Distance Learning STEM activities, Student projects

Learning Objectives

To allow students to continue their learning whilst studying at home our Big Questions are a way of enabling pupils to make cross curricular links and relate their learning to the world around them.

Our Big Question topics include:

What impact have advances in materials science had on boat design?
What does it take to become an elite athlete?
How do you design a winning America’s Cup boat?
How can we design a product to minimise it’s impact on the environment?
How has innovation and technology impacted performance in sport?
What does it take to win the America’s Cup – the world’s oldest sporting trophy?

Lesson Description

NEW! Remote Learning Resources

We have put together a series of 6 student projects which can be used either in the classroom or at home. These projects are based on the concept of Big Questions.

A Big Question is a way of guiding pupils to make links between distinct subject areas and relate them to the world around them. We have chosen 6 Big Questions and added the resources your pupils will need to be able to form a detailed and considered response.

The questions span a range of areas; human performance, design, the environment and technology.

The Big Question projects may be used for teaching science or design technology curriculum, or as part of a cross curricular project across multiple subjects (including English and humanities).

1. What impact have advances in materials science had on boat design?

2. Offline resource: advances in materials science

3. What does it take to become an elite athlete?

4. Offline resource: becoming an elite athlete

5. How do you design a winning America’s Cup boat?

6. Offline resource: design a winning America's Cup boat

7. How can we design a product to minimise it's impact on the environment?

8. Offline resource: minimising enivronmental impact

9. How has innovation and technology impacted performance in sport?

10. Offline resource: innovation and tech in sport

11. What does it take to win the America’s Cup?

12. Offline resource: winning the America's Cup

13. Student workbook

14. Offline resource: student workbook

15. Notes for teachers

16. Notes for parents and guardians

17. Video: practical investigation - friction in action

Understand how INEOS TEAM UK work hard to reduce drag to make Britannia sail as fast as possible with this fun practical investigation about friction.

*Health & Safety – if under 18 please make sure you have adult supervision*

*Equipment – 3 eggs, 3 glasses, 3 tubes, 1 cork based placemat

18. Video: practical investigation - water bottle pressure (air pressure & surfce tension)

One of the reasons the America’s Cup boats foil is due to the difference in air pressure acting on the surface of the foils.
You’d think that putting holes in the bottle would cause the water to leak but when the lid is on tight, air pressure can’t get into the bottle to push on the surface of the water. The water molecules work together to form a seal over the holes, this is called surface tension. When the lid is opened, air goes inside pushes down on the water along with gravity causing water to spray out!

*Health & Safety – if under 18 please make sure you have adult supervision*

*Equipment: an empty plastic bottle with a lid, water, marker pen or sharpie and a drawing pin