Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel | Research Task + Video and solutions

This research worksheet guides students through an investigation into the life, career, and projects of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the most prolific and innovative engineers in British history. It’s an engaging resource for teaching Victorian engineering, industrial history, and design innovation.

The activity uses key questions to prompt students to research Brunel’s life and works. Students will also investigate the design constraints he faced, the materials he used (particularly iron), and the social and environmental impact of his work.

What teachers will love about this resource

• Focuses on Brunel’s career and provides excellent examples of innovation, risk-taking, and problem-solving in engineering.
• Questions cover biography, materials science (properties of iron), project challenges (like the Great Eastern launch), design constraints, and project failures.
• Prompts students to investigate factors like cost, geography, safety, and materials and how these influenced the design of the Great Western Railway and other projects of Brunel.
• Students investigate the properties of iron and why it was chosen for shipbuilding over wood.
• The resource includes a YouTube link for a supplementary video and the video file will also be available for download, making the lesson more dynamic and accessible for different learning styles.
• **Sample solutions added **(November 2025)

Links to UK Curriculum

This resource is relevant to various UK curriculum areas, including:

Design and Technology (D&T):

• Studying a seminal figure in the Industrial Revolution and his impact on infrastructure (railways, bridges, ships).
• Analyzing the innovative designs of Brunel’s bridges and ships, and the engineering principles he applied.
• Investigating the properties of iron and the reasons for its selection as a primary construction material.
• Exploring how factors like cost, geography, and safety influenced the Great Western Railway’s design.

History (Key Stage 3 & GCSE):

• Brunel’s work is central to understanding the transport revolution and the development of Britain as an industrial power.
• Examining the effects of Brunel’s projects on society, communities, and the environment at the time.