Teacher area with additional information, activities and online resources to support educators in how they may use this resource in their classrooms or to run a STEM club.
About STEM in Action
The STEM in Action resources were developed with the aim of introducing young people to some of the scientists and amazing scientific research that is happening at Imperial College London. Alongside this, each researcher provided at least one do-at-home activity that links their research to the science that these young people would be doing in school.
To help facilitate the use of these resources by teachers in their classrooms or in running a KS3 STEM club please see some additional information to support with planning.
Below is a selection of additional resources from external sources outside of Imperial such as the Institute of Physics (IOP), STEM Learning, Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Science Museum Group and more. These activities have been selected as suggestions to augment the activities developed as part of STEM in Action.
In the Classroom
Bring a link to real world science into your classroom by showing an interview or research talk from one of our researchers during a lesson. All interviews are run with the same format of questions and each researcher also discusses their journey from school to cutting edge research.
Download Researcher Topics and Curriculum Links (XLS) to see a full listing of the researcher information like the example below.
Curriculum Area Link: Chemistry - Earth and atmosphere
Researcher: Sanjeevani
Research topic: Improving our understanding of clouds using new satellite images to see how they affect climate.
Imperial Department: Physics
Module: Environment
The second tab of the spreadsheet provides the approximate time length for each interview and research talk.
Running or enhancing a STEM Club
The STEM in Action activities were created or selected by each researcher to connect secondary science to the cutting-edge university research they are performing. Each activity was designed to be done with resources that can be easily found or procured at home making them ideal for use in an after-school club.
For a quick reference of researchers and activities, please use this SiA Activities Summary (XLS) to assist with planning.
Incorporating a researcher talk or interview into your club session along with the relevant activity will bring the possibilities of real-world applications of the science to your students.
If you wish to run your clubs exclusively around the modules and would like a printable version of a module quiz and certificate, please email [email protected] from your school email to request copies.
Club ideas
- Run a session on STEM careers using the various tools and quizzes in the Careers module to help students explore their STEM interests.
- Run a theme for the term based on one or two of the module themes and incorporate some of the researcher and activities into your sessions.
- Have students do a review of researcher talk or interview pre/post the club.
- Have students explore the additional staff and student profiles to discover a new STEM hero or scientific discoveries to do research and a presentation on.
Below are some additional activities from other popular STEM organizations to provide further links to the science themes being discovered.
Additional resources links
- Beyond Our Planet
- Energy and Sustainability
- Environment
- Human Body
- Machines and AI
- Full STEM Club resources and activity packs
Cardboard Rover - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Students build a rubber-band powered rover
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-cardboard-rover/
Exoplanets - STEM learning
Students working in groups, use real data to model other solar systems.
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/31030/exoplanets
Teaching Exoplanets – Institute of Physics (IOP)
Set of five activities for students to explore Exoplanets
https://spark.iop.org/collections/teaching-exoplanets
Engineered Space Materials – Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Students investigate an engineered material
https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/engineered-space-materials/
Photovoltaic cells in space – IET (Photovoltaic cells with James Webb space telescope links)
Investigating the photovoltaic effect and circuits
https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/photovoltaic-cells-in-space/
Photovoltaic cells - Design and make (and related resources) - IET
Students investigate the photovoltaic effect by making a solar powered night-light circuit.
https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/photovoltaic-cells-design-and-make/
Energy efficiency 2 - IET
Comparing a sustainably built school to their own - students look at ways to save energy and reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/energy-efficiency-2/
Windpower – STEM Learning
The Wind Power booklet contains an illustrated overview of the topic with suggestions for teachers on how to introduce the ideas in the classroom, plus student activity sheets and notes for teachers and technicians.
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/26486/wind-power
I Wouldn’t Send a Dog Out on a Night Like This! - STEM learning
Students set challenge of creating the best insulation to use on a Mars lander.
https://www.stem.org.uk/elibrary/resource/34053
Carbon Cycle Caper - Science Museum Goup
Students 'play out' the carbon cycle to understand how it has been affected by our use of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution, and how this underlies current worries about climate change.
https://learning.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/resources/carbon-cycle-caper/
Practical Action: climate change – STEM learning
A collection of climate change teaching resources suitable for KS2 to KS5. They include activities, posters, complete lessons, homework and extension activities. |
www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/385889/practical-action-climate-change
Plastic challenge – STEM learning
This resource contains a series of lessons which are designed to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of plastics and plastic waste on a global scale.
www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/35961/plastic-challenge
Engineering Solutions: Air pollution - The James Dyson Foundation
Teacher's pack of 5 lessons to introduce your students to engineering and explore how engineers can solve global challenges, focusing on the problem of air pollution.
https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/secondary-school-resources/engineering-solutions-air-pollution.html
National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) Heart & Lung Repair Shop demo talks
Range of 5-10 min demos by 18 Imperial scientists in the NHLI department around understanding different aspects of how our hearts and lungs work.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/nhli/interact/public-engagement/our-projects/heart-and-lung-repair-shop/shop-demos/
Silent Signal Activity Sheets
Collaboration between artists and Imperial biomedical scientists to create experimental animated artworks exploring new ways of thinking about the human body with supporting activities for an interactive session.
https://www.silentsignal.org/science-guide-resources-2/
Artificial Intelligence: level 1 – STEM learning
A set of practical activities where students will explore the terms artificial intelligence and machine learning and consider the benefits to society of using these powerful tools.
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/459344/artificial-intelligence-level-1
Future of Flight – Royal Academy of Engineering
In these activities students explore the role of AI and machine learning and communication in aviation, investigate the forces of flight, and more.
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/522038/royal-academy-engineering-future-flight
STEM Clubs - STEM Learning
A variety of resources, guides, annual club week, recognition and CPD
https://www.stem.org.uk/secondary/enrichment/stem-clubs
Direct link to resources – filterable by age, subject and type
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/271492/stem-clubs-resources
6 week STEM Clubs - all about STEM
Free downloaded activities for running a six week STEM club
https://www.allaboutstem.co.uk/stem-ambassador-hub/clubs/six-week-stem-club/
Challenge Cards - The James Dyson Foundation
Dyson engineers have designed these challenges specifically for children. Ideal for home or in the classroom, they encourage inquisitive young minds to get excited about engineering.
https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.com/resources/other-engineering-resources/challenge-cards.html
Imperial College London is not responsible for the content of these sites, nor does Imperial Outreach have a direct affiliation with any of these organisations other than the National Heart and Lung Institute.
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