Low-resource or low equipment sharing resources


The resources on this page have been selected to support educators in finding CREST project ideas that require little equipment, can be run outside of a lab or at home, and use equipment that doesn’t require much sharing.

Find out more about the different CREST Award levels here: CREST Awards.

At primary level, our curated home learning packs don’t require many resources so they’re perfect to use either in the classroom or at home. For Primary teachers who have CLEAPSS access, we recommend this piece on doing Practical activities within your bubble.

At secondary level, each project brief has an overall challenge, ideas for getting started and a list of resources you might need. Read the health and safety section carefully before you begin. Young people should create a plan for their project and a risk assessment before they begin any practical activity. You can use the CLEAPSS student safety sheets as well as the rest of the CLEAPSS website to help them.

If you are looking for further advice on how to get started with CREST, visit our help centre and check out our FAQs.

If you are looking for ideas for running CREST at home, many of the below resources are suitable, and you can still access our Star and SuperStar Home Learning packs below. If you need further support, check out the CREST at home section of the Help Centre.


To browse the resources, 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

Challenges for ages 5-11


These challenges take about an hour each. Once you have completed eight of them you can get a CREST SuperStar Award. Start by downloading the Passport. Children can use this to record each activity they complete.

Our curated packs for home learning require very little equipment or resources, so are ideal now that you are back in the classroom. They also add flexibility as students can finish their Star or SuperStar Award at home, if needed.

Each challenge has an organiser card and an activity card. All the instructions to set up the activity are in the organiser card. Read the 'watch out' section carefully before you begin. Children can use the activity card or you can read it through together.

Find out more about Star and SuperStar levels here.


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Projects for ages 11-18


Each of these projects take between ten and thirty hours to complete. The project briefs have an overall challenge, ideas for getting started and a list of resources students might need. Before they begin, students should read the health and safety section carefully. Once students have completed their projects, they can get a CREST Discovery, Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. The amount of time spent on the project and how well they met the CREST criteria determines the level students will be awarded.

Start by downloading the relevant Workbook or Profile Form below. Young people can use these to help them complete their project and record their progress.

Young people should create a plan for their project and a risk assessment before they begin any practical activity, which should be checked by a teacher. You can use the CLEAPSS student safety sheets as well as the rest of the CLEAPSS website to help them.

For Bronze projects, once a student has completed their project, you can sign up to assess it and order their personalised certificate here. Bronze assessment is incredibly easy and can also be adapted for at-home learning if needed due to unexpected lockdowns, meaning parents can always assess when teachers cannot. Check out how to assess a Bronze project here

For Silver and Gold projects student work will need to be submitted online and will be assessed by a CREST assessor. Learn more about assessment for Silver Awards here

Find out more about Bronze level here.

Find out more about Silver level here.

Find out more about Gold level here.


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