Resources

This section includes a range of curriculum resources for teaching and learning, as well as How to guides to help you encourage and develop physics at your school. Use the filters to help find the resources you are looking for.

Curriculum area:

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Series:

Hearing aids help some D/deaf people hear better

Research cards: helping you hear

These research cards explore five key developments in the history of hearing aids.

Research cards: light

These research cards identify six key individuals in the history of discoveries about light.

A hand-made electromagnet lifts metal paperclips (a measure of the magnet's strength)

Purposeful practical: electromagnets

A KS3 practical showing students how to build an electromagnet and increase its strength.

A red and green coloured filter placed over a white background. on the white background, the word "physics" is written in pen

Purposeful practical: coloured lights

A series of KS3 practicals about the colour spectrum and special effects.

An image of a light bulb with two other small light bulbs, in the dark.,

Purposeful practical: big circuit

A KS3 practical about circuits and how electric charge moves.

An image of a toy car, which is white with blue glass and green outline. It has two red paper arrows demonstrating forces.

Purposeful practical: Newton’s law

A KS3 practical about forces and changes in motion.

Purposeful practical: energy transfer

A KS3 practical exploring how materials conduct thermal energy.

An image of someone watching the sky at sunset, with someone else pointing at the sky to direct them

Family Learning Night handbook: secondary

Space-themed activities for family learning at secondary.

An image of a group of people standing together, at night with the stars on show.

Family Learning Night handbook: primary

Space-themed activities for family learning at primary.

Primary school students sticking stars on black paper

Science Talk: Look Up!

An EYFS resource exploring the night sky.

A group of primary students who are in a classroom working together.

Find the Physics: Close the gap

A KS1 resource exploring electricity and circuits.

Two primary students, experimenting with the purple balloon.

Science Talk: Oscar and the Bird

An EYFS resource exploring electricity.

An image of a light reflecting from a tin foil.

Purposeful practical: rough and smooth

A purposeful practical on diffuse scattering and specular reflection.

An image of two primary students Who are working together on an electric circuit.

Purposeful practical: steady hand game

How to make a steady hand game.

An image of primary students, working together on an electrical circuit.

Purposeful practical: electrical quiz board

How to make a simple electric quiz game.

An image of a primary school child weighing a box that's, connected to a newton meter.

Research in practice: inclusive teaching and learning

Simple steps to help teachers improve inclusive teaching and learning.

An image of two primary, female identifying students, from different backgrounds. Are working on an experiment to build a rocket.

Phizzi enquiry: rockets

A primary science enquiry linking learning about Earth & space, and forces.

Two primary students sitting in a classroom. With a notebook.

Purposeful practical: exploring gears

Making and exploring simple gears.

Two students in uniform push a shoe on the desk in front of them with a force meter

Phizzi enquiry: slippery shoes

A primary science enquiry exploring the force of friction.

Purposeful practical: solar system in my pocket

Learn about the distances between planets and the Sun with a solar system for your pocket.

One student releases a small experimental parachute while the student next to them starts a stopwatch

Phizzi enquiry: parachutes

A primary science enquiry linking learning about Earth & space, and forces.

A primary school girl, running in the school grounds, with a parachutic attached to her.

Research in practice: secondary data in primary science

Using secondary data to link science and sport.

Three primary students, sitting in a classroom, playing a science game.

Purposeful practical: magnetic racing game

How to make a magnetic racing game.

A classroom with scientific wall displays featuring a lab coat and diagrams of the solar system.

How to create primary science displays

Ideas and inspiration to help you create effective primary science wall displays.

3 children figuring out where to plug in the cables.

Phizzi enquiry: circuit analyst

A primary science enquiry exploring electrical circuits.

CREST Star Award: Earth and beyond

Eight activities that introduce EYFS children to Earth and the Moon.

A picture of someone in space, on the moon working on the satellite

Research cards: Moon landings

These research cards identify six key events in the history of space exploration.

An image of 6 light bulbs which are lit up in a dark room

Ideas over time: light sources

A simple card game that can help children develop an awareness of light sources and their history.

Student in lab coat using a ruler to measure the distance between a smartphone playing music and a microphone.

Phizzi focus: sound

This Phizzi focus includes links to ideas, resources, and cross-curricular connections, to bring the topic of sound into the primary classroom.

How to plan a trip to CERN

A trip to CERN can inspire A-level physicists to take physics further.

A diagram showing the earth going around the sun/.

Research cards: earth and space

These research cards identify six key individuals and events in the history of our understanding of the universe.

