Secondary project briefs (ages 11+)


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:


England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales


To browse the briefs, click the buttons below or scroll down.

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All SuperStar challenges

  • Text
  • Handson
  • Stem
  • Challenges
  • Discussion
  • Explore
  • Create
  • Experiment
  • Investigate
  • Toothpaste
  • Materials
  • Glue
  • Tomato
  • Yoghurt
  • Superstar
The activities in this pack have been selected from our library of CREST SuperStar challenges. Children need to complete eight challenges to achieve a CREST SuperStar Award. If you want, you can mix and match challenges from different packs, as long as children complete eight SuperStar challenges. 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/).

A Hole in my Bucket

A Hole in my Bucket Activity Card Do you know the tune to this well-known song? If not, see if you can find out about it. There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole. Then mend it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry Then mend it dear Henry, dear Henry mend it. With what shall I mend it, dear Liza? . . . With a straw, dear Henry . . . The straw is too long . . . Then cut it . . . With what shall I cut it? . . . With a knife . . . The knife is too blunt . . . Then sharpen it . . . With what shall I sharpen it? . . . With a stone . . . The stone is too dry . . . Then wet it . . . With what shall I wet it? . . . With some water . . . With what shall I fetch it? . . . With a bucket . . . BUT THERE’S A HOLE IN MY BUCKET! Your challenge Liza and Henry need your help. Can you find something that will stop Henry’s bucket from leaking? Liza suggests using straw to fix the hole. Do you think that would work well? What about sticky materials? Would any of them be better for mending the hole in Henry’s bucket? Do some tests to find out the best method of fixing a leak! Discuss • Which materials will you test? • How many different materials will you compare? • Does it matter how you use your material to fill the hole? • What will you need to observe or measure in your tests?

Getting started 2/2 We are going to use clean plastic drinking cups, with the same sized holes cut in the bottom of each, then try out our ideas. Some of your fellow investigators have some ideas! “I think we should try to fix the hole, then put water in and just watch what happens.” “We could do some timing to find out how long it is before the water starts to leak out.” “Let’s measure how much water leaks out in 2 minutes. We could put marks up the side of the ‘buckets’ to help us.” What do you think? Do you have another idea? Test your ideas You could use a table like this to record your findings: Material How much water leaked through? Blu-Tack Sticky tape Glue Chewing gum Straw Share your ideas Were there any problems with your tests? How could you improve them? How easy did you think it was to keep your tests fair? Why? Which material should Liza and Henry use to fix a hole in their bucket? On which side of the hole should they stick it? Why have you chosen this material? Why not re-write the words to the song to include what you have found out? British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236

  • Page 1 and 2: Challenges collection Suitable for
  • Page 3 and 4: Contents Activity Page A hole in my
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  • Page 10 and 11: A Special New Tree Organiser’s Ca
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  • Page 14 and 15: A Sticky Problem Organiser’s Card
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  • Page 18: Test your ideas You may want to rec
  • Page 21 and 22: What to do 1. Introduce the activit
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  • Page 25 and 26: Discuss Children may need to be sho
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  • Page 31 and 32: Test your ideas Test it with weight
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    Colorado Brown Stain Activity Card

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    Crafty Rafts Organiser’s Card Abo

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    Crafty Rafts Activity Card NEWS CRA

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    Disappearing Dinosaurs Organiser’

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    Disappearing Dinosaurs Activity Car

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    Discus Dilemma Organiser’s Card A

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    Discus Dilemma Activity Card Mr Cle

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    Drifting Dandelions Organiser’s C

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    Drifting Dandelions Help our Raveno

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    Fantastic Fingerprints Organiser’

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    Fantastic Fingerprints Activity Car

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    Fossil Folly Organiser’s Card Abo

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    Fossil Folly Activity Card A box of

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    Uncle Astro Get Set Jellies Organis

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    Get Set Jellies Activity Card Uncle

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    Goodbye Old Tree Organiser’s Card

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    Goodbye Old Tree Activity Card NEWS

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    Hoodie Hearing Organiser’s Card A

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    Hoodie Hearing Activity Card Headte

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    How Do You Drink Yours? Organiser

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    How Do You Drink Yours? Tea rituals

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    Share your ideas Do most people dri

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    What to do 1. In advance prepare th

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    NVESTIGATING INK Discuss What ways

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    Things to think about Encourage the

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    Getting started Think about how oth

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    Things to think about The cups and

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    Getting started Some of your fellow

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    CALAMITY What to do 1. Read the ACT

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    Getting started A kite is made up o

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    What to do MAKING TOOTHPASTE 1. Rea

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    Your challenge Bright Smile Toothpa

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    OUTDOOR GYM OUTDOOR GYM Outdoor Gym

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    Outdoor Gym R GYM Activity Card You

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    Test your ideas Which parts of the

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    Things to think about In this activ

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    Discuss Can you think of any intere

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    Playground Games PLAYGROUND GAMES O

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    Playground Games PLAYGROUND GAMES A

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    Polymer Problem Organiser’s Card

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    Polymer Problem Activity Card To: Y

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    Protecting Polymers Organiser’s C

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    Protecting Polymers Activity Card Y

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    ACING ROCKETS Racing Rockets Organi

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    Keywords • Aerodynamics • Fligh

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    Discuss Are all rockets the same sh

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    What to do 1. Read the ACTIVITY CAR

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    RECYCLE REUSE Recycle Reuse Activit

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    Spinning Solutions Organiser’s Ca

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    Spinning Solutions Activity Card Ri

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    Super Spinners Organiser’s Card A

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    SUPER SPINNERS Take it further In t

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    Getting started SUPER SPINNERS You

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    Things to think about Many of the p

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    Getting started Here is what Frank

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    Testing and Comparing Tea Organiser

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    Testing and Comparing Tea Activity

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    Tomato Sauce Organiser’s Card TOM

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    Keywords • Sauce • Viscosity SA

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    Discuss TOMATO SAUCE How thick do y

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    Things to think about Some trees wi

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    Getting started Some fellow investi

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    What to do 1. Read the ACTIVITY CAR

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    TUMBLING TOAST Tumbling Toast TUMBL

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    Under Your Feet Organiser’s Card

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    Take it further There is a wide ran

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    Getting started Cut a big foot shap

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    Things to think about Scientists ar

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    Getting started You could start by

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    Windy Ways Organiser’s Card About

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    Windy ways Activity Card NEWS NEWS

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    Worm Charming Organiser’s Card Ab

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    Keywords • Nature • Vibration

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    WORM CHARMING Getting started Make

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    6. Help the children to make their

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    Getting started Before you start wa

Bronze level

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.


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Bronze

Silver level

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.


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Silver

Gold level

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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Gold

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