Inventa Workshop Resources

An 8-workshop STEM course material.

These photocopiable worksheets provide support for the beginner and inspiration for the gifted. They explain basic principles and hint at solutions. They give step-by-step help for those who need it while encouraging an open-ended, problem solving design approach.

These exciting projects help deliver the STEM while linking into Maths, Science and Literacy: a wonderful way for you to ensure the success of your lessons with a minimum of fuss.

1. The Great Fete This project uses levers and fulcrums. Students make a trebuchet style catapult. Whose can throw the furthest?
2. The Lost Puppet Plays Explains how to make and use cams. Students write a story and illustrate it with simple automata.
3. Soap-Box Derby The key to making mechanisms work is how well they can move. This activity teaches those principles as well as dealing with wheels and axles whilst making a buggy.
4. Robot Dreams Teaches how to use gears and mount them so they work.
5. Wally Winka's Chocolate Factory Design a candy bar. Create the packaging and advertising materials. You can extend this food technology and graphic design project to provide a context for control activities.
6. Wind Garden You could use this for any age group. This makes it ideal as a STEM theme for the whole school. Explains the design process with lots of suggestions to explore wind energy and movement. Ideas include wind chimes, whirligigs and bubble blowing machines.
7. Bridges This pack explains the basic types of bridge: beam, arch and suspension. It encourages students to experiment with structural ideas and then challenges them to build a bridge using the minimum amount of material.
8. Make a Picture Develops basic tool skills with different materials: measuring, cutting, drilling and joining.