Technology for a greener world
Challenge your students to make transport and train travel sustainable with the Big Bang Challenge.
View Resource
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The Big Bang Challenge
Inspire your students to get creative and build a STEM project in easy step-by-steps using The Big Bang Challenge!
The Neon quality mark shows this activity has been reviewed and meets Neon's quality standards.
Overview
The Big Bang Challenge is an inspiring project resource, for students aged 11 to 18 of all abilities, to guide them through the stages of STEM project work.
Teachers can use this as part of a STEM Club or practical science lesson, and are encouraged to enter their students' projects into The Big Bang Competition.
Whether they have 1 hour, several days or even a few weeks to work on a project, there’s plenty for students to get stuck in with, and practise working like a STEM professional.
Along the way, teachers are provided with certificates and virtual badges to help celebrate their students' progress and recognise amazing STEM skills.
Each Big Bang Challenge focuses on a particular theme and asks young people questions, to inspire and encourage them to get creative.
There are now 8 Big Bang Challenges to get stuck into:
- Built for all: healthy and green
- On track to net zero?
- Can we make our air fresh again?
- Can robots and AI help humankind?
- Eat your way to a healthier planet
- Technology making a greener world
- Game, set, match: transforming sport with STEM
- Engineering for the extreme
Young people can build on existing ideas to create their own unique project, coming up with solutions to real-world problems using STEM.
Details
- School subject
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- Biology
- Chemistry
- Technology/computing
- Design and technology
- Engineering
- Maths
- Physics
- Curriculum links
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- Design and technology: Cooking and nutrition
- Biology
- Engineering
- Design and technology
- Computing
- Physics: Electricity and electromagnetism
- Biology: Material cycles and energy
- Physics: Energy
- Physics: Space physics
- Technologies - Food and textile technology
- Sciences - Biological systems
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics: Application of engineering
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics
- Sciences - Forces, electricity and waves: Electricity
- Computing science
- Sciences - Planet earth: Energy sources and sustainability
- Sciences - Planet earth
- Sciences - Planet earth: Space
- Design thinking and engineering: Engineering
- Design thinking and engineering
- Physics: Electricity
- Physics: Energy transfer
- Physics
- Sciences - Organisms and health: Interdependence of plants and animals
- Sciences - Organisms and health
- Technology & design - Manufacturing
- Technology & design - Design
- Technology & design - Communication: Use of ICT tools (including 3D modelling)
- Sciences - Forces and energy: Using electricity
- Technology & design - Control: Incorporate control systems in products
- Sciences - Earth and universe: The environment and human influences
- Sciences - Forces and energy
- Technology & design - Control
- Sciences - Earth and universe: The solar system and universe
- Group size
- Small groups, Whole class
- Participation level
- Hands-on
- Duration
- Multi-session - flexible
- Cost
- Free
- Location
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In-school
- UK-wide
Learning outcomes
- Improve engagement, interest or enjoyment in STEM subjects
- Attainment and progress
- Develop engineering employability skills
- Improve awareness and aspirations for STEM-related study and careers
- Challenge stereotypes by showing the diversity of disciplines, people and skills involved in engineering
Frameworks
Gatsby benchmarks
The Gatsby benchmarks are a framework for good careers guidance for schools across all of England and in some areas across the rest of the UK. This experience helps your school to reach the following benchmarks:
- 3 - Addressing the needs of each pupil
- 4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers
EqualEx
- Introduce and Inspire
Essential skills
The essential skills every young person needs to succeed in education and their future career. Find out more at the Skills Builder Partnership. This experience builds the following skills:
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Enrichment framework
- 5 - An accessible and engagement enrichment offer
How to book
No need to book - explore the resources below.
Associated resources
Eat your way to a healthier planet
Challenge your students to tackle food waste, improve health and more with the Big Bang Challenge.
View Resource
Engineering for the extreme
Challenge your students to protect people and our environment from extreme weather with the Big Bang Challenge.
View Resource
Built for all: healthy and green
How can we create healthy places for everyone to live, work and play in? Find out in the Big Bang Challenge.
View Resource
