More than 19,000 UK schools are already using free learning resources from the BP Educational Service, which works with teachers and pupils to create high quality, flexible resources for use in schools.
Focused around science, geography, maths, business studies and enterprise, the resources engage students of all ability levels and provide a mix of online activities, video, animation and virtual experiments.
All the resources have been closely matched to UK curricula, using topics and terminology that will be familiar to you and your students. The resources are supported by worksheets, detailed teacher guidance and lesson plans.
For more than 45 years, BP has been working to address the STEM skills gap in the UK through targeted investment at all levels of education. Today, the BP Educational Service is a comprehensive programme contributing to every stage of education. An estimated 2.8 million UK students have benefited from the programme over the past five years.
Where’s the Science in That?
The new Where’s the Science in That? resources put science in a real-life context and give students aged 7-14 a better understanding of how STEM applies to everyday life. This set of interactive resources demonstrates that science isn’t just for science labs – it’s for everyone and it’s all around us every day.
Where’s the Science in That? helps students to explore the everyday science found in familiar settings such as airports, theatres and at home. The resources include video challenges to help bring your lessons to life.
Where’s the Science in That? is informed by the findings of Enterprising Science, a five-year partnership between King’s College London, BP and the Science Museum, which uses the concept of ‘science capital’ to understand how young people engage with science and how teaching can be tailored to support further engagement.
For more information about Enterprising Science, visit enterprisingscience.com.
STEM clubs
In order to inspire schools to introduce and develop STEM clubs, the BP Educational Service website now has a dedicated STEM clubs section.
A range of challenges and competitions are provided to inspire your school’s STEM Club.
Alternatively, you could use them for collapsed timetable days or classroom lessons, or you could even encourage students to complete their projects in their own time, or as homework.
Students might find themselves challenged to design and test a portable solar still to provide an emergency fresh water supply, investigating what type of clothing is safest in freezing environments, or adapting and testing a hard hat to keep the wearer cool in strong sunlight and desert heat.
To discover the full range of exciting activities and competitions for your STEM Club, visit bp.com/bpes.
For more ideas and advice about running an exciting and successful STEM Club, visit the National STEM Clubs Programme at stem.org.uk/stem-clubs.
Ultimate STEM Challenge
Aimed at younger secondary school students who are yet to make their GCSE choices, the Ultimate STEM Challenge is a national schools competition inviting students aged 11-14 to put their STEM skills to the test by tackling real-world problems.
Students are invited to use their creativity to identify and design an efficient solution for real-world challenges, all related to BP’s day-to-day operations. The students work in groups of two to four at a STEM club, in class or as an independent project, before submitting their project via PowerPoint or YouTube. STEM Ambassadors from STEM Learning are also available to guide and inspire students as they take on the challenge.
Keep your eyes peeled for the latest Ultimate STEM Challenge, set to launch in the summer term with new challenges, new opportunities to win special STEM-related school prizes and a chance to compete in the final at London’s Science Museum!
Visit bp.com/ultimatestemchallenge for details.
To discover the full range of free resources, competitions and activities from the BP Educational Service, please visit bp.com/bpes, and to find out more about BP’s support for STEM education, please visit bp.com/STEM.
