Our mission at the Science Museum Group is to inspire futures.
While our museums are closed there are still lots of ways we can ignite your curiosity from home, whether through exploring our amazing collection online, browsing our museum websites, through videos and 3D models, discovering activities to try at home or simply having fun playing our online games and apps.
But of course we’re not the only ones thinking about keeping audiences entertained and informed at home.
With the help of our corporate partners, we’ve pulled together a list of great learning resources that explore how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects are shaping our world, from coding to cyber security and communications technology.
The resources cover a wide range of ages and interests and are perfect for supporting parents and carers getting to grips with home-schooling.
AIRBUS
The Airbus Foundation Discovery Space is an online portal that helps young people understand science through the world of aerospace. It’s also a science education partner for teachers and parents to engage students with STEM.
Explore this portal to find videos about ‘Why birds are made for flying’ or ‘How do aircraft fly’, or you can design your own moon rocket.
BP
The bp educational service (bpES) is committed to increasing young people’s understanding and enjoyment of STEM. The free educational resources for 4–19 year-olds bring classroom topics to life with the use of real-world examples, aiming to inspire the scientists and engineers of the future.
To support home learning during these unprecedented times, bp have curated their top activities: bpES home learning.
BRUNTWOOD SCITECH
STEM factor is a new learning initiative launched by Bruntwood SciTech to help educate and inspire children to explore STEM-based challenges and subjects.
So if you’re a parent or carer looking for ways to entertain and educate your children, this new project will let you supercharge your curriculum with help from a rich and diverse community of innovators and businesses, who will deliver challenges suitable for everyone every two weeks!
Expect 3D design, hacks, future robots, coding and electronics.
BT
BT Skills for Tomorrow aims to help 10 million people with the tech skills they need to make the most of life.
As parents and carers need support with kids’ learning at home, BT has teamed up with Computing at School (part of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT) to launch a free toolkit of activities and games, designed to help children develop their tech skills.
Based on the Barefoot programme used in the majority of UK schools, these fun activities bring computing to life for 5–11 year-olds, with or without a computer.
CISCO
Cisco Networking Academy transforms the lives of learners, educators and communities through the power of technology, education and career opportunities.
Offering courses covering a wide range of subjects including ‘An Introduction to Cybersecurity’: whether you’re attracted to the relatively new world of cybersecurity as a professional, or just interested in protecting yourself online and in social media, this introductory course is the answer.
GSK
Built with teachers, GSK STEM Education is designed to help power the next generation of innovators and inspire young people to see how STEM can change the world for the better.
The programme brings STEM to life through three core themes: Innovation; Health and the body; and Global and community health. Free curriculum-linked resources, aimed at 11–14 year-olds, can be done at home with little or no equipment and a number of new resources will be added over the coming weeks to support STEM Education at home.
MATHWORKS
We live in a world of digital photos and videos but what are they and how do computers edit and transform them?
MathWorks have created learning resources called Pixels to Pictures to help students work with digital images, understand their components, and transform them using MATLAB to create their own digital story.
Students will learn the basics of programming while they edit images, build GIFs, and create the colour filters and AR experiences that are applied in popular apps.
PFIZER
Pfizer has redesigned its STEM and Superbugs classroom materials as digital teaching resources.
Superbugs: Join the Fight are resources for 5 – 14 year-olds that explore practical ways to prevent the spread of infection and introduce concepts such as: the inappropriate use and misuse of antibiotics; and the role of vaccines in preventing disease.
Science in a Box is aimed at 7–8 and 13–14 year-olds and seeks to highlight and demystify the making of a medicine in an engaging way.
PWC
PwC is a founder of The Tech She Can Charter and have made their Tech We Can lessons (suitable for ages 10 – 13) accessible for home use to help children learn about the opportunities a career in technology can offer. You can also join Tech We Can Tuesday live lessons every Tuesday at 10.30.
PwC’s Digital Fitness app can also help to deepen your knowledge of the latest digital trends and adapt to new ways of working and learning. The app has an extensive library of resources covering both professional and personal wellbeing – whether you’re looking for tips on remote working, emerging tech, career development or engaging your kids in e-learning.
raytheon
These unprecedented times mean that more of us are having to adopt new ways of working and, for some, having to adapt to home teaching as well.
That’s why we called on our fantastic Raytheon STEM Ambassadors to create an activity booklet designed to get students thinking about science, technology, maths and engineering.
Our activities are perfect for teaching young students new things while they’re away from the classroom, as well as keeping them occupied when lockdown boredom strikes! Find out more here.
SAMSUNG
Samsung Electronics UK is a proud partner of online safety not-for-profit organisation Internet Matters, working jointly to deliver a number of initiatives to help parents keep their children safe online.
Together, they launched a co-branded microsite in 2019, featuring a range of age-appropriate guides and resources to support kids aged 8- and 8+ navigate the digital world safely, smartly and securely.
In the era of Connected Living, the advice on offer spans beyond Samsung’s mobile devices and tablets to also cover the latest Smart TVs and Fridges – helping to ensure that millions of children can safely benefit from seamless connectivity at home.
SIEMENS
Siemens make science, technology, engineering and maths come to life in the classroom. Investigate potential careers and apprenticeship opportunities at Siemens UK and keep up to date with STEM-based activities events and challenges for schools and pupils.
As a pioneering world leader with 24 main sites employing 13,760 people in the UK, they are dedicated to helping enrich and enhance teaching and learning and to nurturing engineering talent for the future. Here you will find curriculum lesson plans, interactive resources, insights into STEM careers and information about challenges and events.
URENCO
Urenco, in partnership with the British Science Association, has created a fun and practical CREST Awards resource. Individually or in a group, students can investigate a variety of topics, including coding, electricity, magnetism, ergonomics and nanotechnology, and develop exciting new ways to enrich their classroom or home.
WATERS
With so many students now at home, Waters’ scientists, technologists and engineers from around the globe have come together to create an exciting new online series, Waters STEM Live: The Science of What’s Possible for Kids.
Every Wednesday throughout April, Waters’ employees have been conducting live engaging experiments for kids of all ages on the Waters Facebook page.
Thank you to all our corporate partners who are supporting us in our mission to inspire the scientists, inventors, technicians and engineers of the future, through revealing the creativity and wonder of science.
For more information about becoming a corporate partner of the Science Museum Group, please feel free to contact us via one of our museums: Science Museum, Science and Industry Museum, National Science and Media Museum, National Railway Museum.