Educational Resources Detailed Descriptors
Now that you have identified a resource of interest, check out the detailed descriptor for that resource below. If you want to receive the files needed to run the resource (usually a Powerpoint set and sometimes additional word documents with class handouts etc.) then click HERE to let us know what you want. We will email it to you usually within one week. The powerpoint presentation can be cut or expanded as you wish, by deleting or adding slides or text. The idea of the resource is to provide you with a basic lesson, allowing you to customize it to your requirements.
ALIEN BIOLOGY
By exploring the earth system, this set of interesting exercises and experiments allows the student to examine the basic requirements for life and then to explore how life might exist on another planet or moon. By building a ‘biosphere’, students can control key aspects of their mini-planet and see how it impacts on their world. Incorporates cross-curricular themes including geography, literature, mathematics and design.
BUILT FOR SPEED 1
Primary and lower secondary CPD, centred around hydrodynamics, buoyancy, drag and density. By understanding the relationship between shape and drag, student can explore why different organisms are shaped the way that they are, allowing for optimum exploitation of their environments. Simple and entertaining design challenges combine Science and EXA aspects of the curriculum, while delivering fun practical science at almost no cost.
CARBON GAME I
This game is designed to trace the evolution of the atmosphere, in terms of carbon and oxygen, over time, relating key events in the evolution of life with environmental change. By tracing the impact of the rise and fall of anaerobic bacteria, the rise and dominance of aerobic life, the importance of photosynthesis, the development of the ozone layer and the resultant invasion of land by plants and animals, the student gains a key insight into the relationship between biology and atmospheric chemistry. Pack comes complete with playing cards for the game, graphs to fill in and a set of questions for a review session or homework.
CARBON GAME II
This game allows the students to calculate their own carbon footprint, while examining what activities are most carbon-productive. Students can compare their carbon footprints with that of nations around the world, and can examine the practicalities of bio-sequestration (neutralizing their footprints).
THE CONMAN SIMULATION
Pits a group of environmentalists against a hard-nosed industrial company, as they negotiate the future of an area containing rare and protected species. Giving an insight into the mechanics of debate and problem solving in the real world, this exercise provides an excellent opportunity to observe your students as they develop their skills in teamwork, communication and decision making in a group setting. Suitable for secondary and college students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
CONSERVATION GAME
Students design an animal based on key functions (food type, skin type, habitat type, size, locomotion, location on planet, nocturnal or diurnal) and then design a nature reserve for their animal that meets their needs. Students then discuss a number of questions related to the conservation of animals, and design a sign for their nature reserve. Allows an interesting exploration of form and function, and how these things determine the needs of an animal.
ENERGY SOURCES: SHADOWS AND FOOTPRINTS
This CPD provides teachers with a wealth of resources on renewable energy sources, allowing students to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of these and providing a history of different approaches to powering human society. Combining physics and chemistry, these resources provide a cross-curricular examination of this central issue, and a selection of handouts allows the teacher to provide discussion and debate for the students to become involved with.
MASS EXTINCTION GAME
A fun way to explain food chains combining a simple mini-experiment, a research project and the use of the dinosaur extinction to understand the importance of food chains. Two different art activities allow the children to understand the importance of the flow of energy on the planet. Finally we explore winter and the impact of reduced energy upon life. How do plants and animals cope with this change, when our countryside approaches the conditions every year that led to a mass extinction?
MONKEY BUSINESS
Places your students in the roles of behavioural biologists, studying a group of primates in a rainforest. Team skills are tested to the limit as they work to analyse behaviour. Teaching skills in focal point sampling, this exercise brings the subject alive before their eyes and provides valuable opportunities for data analysis and interpretation. Suitable for upper primary and secondary students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
SCIENCE NEWSROOM GAME
This role play allows students to become science reporters, learning how to write news stories. Writing of headlines, summary paragraphs, main story, story path and art work are all explored, with students then preparing a powerpoint presentation, newspaper article, radio broadcast or television report on a current science story.
SENSORY PIE GAME
The sensory pie game explores the senses and how different animals have different strengths in each of the five senses. We begin with an introduction to the senses and a helpful worksheet allows the students to recognize that each sense perceives more than one aspect of the environment. We then examine nocturnal and diurnal animals, and see how different the senses are in each animal. Finally, students make a sensory pie for a range of animals, with different thicknesses of slices reflecting how important the sense is to this animal. Some mystery pies are presented, and the students are asked to work out what kind of animal the pie represents.
