In this race against the clock students work as a team to build the highest tower possible out of dried spaghetti and marshmallows. The objective of this lesson is to explore structures and investigate what methods of building can make the tallest and strongest structure. By testing their prototype buildings, students will also have the opportunity to rebuild and alter their designs to improve them, giving an insight into the real-life processes of testing, redevelopment and prototyping that engineers and scientists use.

A downloadable booklet of fun science activities using everyday ingredients, with notes for teachers. This booklet contains step-by-step instructions for science activities and experiments that are safe and easy to do in the classroom or at home.

In this activity you can make a paper mouse hit the ceiling using forces and the power of air. The objective of this lesson is to squeeze air through a small opening which gives it enough force to move objects.

Hands-on experience with greenhouse gas molecules, that helps your students to understand how these molecules keep our planet warm. Students discover which gases are greenhouse gases - and how they affect Earth’s energy budget. Using modelling clay, cable ties and cocktail sticks they will produce models of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon and water vapour and explore what makes a greenhouse gas.

This resource pack provides three engaging classroom activities to help students explore the skills used by engineers. The resource also features profiles of inspiring women and men who use engineering skills every day, to give students a better understanding of the broad range of careers in this field.

This activity from the Science Museum provides a fun way to explore magnetism. It involves the simple task of using a magnet to guide a coin through a maze drawn on the side of a plastic bottle. There is plenty of opportunity to think about and talk about how magnetism works, and why magnets only attract certain materials. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate the magnetic properties of different materials - Use observation and questioning skills - See how magnetism has useful and relevant applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS1 Science: Forces and magnets KS1 Science: Everyday materials KS1 &2 Science: Working scientifically

Give your students an atom's eye view of the carbon cycle and play out how the burning of fossil fuels is affecting the atmosphere. In this activity students understand the carbon cycle, how it has been affected by our use of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution and how this underlies current worries about climate change.

You can’t see around corners… or can you? In this activity from the Science Museum, carefully placed mirrors change the path light takes twice, making it possible to look over walls, around corners and even behind you – all without being seen. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate how light travels in a straight line and can be reflected by a mirror - Use observation and questioning skills - See how the properties and behaviour of light have useful and relevant applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS2 Science: Light KS2 Science: Working Scientifically

Classroom discussion is a great way for students to explore the science that relates to their lives. This pdf and the films on the web link give ideas for different discussion formats that will really help you structure a lesson. All the formats are designed to encourage participation and help students feel comfortable expressing their opinions

The Science Museum's Punk Science duo share their top tips for making science demonstrations fun and exciting in the classroom.

Students receive a sealed box that contains a chance card. Opening the box represents taking a genetic test. Students work in research groups to explore the issues surrounding genetic testing to help them make an informed choice about whether or not to open their box at the end of the activity.

This activity contains the Science Museum’s secret bubble recipe and ideas about how to create brilliant bubble blowers. There’s also lots to find out about the science of mixtures and materials and the properties of water. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate how mixing water changes the way it behaves - Use observation and questioning skills - See how the behaviour of materials has useful applications in our everyday lives. Curriculum Links: KS1 Science: Everyday materials KS2 Science: Properties and changes of materials KS1 &2 Science: Working scientifically

We rely on electric circuits every day, in our homes, schools and places of work, in our portable gadgets and kitchens. In this activity from the Science Museum, a circuit drawn in pencil conducts electricity to light an LED. You’ll need to get hold of an LED and some wires and crocodile clips – all these things are available cheaply online or from high street electronics shops. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate the conductive properties of graphite - Use observation and creative problem solving skills - Understand how the conductive properties of materials have useful applications in our everyday lives. Curriculum Links: KS3 Science: Physics; Electricity KS3 Science: Working scientifically; experimental skills and investigations

A paper aeroplane, glider or helicopter falls to the ground much more slowly and more gracefully than a scrunched-up piece of paper – as the designs in this Science Museum activity show. It’s all thanks to the forces generated by air pressing on and moving over the surface of the paper. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate how fast or slow an object moves through the air is due to aerodynamics - Use observation and questioning skills - See how aerodynamics has practical and useful applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS2 Science: Forces KS1&2 Science: Working scientifically

This activity from the Science Museum investigates how sound travels, using a kind of gong made from a coat hanger and some string. The gong makes a surprising and intriguing sound – but only when you have your fingers in your ears. Learning Outcomes: - Experience that sound is produced by vibrations and travels better through solids than gases - Use observation and questioning skills - Understand how sound travels through different materials has useful applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS2 Science: Sound KS1 &2 Science: Working scientifically

Give your students the chance to think about how climate change could affect lives and livelihoods – even their own. This activity will help students to understand the difference between weather and climate, and consider the impact that climate change can have on their and other people’s lifestyles. The documents below explain how to run the activity and provide all the templates and materials you'll need.

Can exercise make you happy? Punk Science experiment on living volunteers to explore the brain chemicals that keep us healthy. LEARNING OUTCOME Encourage discussion and questioning around contemporary science topics.

Many structures are built around frameworks made of straight, rigid pieces of wood or metal, called members, connected together. Forces generated in the members support the structure. In this activity, created by the Science Museum, drinking straws are used as members, to make a self-supporting dome. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate how mixing water changes the way it behaves - Use observation and questioning skills - See how the behaviour of materials has useful applications in our everyday lives. Curriculum Links: KS1 Science: Everyday materials KS2 Science: Properties and changes of materials KS1 &2 Science: Working scientifically

Ice cream is basically droplets of fat from milk suspended in millions of tiny crystals of ice, fluffed up with tiny pockets of air. This activity from the Science Museum shows you how to make the right mixture then make it cold enough to create those ice crystals without the aid of a freezer – and reveals how salt and ice make a chilling combination. A great activity for exploring changes of state and the properties of matter. Learning outcomes: - Investigate the properties of different states of matter and how they look and behave differently - Use observation and questioning skills - Recognise how different states of matter behave have useful applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS2 & 3 Science: States of matter KS2 &3 Science: Working scientifically

The simple pinball machine in this Science Museum activity is made from a cardboard box, with ice lolly sticks as the flippers. It provides a great opportunity to explore the science of forces and motion. Game on! Learning Outcomes: - Investigate simple mechanisms and Newton’s Laws of Motion - Use observation, curiosity and creative problem solving skills - See how levers and simple mechanisms have useful applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS3 Science: Physics; forces KS3 Science: Working scientifically

Ever wondered what would happen to your body in space? This activity from the Science Museum will give you some idea. It shows how a marshmallow expands dramatically when normal atmospheric pressure is reduced; it’s hard to imagine a human body in its place. Learning Outcomes: - Investigate how materials behave when atmospheric pressure is changed - Use observation and questioning (curiosity) skills - See how forces and atmospheric pressure have useful and relevant applications in our everyday lives Curriculum Links: KS3 Science: Physics; forces KS3 Science: Working scientifically