Free Materials & Resources for Schools

James Dyson Foundation

Resources on their website around the topics of product design and analysis, and engineering challenges. They also have some really nice free posters. A new thing they have just started doing which I think sounds great is a free loan kit (borrow for 4 weeks), where you get a Dyson with instructions on how to de-construct & rebuild it, along with a load of other free resources.
http://www.jamesdysonfoundation.com/education

Stag Beetle Education Pack - now available to download
http://www.ptes.org/moremammals/education/

Download workshops, fact sheets and activity ideas on a range of animals all for free here. Ideal for schools, youth groups, homework help or just for fun

Simply visit the website and register to access this free resource.

Eastex Materials Exchange
http://www.eastex.org.uk/east/

Works on the principle that one organisation’s waste is another’s treasure! You
might find useful equipment for science or D&T here – wood, plastic, fabrics, all
kinds of things.

Wot-Ever Scrapstore
http://www.wot-ever.org.uk/

Wot-Ever takes clean, safe waste from local industries and supplies Schools, nursery groups, scout/guide groups, childminders and member of the public with materials for Art/Craft and Science projects. You pay an annual joining fee then can help yourself to whatever you like!

Practical Action
For a range of innovative resources on sustainability, renewable energy and climate change with a global learning element we recommend you visit www.practicalaction.org.uk/education Resources range from free renewable energy posters; the wind power challenge, a stimulating’ hands on’ and ‘brains on’ activity for KS2-4 ; videos showing the effects of climate change in developing countries; word searches and a ‘top ten reasons why renewable energy is cool’!! The site also hosts a design and technology database with a wealth of material to support teaching in all focus areas.

Grow your Own potatoes
A project that teaches primary aged children about potatoes. With almost 1 million primary school children benefitting from this classroom experience linked to the UK curricula, children learn how potatoes grow and how they fit in to a healthy balanced diet. All you have to do is register your school to receive a FREE potato growing kit, use the supporting lesson plans and worksheets and for a chance to win fabulous prizes for your school, enter the competition once you have harvested. http://www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/

Free Tree-planting kit & information on where to get hold of free trees for your school!
http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/tree_planting_kit.htm

The RMS Loan Box Scheme
http://www.rms.org.uk/outreach/education/The+RMS+Loan+Box+Scheme
Would you like to bring an unseen world to life in lessons, or run an after school club for young explorers? If you do, we can help.

We will deliver a fully-equipped RMS Loan Box to your school. It contains everything that you need to reveal microscopic life and structures. Whether it’s daphnia, rock crystals or their own belly-button fluff, your pupils will be enthralled. And, they will develop fine-motor, problem-solving, observational and describing skills as they use the equipment and insist on telling you all about what they see.

You can have the RMS Loan Box for a term, and then we collect it. It couldn’t be easier. And, it’s completely FREE! There’s a whole unseen world out there. Let your children experience it for themselves. Book your RMS Loan Box today.

EU-Sol Tomato Seeds are a free schools resource funded by the European Union which helps school pupils learn about genetics. By growing the seeds you can quickly observe characteristics that help to make clear how dominant and recessive traits are passed from one generation to the next. Seedlings can be grown in just 4-7 days and students can learn monohybrid and dihybrid inheritance through spotting key traits in the young tomato plants. It is also possible to submit the results of growing the seeds on to an internet spreadsheet and compare them to data submitted by pupils from all over Europe.

There is more information about the resource online at http://eu-soltomatoseeds.com/index.html and you can also apply for them there. There are a limited number of packs which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.