An image of Mark Richards, a black male looking away from the camera in a lit room.

Phizzi professionals

Phizzi professionals give an insight into pathways from physics.

A dim lightbulb lighting up a dark room.

Ideas over time: history of the universe

Create a till roll timeline of the history of the universe and get children looking at the bigger picture.

Buzz Aldrin Deploys Apollo 11 Experiments

Ideas over time: Moon landings

A simple card game that can help children develop an awareness of the history of space travel.

A photograph of one of nine female physicists featured in this resource. They are sat on the bed of an MRI scanner

Research cards: female physicists

These research cards introduce the achievements of nine female physicists - past and present.

Professor Clifford Johnson at desk with books and whiteboard behind him

Research cards: Black physicists

These research cards introduce the achievements of Black physicists.

Printed bar and line charts showing multiple datasets. Scattered around are notepaper, pens and a calculator.

Phizzi focus: using secondary data

This Phizzi focus looks at how you can use secondary data sources to support the development of working scientifically skills in the primary classroom.

2 students listen to the sounds made by a plastic tub wrapped in elastic bands.

Phizzi enquiry: sound circus

A primary science enquiry exploring sound.

An image of a student who is sitting at a desk with some pencils and writing.

How to organise a science fair

Increase the profile of science in school and inspire and engage children.

Students measuring the length of a shadow cast by a small sculpture and the angle the light is hitting the sculpture from a handheld light

Phizzi focus: light

This Phizzi focus includes links to ideas, resources, and cross-curricular connections, to bring the topic of sound into the primary classroom.

A detailed image of the sun, showing sun spots and the sun’s atmosphere

How to: safely observe the sun (enrichment)

Make a pinhole camera to observe the sun safely.

Illustration of stars joined by lines labelled: "Cassiopeia (autumn)"

How to: make a constellation projector (enrichment)

Observe the night sky with a constellation projector using this Phizzi practical.

A student writing "Transparent" on a small whiteboard while examining different types of plastic packaging

Innovating for the Future

Resources for two workshops on the theme of Innovating for the Future: Planet-tastic Plastics and Wind Power – Are you a fan?

models of planets made of play dough of varying sizes depicting size differences between planets

Purposeful practical: playdough planets

Create a model of the solar system using playdough.

Sustainability physics

A website for teachers and students with resources, interviews and ideas for sustainability physics.

A demonstrator in an Ogden-branded labcoat holds a tuning fork

Purposeful practical: seeing sound vibrations

Practical activities to demonstrate sound vibrations.

Two students in uniform use a camera and a flashlight to measure how much different materials reflect light

Phizzi focus: using technology when working scientifically

This Phizzi focus looks at using technology in the primary classroom.

An image of a primary student who is threading a string in a cup,

How to run physics busking

A guide to running physics busking at your school.

Moderators discuss students’ written work.

How to lead a primary science moderation meeting

A guide to the how and why of science moderation meetings.

Two students examine the shadows formed by a light source

Phizzi enquiry: shadows

A primary science enquiry exploring shadows.

Stylised image of a blank photograph. Template for portrait of a featured professional.

Phizzi professionals: Blank templates

Our Phizzi professionals series has been designed to give an insight into career pathways from physics.

An adult enthusiastically demonstrating a light source to students in school uniform

schoolphysics.co.uk

A free online physics resource for all secondary school physics students and their teachers.

Photograph of a person in a suit using an early telephone

Ideas over time: electrical inventions

A simple card game that can help children develop an awareness of the history of electricity.

A laboratory stand holds a radiation source a fixed distance from a Geiger counter

NUSTEM A-level practical videos

NUSTEM has teamed up with physics teacher Alom Shaha to produce a series of films on the A-level required practicals.

Electricity is a key part of children's everyday world, including overhead powerlines

Ideas over time: electricity

Looking at how ideas about electricity have changed over time helps children develop their understanding of how science works.

Isaac Physics

Online study tools to help students develop the skills required to solve physics problems.

How to run stargazing events for children and parents

A introduction to the night sky and stargazing events.

A portrait photograph of one of the six key individuals in the history of electricity

Research cards: electricity

These research cards identify six key individuals in the history of electricity.

STEM Sisters

Teaching plans and resources showcasing historical female scientists and mathematicians.

Physics online

Video tutorials and resources for GCSE and A-level physics.

Coloured tubes labelled with the names of planets (venus, earth, mars, Jupiter and saturn)

Purposeful practical: planetary picnic

Explore weight, mass and the force of gravity.