THE PROTEIN GAME
A radical and original approach to the subject of molecular biology, dealing with transcription, translation and cell biology. The students play the roles of amino acids, DNA and RNA, and explore why mutations have such devastating impacts. The importance of chemical context is brought home, as the forms and functions of proteins take on three-dimensional shapes, and twist and turn to the ever-changing cellular context. Suitable for middle and higher secondary/college students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
THE VACCINATION GAME
A fun exploration of a traditionally difficult subject: immunology. This is a role-play game, where the students take on the roles of different parts of the immune system, allowing them to explore the interactions of the various components. Students find themselves in the middle of a battle, and face the different challenges commonly encountered in each of us regularly. A wide range of aspects can be explored in this flexible game, depending on what you want to focus on, including immune response, vaccination and diseases of the immune system.
WORLD RELIGIONS AND THE FOUR SEASONS
a wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used throughout the year to accompany your autumn, winter, spring and summer studies, while covering this important area of the RME curriculum. The series of activities also develops a deeper understanding, of common themes shared by world religions, allowing an exploration of such symbols as birds and eggs in belief systems. Lots of innovative and fun material allowing cross-curricular exploration.
We also have discussion packs aimed at the senior end of Secondary school, College and University level on the ethics of designer babies, transplant surgery and GM technology.
ALIEN BIOLOGY
By exploring the earth system, this set of interesting exercises and experiments allows the student to examine the basic requirements for life and then to explore how life might exist on another planet or moon. By building a ‘biosphere’, students can control key aspects of their mini-planet and see how it impacts on their world. Incorporates cross-curricular themes including geography, literature, mathematics and design.
BUILT FOR SPEED 1
Primary and lower secondary CPD, centred around hydrodynamics, buoyancy, drag and density. By understanding the relationship between shape and drag, student can explore why different organisms are shaped the way that they are, allowing for optimum exploitation of their environments. Simple and entertaining design challenges combine Science and EXA aspects of the curriculum, while delivering fun practical science at almost no cost.
CARBON GAME I
This game is designed to trace the evolution of the atmosphere, in terms of carbon and oxygen, over time, relating key events in the evolution of life with environmental change. By tracing the impact of the rise and fall of anaerobic bacteria, the rise and dominance of aerobic life, the importance of photosynthesis, the development of the ozone layer and the resultant invasion of land by plants and animals, the student gains a key insight into the relationship between biology and atmospheric chemistry. Pack comes complete with playing cards for the game, graphs to fill in and a set of questions for a review session or homework.
CARBON GAME II
This game allows the students to calculate their own carbon footprint, while examining what activities are most carbon-productive. Students can compare their carbon footprints with that of nations around the world, and can examine the practicalities of bio-sequestration (neutralizing their footprints).
THE CONMAN SIMULATION
Pits a group of environmentalists against a hard-nosed industrial company, as they negotiate the future of an area containing rare and protected species. Giving an insight into the mechanics of debate and problem solving in the real world, this exercise provides an excellent opportunity to observe your students as they develop their skills in teamwork, communication and decision making in a group setting. Suitable for secondary and college students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
CONSERVATION GAME
Students design an animal based on key functions (food type, skin type, habitat type, size, locomotion, location on planet, nocturnal or diurnal) and then design a nature reserve for their animal that meets their needs. Students then discuss a number of questions related to the conservation of animals, and design a sign for their nature reserve. Allows an interesting exploration of form and function, and how these things determine the needs of an animal.
ENERGY SOURCES: SHADOWS AND FOOTPRINTS
This CPD provides teachers with a wealth of resources on renewable energy sources, allowing students to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of these and providing a history of different approaches to powering human society. Combining physics and chemistry, these resources provide a cross-curricular examination of this central issue, and a selection of handouts allows the teacher to provide discussion and debate for the students to become involved with.
MASS EXTINCTION GAME
A fun way to explain food chains combining a simple mini-experiment, a research project and the use of the dinosaur extinction to understand the importance of food chains. Two different art activities allow the children to understand the importance of the flow of energy on the planet. Finally we explore winter and the impact of reduced energy upon life. How do plants and animals cope with this change, when our countryside approaches the conditions every year that led to a mass extinction?
