Ideas are offered to show how the science of density and displacement can be explored by students from year 5 through to year 7 (ages 9-12) through hands-on investigations to explore possibilities and solve problems. These demonstrate how the insights we gain by viewing a challenge through the multidisciplinary lenses of science, history,…

Smartphones, coupled with small mobile sensors, make it possible to work with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in science classrooms. NIR spectroscopy has become a standard analytical technology in various industries. These new devices enable students to create their own data in real time. This article presents an inquiry-based teaching unit, in…

This article proposes an alternative (or additional) place for the use of robotics within the secondary school curriculum. Robotics provides a unique opportunity to engage students in genuinely multidisciplinary learning that challenges their misperceptions about the nature of science/technology and engages them with 'big questions'. After…

Defining what is meant by 'life' seems, on the face of it, straightforward. But, as this article explores, once you delve below the surface you find that providing a definition that everyone agrees upon is nearly impossible. By first considering how biologists and philosophers of science debate the issue of defining life, the article then goes…

Conrad Hal Waddington (1905--1975) was an English biologist who was especially interested in the big (metaphysical) questions of life. His thinking has become part of the foundation of modern systems biology. This article applies his thinking to middle-years school biology curricula (for ages 11-16), to see if their approach to epistemic questions…

A small, handmade and inexpensive robot can help students across a range of ages unpack and explore big questions around the nature of life, curiosity and creativity. Via a series of workshops students learn how to frame and investigate different types of questions including big questions that bridge science, computing and the wider humanities.

It is common to use anthropomorphic labels when talking about technology, for example describing some robots and phones as smart, thinking and talking. This article describes a workshop in which students considered ways that words such as 'hearing', 'smart' and 'intelligence' might change in meaning when they are used in the context of robotics…

Started in north-east England in 2015, MammalWeb aims to improve our knowledge of British mammals through the use of motion-sensing camera traps. Fundamental to the project is the involvement of local communities and individuals who act as citizen scientists. They contribute to the collection and analysis of the camera trap photographic data.…

In this article we describe a demonstration for most of the elements from the periodic table which together constitute the show "An Elemental Spectacle: A Guided Tour of the Darker Reaches of the Periodic Table."

This article explores how STEM subjects can enable students to learn about the key environmental issues that we face, using the National Association for Environmental Education's recent teacher handbooks about 'The Environmental Curriculum' and details of the Sustainable Development Goals to help do this through a mix of input and small-group…

For many students, their science education up to the age of 16 is their only formal introduction to genetics. They live in an age where the results of genomic studies will have increasing importance for their health and well-being. This article uses Piaget's conceptions of concrete and formal thinking as tools for considering the conceptual…

Seaweed is rich in iodine, an essential component for the formation of thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency is still a problem in the 21st century despite iodination programmes. Without sufficient iodine in the diet, we risk a decline in brain development and growth in fetuses and children. This key micronutrient is essential for the formation for…

Three projects that use evidence- and research-based practice to engage and support three under-served audiences -- children with special educational needs (Science Hunters -- Lancaster University), young carers (Young Carer Chemistry Workshops at Cotton On -- Science from the Start) and girls and women in engineering (Women Like Me -- UWE…

Nitrogen gas dominates the Earth's atmosphere but is largely ignored. Molecular nitrogen is extremely stable and so nitrogen is termed inert. What would happen if another 'inert' gas were the dominant species instead of molecular nitrogen? Here we show how unique nitrogen is and how important it has been to life on planet Earth.

O•, O[subscript 2] and O[subscript 3] play vital roles in the Earth's atmosphere, regulating ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and being essential for life. However, the oxygen family, O•, O[subscript 2] and O[subscript 3], also provides a source of the HO radical, the atmospheric detergent that removes pollutants from the atmosphere. This…