Secondary school science at home

We’ve put together a list of science and mathematics resources for Key Stage 3 students and those undertaking their GCSE’s and A-levels, containing our own resources and those of well-respected organisations and campaigns in the UK. These resources can help to support secondary school teachers and parents while students are learning from home. At secondary level, a focus on exploring how STEM skills are used in the real world and potential careers in science in particular may be useful.

• Brian Cox school experiments – careers in science

1. Brian Cox School experiments – Real World Video (sewage plant): looking at the process of filtration used in a sewage plant.
2. Brian Cox School experiments – Filtration: looking at the use of filtration in the detection of drug use in professional sports.
3. Brian Cox School experiments – Heart rate (athletes): looking at performance monitoring of professional athletes by the English Institute of Sport.
4. Brian Cox School experiments – Heart rate (health care): looking at how University College London use heart rate changes with low oxygen levels to help save lives.
5. Brian Cox School experiments – melting (chocolate factory): looking at the importance of melting point on chocolate texture at Thorntons.
6. Brian Cox School experiments – melting (jet engines): looking at the use of alloys to ensure engines can withstand the high temperatures in a jet engine at Rolls-Royce.
7. Brian Cox School experiments – plants (urban farm): looking at the use of waste fish water to help grow plants in an aquaponics system.
8. Brian Cox School experiments – plants (soil health): looking at how ‘goo’ can help plants grow bigger in soil, helping to get better crops.
9. Brian Cox School experiments – shadows (x-rays): looking at the use of x-ray absorption in casting shadows to make an x-ray image.
10. Brian Cox School experiments – shadows (eclipse): looking at the shadows that occur in our solar system.
11. Brian Cox School experiments – sound (composer): looking at how composers use sound to convey emotion in films.
12. Brian Cox School experiments – sound (levitation): looking at how to use sound to levitate objects.

• You and AI – What is machine learning infographic: explore what machine learning is and how it works.
• You and AI – Machine learning in the world around you infographic: find out how machine learning is used in the world around you.
• Genetically modified plants Q&A and infographic: 18 common questions about genetically modified plants answered to help inform debate on its use in our food chain.
• Microplastics in freshwater and soil – FAQ and report: frequently asked questions on microplastics with a report summarising their effect on freshwater and soil for further reading.
• iHuman perspective - Neural interfaces: introductory video, FAQ’s and interactive timeline describing devices that interact with the human nervous system, and their potential impact on our lives. 
• You and the planet infographic: explore the interactive infographic to find out more about climate change, and the UK’s net-zero target.
• Global challenges: as part of the Commonwealth Science Class project, the Royal Society, in collaboration with the British Council, has produced four resources that are particularly relevant to the teaching of climate science and sustainability.
• Summer Science Online: A week of science at home, with talks, videos and highlights from previous exhibitions and from the Society's archives. A catch-up playlist will be available via the Royal Society's YouTube channel.

From other learned societies

• RI Tips for doing science at home: five things to keep in mind while doing the activities to get the most out of science experiments at home.
• ExpeRimental: the Royal Institution's series of short films making it fun, easy and cheap to do science experiments at home.
• Supporting schools and colleges during COVID-19: regular updates from the Institute of Physics (IOP) supporting schools and colleges in the UK.
• Remote teaching support: ideas and resources for teachers working from home from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
• Education during COVID-19: education updates and support for teachers and parents from the Royal Society of Biology.

See also

• Support during school and college closures: mathematics support for teachers and parents of students in years 10 – 13 via the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme.
• MEI closure support: free resources to support the remote teaching of mathematics from the MEI (Mathematics in Education and Industry).
• STEM learning – secondary science, computing and mathematics resources: a range of resources to support young people aged 11 – 19 with their understanding of science and its relevance to their lives. 
• Association for Science Education (ASE) – coronavirus hub: a collection of materials and resources created by others that support the ASE’s goal of promoting excellence in science education. 
• STEM learning – family activities: a range of fun, hands-on activities for families to use at home, suitable for all ages from 4 – 16.
• STEM learning – in school activities: cross-curricular activities that can be used in school to engage young people of all ages.
• STEM learning – post 16 resources: explore a variety of activities and challenges that can be used to support young people's education from home.
• Your science out there: Professor Tamsin Mather, winner of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award 2018, has used her award grant money to develop a set of teaching resources focusing on women researching in STEM.
• Engineering challenges to try at home: Dyson engineers have designed these challenges specifically for children. Ideal for home or in the classroom, they encourage inquisitive young minds to get excited about engineering.
• Oak National Academy: the new Oak National Academy is an online classroom and resource hub, created by teachers for teachers but with additional support for parents. Supported by the Department for Education, this site contains a wealth of information to support learning from home across many subjects.
• BBC Bitesize Daily Lessons: lessons created by the BBC with teachers and other educational experts, featuring a mix of videos, animations, practice activities, quizzes and games.