Discovery challenges (ages 10-14)


Typically completed by 10-14 year olds, students work collaboratively on a five hour project or challenge in self-managed groups. During the project, they use a CREST Discovery passport to record and reflect on their work. Afterwards, students communicate their findings as a group presentation.

Each pack provides teaching guides, kit lists, example timetables and suggested starter activities to help you run your day. Find out more about CREST Discovery Awards.

There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.


To browse the packs, click the buttons below or scroll down.
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3 years ago

Enrich my Classroom Teacher Pack

  • Text
  • Nanotechnology
  • Coding
  • Magnetism
  • Ergonomics
  • Classrooms
  • Enrichment
  • Enrich
  • Workshops
  • Feedback
  • Electricity
  • Teams
  • Classroom
  • Crest
  • Materials
This resource is published under an Attribution - non-commercial - no derivatives 4.0 International creative commons licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Timings Activity

Timings Activity Description Timing Introduction The session leader introduces the day, sorts the teams and describes the workshops. 30m Research Workshops Each team member completes a different workshop. The available topics are: 1 Coding 2 Nanotechnology 3 Ergonomics 4 Magnetism 5 Electricity You do not have to offer all five workshops; the number offered can depend on resources available. 1h 30m Break Feedback Each team member reports back to the team on what they learned in their workshop. Teams begin to make connections and think about the challenge. 30m Design Challenge The teams work together to develop ideas in response to the challenge and prepare for the presentation. 1h 30m Lunch Presentations Teams finalise and deliver their 5-minute presentations. Teachers and students provide constructive feedback and ask questions. 1h Reflections Students reflect on their learning and complete their CREST Discovery passport. 10m Top tips • To inspire your students, why not invite a STEM ambassador or Inspiring the Future volunteer to introduce the project or give feedback on students’ presentations? • When considering timings, start with the end of your school day and work backwards. • Account for timings that cannot be changed, such as lunch breaks, and schedule around them. • Try and plan the day to give your students as much time as possible for the design challenge. • Before presentations, allow 5 minutes for students to clear their tables and tidy away any equipment. 6

Step-by-step guide Pre-project preparation 1. Read through the background information in the pack. 2. Print worksheets and gather the materials needed. 3. Think about which students will make strong leaders and assign them the role of Project Manager for their team (the groups can then decide the other roles). 4. You might like to ask students to ask the adults in their lives about what their classrooms were like when they were at school, to get them thinking about how schools have changed. Set-up 1. Every team should have a table and enough chairs for 5-7 team members. 2. Teams will need access to the internet for research, which may mean making an additional computer lab or IT suite available for use. 3. Paper and pencils for drawing and sketching ideas should be available. Introduction (30 mins) 1. Ask students to look at the ‘30 years of classroom changes’ images in their student pack. Facilitate a class discussion about what has changed in schools over the last 30 years and what they think might change over the next 30 years. 2. Explain that today they are going to design the classroom of the future using new materials and digital tools to improve the learning environment. 3. Explain the programme for the day and briefly outline the different workshops. 4. Split into teams of 5-7. Each team member should have a specific role to play (as described in the student pack). a. Project Manager x1 b. Communications Manager x1 c. Market Research Manager x1 d. Research Manager x1 e. Engineer (1 or 2 depending on team size) f. Designer (1 or 2 depending on team size) 5. Allocate a student from each team to the different workshops. 7

Discovery

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