MONKEY BUSINESS
Places your students in the roles of behavioural biologists, studying a group of primates in a rainforest. Team skills are tested to the limit as they work to analyse behaviour. Teaching skills in focal point sampling, this exercise brings the subject alive before their eyes and provides valuable opportunities for data analysis and interpretation. Suitable for upper primary and secondary students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
SCIENCE NEWSROOM GAME
This role play allows students to become science reporters, learning how to write news stories. Writing of headlines, summary paragraphs, main story, story path and art work are all explored, with students then preparing a powerpoint presentation, newspaper article, radio broadcast or television report on a current science story.
SENSORY PIE GAME
The sensory pie game explores the senses and how different animals have different strengths in each of the five senses. We begin with an introduction to the senses and a helpful worksheet allows the students to recognize that each sense perceives more than one aspect of the environment. We then examine nocturnal and diurnal animals, and see how different the senses are in each animal. Finally, students make a sensory pie for a range of animals, with different thicknesses of slices reflecting how important the sense is to this animal. Some mystery pies are presented, and the students are asked to work out what kind of animal the pie represents.
THE PROTEIN GAME
A radical and original approach to the subject of molecular biology, dealing with transcription, translation and cell biology. The students play the roles of amino acids, DNA and RNA, and explore why mutations have such devastating impacts. The importance of chemical context is brought home, as the forms and functions of proteins take on three-dimensional shapes, and twist and turn to the ever-changing cellular context. Suitable for middle and higher secondary/college students. NOTE: MONKEY BUSINESS, THE PROTEIN GAME and CONMAN SIMULATION are the only resources that we charge for, because of the expense of producing the resource. A pack including all resources for all three activities (all handouts, laminated playing cards, DVD) is available from the SHOP at only £24 inc. P&P.
THE VACCINATION GAME
A fun exploration of a traditionally difficult subject: immunology. This is a role-play game, where the students take on the roles of different parts of the immune system, allowing them to explore the interactions of the various components. Students find themselves in the middle of a battle, and face the different challenges commonly encountered in each of us regularly. A wide range of aspects can be explored in this flexible game, depending on what you want to focus on, including immune response, vaccination and diseases of the immune system.
WORLD RELIGIONS AND THE FOUR SEASONS
a wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used throughout the year to accompany your autumn, winter, spring and summer studies, while covering this important area of the RME curriculum. The series of activities also develops a deeper understanding, of common themes shared by world religions, allowing an exploration of such symbols as birds and eggs in belief systems. Lots of innovative and fun material allowing cross-curricular exploration.
- SPRING
Wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used throughout the year to accompany your spring studies, while exploring this important area of the RME curriculum. Following an introduction on the geography and biology of the seasons, we focus on two key spring symbols: the egg and the bird. Using Easter eggs as a starting point, we explore egg festivals such as Nowruz, Sham Al-Naseem and Moon-yut, recognizing the egg as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. A craft activity with five different ways to dye eggs, provides a nice seasonal practical event for the end of term. Birds have played central roles in all religions, and in particular, the migratory habits of birds underpin much of this symbolism. We explore the bird in Christian, Eastern, Mayan and Ancient Greek belief systems, and focus on the Birdman of Easter Island. - SUMMER
Wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used throughout the year to accompany your summer studies, while exploring this important area of the RME curriculum. The series of activities also develops a deeper understanding of common themes shared by world religions, allowing an exploration of The Celtic festival of Beltaine, the summer solstice in its many expressions, Chinese yin, the Jewish Essenes and the origin of the honeymoon. Lots of innovative and fun activities allow cross-curricular exploration. - AUTUMN
This one hour session covers a wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used to accompany your autumnal studies, while exploring this important area of the RME curriculum. The series of activities also develops a deeper understanding of common themes shared by world religions, allowing an exploration of Autumn Equinox, Lammas, Mabon, Chumash (Native America), Higan (Japan), Samhain (Pagan), Halloween, Chinese Moon Festival and the egg-balancing belief. Lots of innovative and fun material, allowing cross-curricular exploration. - WINTER
Wide array of interesting seasonal celebrations that can be used to accompany your winter studies, while exploring this important area of the RME curriculum. The series of activities also develops a deeper understanding of common themes shared by world religions, allowing an exploration of such symbols as evergreen plants, the sun, Chinese yang and fire in belief systems. We also look at Christian, Incan, native American, Iranian and Jewish traditions associated with winter. Lots of innovative and fun material, allowing cross-curricular exploration.
We also have discussion packs aimed at the senior end of Secondary school, College and University level on the ethics of designer babies, transplant surgery and GM technology.