Bronze Awards are typically completed by students aged 11+. They complete a ten-hour project which is a perfect introduction to STEM project work. Over the course of the project, teams of students design their own investigation, record their findings, and reflect on their learnings. This process gives students a taste of what it is like to be a scientist or engineer in the real-world.
Silver Awards are typically completed by students aged 14+ over thirty hours. Project work at Silver level is designed to stretch your students and enrich their STEM studies. Students direct the project, determining the project’s aim and how they will achieve it. They carry out the project, record and analyse their results and reflect on the project and their learnings. All Silver projects are assessed by CREST assessors via our online platform.
Gold Awards are typically completed by students aged 16+ over seventy hours. Students’ projects are self-directed, longer term and immerse them in real research. At this level, we recommend students work with a mentor from their chosen STEM field of study. All Gold projects are assessed by CREST assessors via our online platform. There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.
There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.
Find out how to build practical CREST projects into secondary science lessons using our free teacher guidance pack. Supporting this guidance are easy-to-use, free-to-download mapping workbooks, which match individual Bronze, Silver and Gold CREST Award projects with each area of the secondary science curricula for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can download and save your own copy of the relevant mapping workbook via the following links:
To browse the briefs, click the buttons below or scroll down.
A Special New Tree Organiser’s Card About the activity This activity is designed to get children thinking about different types of trees and their different characteristics. The local council in the town of Treedwell is planting a new tree in their special green space. However, they’re not sure which tree to plant and need a little help deciding, lots of local residents have different ideas of what they would like from a tree. Through this activity you will support your group to: • Research different kinds of trees and their characteristics • Do a survey to find out what tree characteristics their friends and family like • Write a letter to Treedwell council to recommend a tree based on their research. Kit list • Access to the internet • Plain paper to draw up the survey • Tree guides to identify a range of trees and describe their characteristics • Clipboards • Pencils What to do 1. Introduce the activity using the ‘letter’ from Treedwell council. 2. Give out activity cards and equipment to the children. 3. Explain that they will be conducting a survey to find out which characteristics different people like in trees. They will then need to do some research, using the tree guides or the website links on the activity card, to find out different characteristics of different trees, to decide which tree would be best suited. 4. Encourage children to discuss their ideas. Prompt questions: • What questions will they ask in their survey? • Who will they ask? • How will they record their results? • How will they make sure they get a range of opinions? 5. Support children to conduct their surveys and make their own records of their results. They could use the data they collect to make a table or a graph. 6. Ask the children to present their findings to the rest of the group, they can be as creative in their presentation as they want.
Things to talk about Children may not know the names of trees. You can help them by providing access to simple identification guides. You can obtain a simple tree identification guide from www.opalexplorenature.org/crest Take it further Encourage the children to use a range of different ways to find out which tree might be best. If they use the survey on the ACTIVITY CARD, encourage them to add, change or delete questions, and think about who to ask. Encourage the children to make their own records, such as a table or a block graph. Keywords • Survey • Ecology • Evergreen • Native • Habitat Watch out! Remind children not to approach strangers to get them to complete the survey, unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult. British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236
Crafty Rafts Organiser’s Card Abo
Crafty Rafts Activity Card NEWS CRA
Disappearing Dinosaurs Organiser’
Disappearing Dinosaurs Activity Car
Discus Dilemma Organiser’s Card A
Discus Dilemma Activity Card Mr Cle
Drifting Dandelions Organiser’s C
Drifting Dandelions Help our Raveno
Fantastic Fingerprints Organiser’
Fantastic Fingerprints Activity Car
Fossil Folly Organiser’s Card Abo
Fossil Folly Activity Card A box of
Uncle Astro Get Set Jellies Organis
Get Set Jellies Activity Card Uncle
Goodbye Old Tree Organiser’s Card
Goodbye Old Tree Activity Card NEWS
Hoodie Hearing Organiser’s Card A
Hoodie Hearing Activity Card Headte
How Do You Drink Yours? Organiser
How Do You Drink Yours? Tea rituals
Share your ideas Do most people dri
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NVESTIGATING INK Discuss What ways
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CALAMITY What to do 1. Read the ACT
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What to do MAKING TOOTHPASTE 1. Rea
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OUTDOOR GYM OUTDOOR GYM Outdoor Gym
Outdoor Gym R GYM Activity Card You
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Playground Games PLAYGROUND GAMES O
Playground Games PLAYGROUND GAMES A
Polymer Problem Organiser’s Card
Polymer Problem Activity Card To: Y
Protecting Polymers Organiser’s C
Protecting Polymers Activity Card Y
ACING ROCKETS Racing Rockets Organi
Keywords • Aerodynamics • Fligh
Discuss Are all rockets the same sh
What to do 1. Read the ACTIVITY CAR
RECYCLE REUSE Recycle Reuse Activit
Spinning Solutions Organiser’s Ca
Spinning Solutions Activity Card Ri
Super Spinners Organiser’s Card A
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Getting started SUPER SPINNERS You
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Testing and Comparing Tea Organiser
Testing and Comparing Tea Activity
Tomato Sauce Organiser’s Card TOM
Keywords • Sauce • Viscosity SA
Discuss TOMATO SAUCE How thick do y
Things to think about Some trees wi
Getting started Some fellow investi
What to do 1. Read the ACTIVITY CAR
TUMBLING TOAST Tumbling Toast TUMBL
Under Your Feet Organiser’s Card
Take it further There is a wide ran
Getting started Cut a big foot shap
Things to think about Scientists ar
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Windy Ways Organiser’s Card About
Windy ways Activity Card NEWS NEWS
Worm Charming Organiser’s Card Ab
Keywords • Nature • Vibration
WORM CHARMING Getting started Make
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Ten hour projects recommended for ages 11+. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the Bronze Awards page.
Thirty hour projects recommended for ages 14+. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the Silver Award page.
Seventy hour projects recommended for ages 16+. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the Gold Awards page
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