels.

Part 1 - the role of the skeleton and musclesPart 2 - digestion and how the body gets what it needs from foodPart 3 - circulation and how this system works

• The Human Body - Teachers' notes
• The Human Body - PowerPoint
• The Human Body - Exploring Support Activity Sheet
• The Human Body - Exploring Protection Acivity Sheet
• The Human Body - Exploring Movement Activity Sheet
• The Human Body - Exploring Digestion Activity Sheet
• The Human Body - Arteries, Veins and Capillaries Activity Sheet
• Taster- Student Activity Sheet
• Taster- Teachers Notes
• Taster- Presentation