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/).

Clean Growth | Future of

Clean Growth | Future of Mobility Alternative fuel flights Activity created by Project brief In this project you will investigate the current use of sustainable and alternative fuel sources for air travel and research their potential for growth, and current limitations. Start by looking at how many flights there are daily, annually and how many of these are sustainable/alternative fuel flights. You could use a flight radar website to do this. Decide how you will approach the project and the resources you could use for your research. These could include interviews with experts in the industry, company websites and government legislation. You should compare the strategies of at least two different aviation companies in your research. Ask your teacher to help you contact an expert in the aviation industry or a university researcher specialising in aviation technology. Prepare some questions for them to find out more about the latest developments in their field of work or research. Research current and alternative aviation fuel sources currently being considered to power commercial aviation to 2050. Consider why alternative aviation fuel technologies are required and how these link to government environmental targets. Investigate at least three alternative/sustainable fuels which are currently being used or developed for future use. Using your research decide what you think the future will look like for the aviation industry. Create an A3 poster to present the findings from your research. Things to think about • Why do we need to have a sustainable aviation industry? • Why do we need to consider alternative aviation fuel? • What are the negative impacts on the environment of aviation? • What is the industry doing to minimise the impacts on the environment? • Which are the most interesting alternative fuel sources/sustainable sources of fuel being developed? Useful resources Aviation company websites: • ICAO • IATA • CORSIA • Boeing • Airbus • flightradar24.com/60,15/6 • icao.int/environmentalprotection/GFAAF/Pages/de fault.aspx 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); • 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 your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 14

AI and Data How could AI prevent infection? Activity created by Project brief In this project you will design an app which monitors health and lifestyle to identify, as early as possible, the likelihood of a person developing a disease which affects the immune system. These diseases increase the susceptibility to infection from multi-resistant bacteria. Start by researching disease areas which affect the immune system (e.g. diabetes and cancer) using your text book or online. Choose one of these to focus your project on. Ask your teacher to put you in touch with a relevant professional working in pharmaceuticals or healthcare. Find out how the disease impacts on the immune system and how it might put patients at risk of an infection from multi-resistant bacteria. Find out what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of developing the diseases. Use your research to design a concept for your app. Identify what data you would need to track to monitor susceptibility to the disease, e.g. waist circumference as one identifier of risk of Type 2 diabetes. Consider what alerts the app could send the user to reduce risk of developing the disease. Produce a wire frame for your app showing the user facing screens and annotate it to explain how it would work. Things to think about • Who will benefit from reduced susceptibility to infection from multi-resistant bacteria? • What are the risks and ethical issues to using an app to identify those at risk of developing a disease? • How will your app differ from those health-related apps which have already been developed? • Who would use your app and would it be accessible to everyone? • What steps can society take now, to reduce future risk of developing diseases which weaken the immune system? Useful resources • abpischools.org.uk/topic/antimicrob ial-resistance • abpischools.org.uk/ • abpi.org.uk/what-we-do/globalcampaigns/we-wont-rest/for-thechance/ • antibioticguardian.com/keepantibiotics-working/ • improvement.nhs.uk/resources/fight ing-antimicrobial-resistance/ • euro.who.int/en/healthtopics/diseaseprevention/antimicrobialresistance/news/news/2018/11/ofall-human-diseases,-60-originate-inanimals-one-health-is-the-only-wayto-keep-antibiotics-working • youtube.com/watch?time_continue= 6&v=zbV7Y_j3s9M • youtube.com/watch?time_continue= 1&v=SfT79NaQoIE • apps.beta.nhs.uk/?page=1 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/Resources/St udent-Safety-Sheets/ • assess the risks (think about what could go wrong and how serious it might be); • keep in mind the potential sensitivity of this topic; • pay attention to any disclaimer on the suggested websites above; • 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); • take care if collecting any personal data in your survey; • make sure your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 15

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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