STEM Clubs

Visit the pumped-storage hyroelectric power facility in Llanberis, North Wales, deep inside a mountain.

The tours include visits to the inlet valves, showing the impressive size of the pipes and then onto the turbine hall, where you can get close to the spinning turbine shafts (but not too close!).

The majority of the power station is built inside the Elidir mountains and there is an impressive network of underground tunnels linking all of the working bits of the power station. This is a magnificent feat of engineering.

At night, the turbines are reversed, in pumping mode, to use excess electricity from the national grid. They pump water back up to a storage reservoir at the top of the mountain.

To enhance science education in UK schools, SEP (Science Enhancement Programme) has created the Teacher Associates scheme to offer an inspiring and engaging community where teachers can gain ideas, resources, equipment and support in delivering innovative practical science. Our Teacher Associates scheme is open to all teachers of science across the UK, individuals involved in the training and professional development of science teachers, and researchers within science education.

SEP Teacher Associates have exclusive access to online resources, receive free copies of selected publications, and are entitled to a 5% discount on equipment and materials from Middlesex University Teaching Resources (MUTR).

Associates also have the chance to support other teachers by volunteering to help develop new SEP publications and teaching strategies and share best practice in practical work.

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures have been inspiring children and adults since 1825. They have been aired on television since 1966 and are currently broadcast as a five-part series on Channel 5 in the UK and are available the following March as a DVD. Teachers benefit by being able to complement their teaching as RI events provide the opportunity for students to see science demonstrations they wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to see and extend their learning because of the lecturers’ depth of knowledge and expertise Students benefit by having events that both re-inforce learning in the classroom, but also go beyond, inspiring excitement and enthusiasm, and hearing from working scientists about what their work actually entails. This information has been taken from the STEM Directories. For more information, please go to the STEM Directories website.

A weekly e-newsletter with 10 or so items, including regular features such as what's new on Planet Science, recommended website of the week, joke and activity of the week, plus science education news from the wider world, and our ever popular freebie offers. Circulation 17,000 and growing. Aimed at adults, currently the readers are about 50% teachers (primary and secondary), with the other 50% made up from parents, students, science communicators etc.

"A very upbeat email with ideas and news... This weekly mail is a painless way to keep up to date."
- The Guardian, Education Supplement

A sign-up link can be found in the left-hand column of the Planet Science website.

A behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in a professional firework display. Pyrotechnicians will explain how colours, effects and bangs are achieved in a variety of different fireworks, from fountains and sparklers, through to aerial shells, rockets and mines. Optionally, the electric control of fireworks can also be demonstrated and you can even have your pupils wire in and fire an indoors mini pyro-musical show! Both the chemistry and the physics of fireworks is discussed along with health and safety issues. The talk can be customised, depending on your aims for the session. The quieter times of year are the easiest to arrange visits (i.e. winter through to the early summer). In October/November time, you need to give a lot of notice as it's the peak season!

STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This enables young people to develop their creativity, problem-solving and employability skills, widens their choices and supports the UK’s future competitiveness. STEMNET helps encourage young people to be well informed about STEM, able to engage fully in debate, and make decisions about STEM related issues. STEMPOINT contract holders: Organisations holding STEMPOINT contracts aim to ensure that all young people, schools, and colleges in their area have easy access to STEM curriculum enhancement and enrichment activities and schemes. They offer advice and guidance to teachers on schemes available to them facilitate links with a contact or organisation best suited to meeting teachers’ specific needs, and help organise industry visits and placements for students and teachers. STEM Ambassadors: The STEM Ambassadors programme is STEMNET’s flagship programme. It relies on the 18,000+ volunteers who offer their time and support to promote STEM subjects to young learners. It is an invaluable and free resource for teachers, helping them deliver the STEM curriculum in fresh and innovative ways. Organisations holding STEM Ambassadors Management contracts coordinate the STEM Ambassadors programme on a local level, ensuring all schools and colleges have knowledge of, and access to, STEM Ambassadors in their area. They identify professionals with STEM skills to become STEM Ambassadors, link STEM Ambassadors with local schools and colleges to act as role models and help inspire and engage young people about the value of STEM in their daily lives, and help local STEM employers engage with schools and colleges in their communities.

The National Schools' Observatory (NSO) offers UK schools the most exciting opportunity to observe the Universe through the world's largest robotic telescope sited in the Canary Isles.

The Liverpool Telescope, sited 2400 metres high on an extinct volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canary Isles, is a professional state-of-the-art robotic telescope used for astronomical research by astronomers from around the world.

Exclusive observing time on the telescope has been reserved for schools by Liverpool John Moores University.

Hundreds of cartoons illustrating experiments with food, light, sound, clothes, and a whole lot more.

With 30 years experience of Science public awareness Andrew presents The Odyssey Dramatic Lectures. Original, entertaining, informative, and stimulating with humour and with the lestest information. Utilizing the latest technology with optical effects, music, stunning images, video, props and costumes all lectures are truly inspirational.

