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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Gold Grand Challenges

  • Text
  • Industrial
  • Challenges
  • Reduce
  • Crest
  • Materials
  • Ageing
  • Investigate
  • Assess
  • Aviation
  • Mobility
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/).

AI and Data | Future of

AI and Data | Future of Mobility Are we ready for driverless cars? Project brief In this project you will research the advantages and challenges of driverless cars and assess the public’s opinion of this new technology. Begin by finding out how machine learning is used in driverless cars and some of the challenges faced by the technology’s developers. It is important to plan your approach to your research. Make a list of all the sources of information available to you on driverless cars. This might include news articles, professional journals, public opinion polls, policy documents, case studies and interviews with professionals. Decide which sources you will choose to look at in your investigation and why and consider how you will record your findings in a logical way. If you decide to use case studies in your research, you will need to decide how you will select them. If you are looking at articles you might decide if they are generally positive or negative first before analysing the evidence. If you have access to public opinion polls, try to look at the raw data. You could investigate what people think compared with their background or demographic. You could carry out your own survey to find out what people of different ages and backgrounds think. You could plan and carry out your own interview with an expert professional. This could be someone who works in the car insurance or car manufacturing sectors, or could be a university researcher working on artificial intelligence. Ask your teacher for help connecting with experts. Things to think about • What tasks would a machine be better at than a human driver? • If there was a crash, who would be responsible? • What might be the wider implications if all or most vehicles became driverless? • Can driverless cars safely coexist with other road users? • Who might lose out if most vehicles became driverless? • How might public opinion impact on the future of driverless cars? Useful resources Ask your teacher to help you find an expert mentor: stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors Articles: • wired.co.uk • newscientist.com • askforevidence.org/help/eviden ce UK public opinion poll results • yougov.co.uk • ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk Health and safety To avoid any accidents, make sure you stick to the following health and safety guidelines before getting started: • find out if any of the materials, equipment or methods are hazardous using science.cleapss.org.uk/Resourc es/Student-Safety-Sheets/ • assess the risks (think about what could go wrong and how serious it might be); • decide what you need to do to reduce any risks (such as wearing personal protective equipment, knowing how to deal with emergencies and so on); • make sure there is plenty of space to work; • clear up slip or trip hazards promptly; • make sure your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 12

Ageing Society A balanced diet Project brief This project is split into two parts. The first is very much research-based. The second involves analytical chemistry and biology, as you will conduct food tests. Your aim is to collate data and information and suggest two menus for two days for somebody with a nutritional disorder. First things first, you should carry out some research into a nutritional disorder of your choosing. Some examples to choose from include: • Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes; • Coeliac disease; • Crohn’s disease; • High blood pressure; • Anaemia. You could interview a dietician from a local hospital or relevant professional to find out more about how the nutritional disorder can be managed. You should produce a promotional poster or leaflet telling people about the condition. You should include information about diagnosis, symptoms, recommendations for treatment (including modification to diet) and which people are most likely to be affected. Your second task is to produce two menus for two days. Each day should include three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), as well as drinks (and any snack breaks you feel appropriate). The first menu should be for an average working day (either at work or at school/college). The second should be for the weekend. Each menu should be designed to meet the patient’s total recommended daily allowance for major food types. Include general advice on ingredients and cooking methods. You should also carry out your own food tests to check such information. It’s up to you to decide which types of food test you want to carry out. You will need to design the methods yourself, too. Here are three suggestions to get you started: • Energy content. • Unsaturation of fats. • Determine quantities of minerals and vitamins. Things to think about • Which nutritional disorders are age related? • How have the frequency of these nutritional disorders changed in recent years? • In an ageing society, what will be the biggest challenges facing dietitians? • How could food labelling help improve lives of people with nutritional disorders? • What other solutions are being developed to help manage nutritional disorders? Useful resources • Contact with a dietitian or other relevant qualified professional. Health and safety To avoid any accidents, make sure you stick to the following health and safety guidelines before getting started: • find out if any of the materials, equipment or methods are hazardous using science.cleapss.org.uk/Resou rces/Student-Safety- Sheets/ • assess the risks (think about what could go wrong and how serious it might be); • do not eat any food used in experiments in a laboratory or science classroom; • if you decide to eat food you have made, you will need to ensure food hygiene recommendations are followed and these are included in your risk assessment; • decide what you need to do to reduce any risks (such as wearing personal protective equipment, knowing how to deal with emergencies and so on); • make sure there is plenty of space to work; • clear up slip or trip hazards promptly; • make sure your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 13

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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