Physical sciences, engineering and maths resources
Here, you can find science learning resources developed by academics at our Faculty of Science and Engineering and education experts at the Science and Engineering Education Innovation Hub.
They are designed to introduce students to new subjects, enrich the curriculum and nurture curiosity.
- Maths of waves and materials is a fun resource with interactive experiments that can be done from home. It includes activity sheets for KS1 to KS4 students.
- EnquiringScience4All provides guidance on progression in curriculum topics, supporting us to think about how enquiry develops across the primary and secondary school. It was developed in collaboration with teachers from the North-West of England.
- Earth Learning Idea is a large resource for teaching geology and earth science topics to primary and secondary school children. It includes videos, presentations and activity sheets.
- Jodrell Bank Observatory has put together talks, podcasts and more for aspiring astrophysicists of all ages.
- Our Department of Chemistry has a YouTube channel where academics explain their research in short videos.
- Our partner, The Brilliant Club has online video presentations on a range of topics including chemistry and mathematical modelling. The resources are suitable for 14-18-year-olds.
- The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) has developed KS2-4 maths resources suitable for at-home learning, including videos and lesson plans.
- Take a Bite out of Climate Change want to help children learn how food reaches our plates, and how different choices contribute to climate change. They have released a series of resources for KS2 and KS3.
- Our Isotope Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry group have created a range of educational resources around volcanoes that can easily be repeated at home or school using foods and household items. Each activity comprises a worksheet, notes for teachers/parents/carers, and a video demonstration of the experiment.
- Greater Manchester Engineering Challenge (GMEC) is designed to inspire 7-14-year-olds to engage with engineering processes and scenarios using project-based tasks linked to the National Curriculum. This year, GMEC presents a brand new series of lessons to support you to deliver engineering learning. These hands-on, curriculum-linked lessons will get learners thinking about what it means to be an engineer, as well as considering sustainability and wellbeing issues and will culminate in a showcase celebrating their work. These lessons can be viewed at home or in school, and as part of the full GMEC experience or as stand-alone home learning offers.
- During British Science Week 2021, The University of Manchester Physics Outreach chatted to a whole host of students and academics from across Physics and Maths. They asked them about what they do, what it’s like to work in STEM, and plenty more. Stream our podcasts on Spotify or YouTube.
- Our BioDiscovery resources are aimed at primary and secondary school pupils and the general public. They include online videos, virtual tours, activities and exhibits covering a range of topics, including the rare Sylvia's tree frog here in Manchester; how cells work; forensic psychology; and electron microscopy in action.
- Access our Great Science Share resources and inspiration page for activities, ideas and CPD, all related to science teaching and learning.
- Read a special issue of ‘Primary Science’, sponsored and provided by the Great Science Share for Schools, highlighting how GSSfS adapted to some of the challenges faced by the project in 2020.
- The Children’s University has interactive modules on energy and the environment and the Earth and beyond. (Adobe flash is needed to access some sections of the website. Many of our subject sections are also accessible via apple products and mobile devices now, but where possible we recommend using a PC to access the site’s full content.)
- Science4families offers primary teachers and families activity ideas for how to learn science together, in engaging, fun and inspirational way.
- The Science and Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH) have a library of resources and information for KS2 science teachers.
- Use our volcano activities to get your children thinking about how volcanoes work and what they are. There are four activities for you to choose from on our blog, and each activity comes with a worksheet including notes for parents/teachers and a video. All activities and experiments can be safely repeated at school or home, using foods and household items.
- Explore workshops from The Mathematics of Waves and Materials Group, including The Great Maths Hunt where students will discover the hidden mathematical research behind everyday things, find out who mathematicians work with, how they solve problems and where a career in maths may take them.
- Our 20-minute challenges introduce young people to a range of subject areas, including physics in a fun and engaging way.
- Critical Paths has teaching resources on nuclear science topics. They are designed to enrich the KS3 curriculum.
- Talk Nuclear is an education website that introduces the basics of nuclear energy.
- The Dalton Institutes has online games and a nuclear energy simulator to guide learning.
- The Greater Manchester Engineering Challenge is a six-week programme designed to inspire 7-14 year olds to learn about the way that engineering makes a difference in our world. Designed by the GMEC team and presented by Dr Chips, these hands-on, curriculum-linked lessons will get your pupils thinking about what it means to be an engineer, as well as sustainability and wellbeing.
- The Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochemistry Group research team based at the Department of Earth and Environmental Science maintain a blog and a podcast where they discuss all things earth and planetary sciences.
- Welcome to our Earth: Its climate, history, and processes is an online course to help students develop a greater appreciation for how the air, water, land, and life formed and have interacted over the last 4.5 billion years.
- Check out the latest research, news, student diaries and academic profiles on the Earth and Environmental Sciences blog.
Why study? talk series
Our PhD students have recorded talks on their specific subjects of interest which provide up-to-date information, advice and guidance to your students.
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Our Young Person's University
Take advantage of our student challenges, designed both for self-study and for use in the classroom.
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