These professional lectures and performances are suitable for all ages and abilities so, whatever your occasion requires, these high quality presentations will add that something extra to any event from a club evening to a major convention or science festival. Special lectures or series of lectures can be prepared with consultation.

Rapid now stocks more than 40,000 products, all available with same-day despatch and FREE UK mainland delivery for orders over £25.

For the Primary, Secondary and Further Education and Higher Education sectors, Rapid has a vast range of educational products covering Maths, Literacy, Science, Design and Technology, Electronics, Engineering and Graphics, Art and Design.

Also featuring a huge range of tools from the world's leading manufacturers, together with a range of budget hand and power tools, Rapid's prices are competitive and its service is unbeatable.

Kitronik specialise in interesting electronic project kits for KS3 / KS4 design & technology lessons. These educational kits are developed by their team of in house engineers specifically for the secondary school market. All of their kits are supplied with a comprehensive set of teaching notes. They also stock a range of electronic components and other items such as clocks, batteries, tools, etc.

Individual TEP resources will have their own entries in the database so that you can rate them individually. Please do not rate individual TEP resources under this record.

TEP has supported and, in many cases, pioneered the use of new technologies in school e.g. smartcard control; PIC programming (via the Chip Factory); the use of modern and smart materials such as polymorph, thermochromic film, shape memory alloy etc.

The Programme offers practical down-to-earth support for teaching technology in all parts of the UK.

Chemistry and Sport provides teachers with a variety of resources that highlight the chemistry and science behind many of our favourite sporting events which run throughout the year. From cycling to rugby and motor sports to swimming, chemistry and science help and support sporting performance, from the modern materials used to make bike frames through to the chlorine used in your local swimming pool. Chemistry and Sport provides a variety of curriculum based resources, including student handouts, teacher notes and PowerPoint presentations, all designed to assist teachers working with students from age 7 through to 18. Chemistry and Sport has been brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Fantastic plastic - or how to make your first £Million. What do disposable nappies, flat screen TVs, zero pollution cars and genetically modified cress have in common? Polymers! This talk takes you through the wide range of properties of polymers and what they promise for the future - with the perfect recipe for slime thrown in! This presentation was the highly acclaimed Institute of Physics Schools' Lecture 2003/4 and has been updated to match the present GCSE specifications perfectly. The lecture is approximately 1 hour long and is best suited to years 10 and 11 to consolidate their work on polymers. The talk is free to schools if a minimum audience of 120 GCSE students can be guaranteed thanks to generous support from EPSRC. Maximum distance - 2 hours drive from Reading.

In school courses on a variety of science-related issues and applications, including forensics, night clubs and the science of chocolate.

• We come to you
• Courses for 30 – 35 students, some for up to 120 students
• Everything included (work packs, free packs for teachers, consumables, CRB checking, risk assessments, evaluations, certificates)

Prices depend on individual shows/courses.

Walking with Robots is a three-year programme of events and activities funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The programme is designed to help researchers engage audiences with current robotics research, covering both the technological and ethical challenges it raises.

There are a number of ways your club might get involved with robotics such as taking part in existing competitions and projects, attending one of our public events, arranging a one-off talk/workshop from a roboticists, or visiting one of our robot labs.

We have also recently been successful in obtaining a Royal Society Partnership Grant to create a robotic garden with pupils from Rhosnesni High School in Wrexham. Perhaps you would be interested in partnering with a local roboticist for a unique project?

The problem: In Nepal many farmers living on the mountainside grow fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. To earn a living they need to sell these at the local market. The problem is getting to market involves a long, dangerous walk down the mountain side and over a river, at the end of which the tomatoes may well be a bit squashed. The challenge: To design, build and test a way of moving tomatoes that won't squash them!

The site is aimed at 14-19 year olds with the focus on exciting new products being developed every day, from trainers to medicines and carbon-free cars. It encourages young people to think seriously about a career in manufacturing by through busting the career myths often held about jobs in this sector. Make It NW leads with engaging videos and interactive tools and a game where the player builds their own manufacturing empire. There’s an interactive ‘Universe’ explaining the history of Northwest manufacturing, and a behind the scenes look into some interesting companies in the region. There is also a debate area, where video shorts give an insight into current issues, such as climate change – which the manufacturing industry plays a vital role in solving. The whole site has been mapped against a number of areas of study across the curriculum. These include Business Studies, Design & Technology, Engineering, Enterprise, Manufacturing, PLTS and Science at GCSE, AS/A2 and Diploma levels. Flexible ideas are provided to assist teachers in planning and delivering lessons and activities. All resources are free to download, use and share at www.MakeIt.org.uk/resources

Day and half day-long experiences for Key Stages 3 (or 4 or 5) with the opportunity to carry out experiments in the world-class laboratories plus a selection of talks and demonstrations. Subjects include Climate Change, Perfume Chemistry, Biofuels, Spectroscopy, Polymer Chemistry, Colour Chemistry and many more. Bespoke workshops can also be created. Outreach activities take place at the Bristol Chemistry department’s state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, newly opened in February 2007. Practical activities are designed and supervised by the School Teacher Fellow (an experienced, national award-winning Chemistry teacher) and supported by Chemistry staff and students.