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.
Workshop 1: Would you trust a machine? Instructions There are risks involved in machine learning, but it can also be very useful and enhance our lives. Things you will think about in this workshop include: is machine learning ethical, who has ownership over what the machine does, and who would be to blame if something goes wrong? Your task is to sort different potential machine learning jobs based on their usefulness and how much you would trust a machine to do the job. 1. Cut out the cards with the examples of things machines might do. 2. Read out the examples one by one. For each one discuss: • How useful or not would a machine that did this be? • How much would you trust a machine to do this? 3. Based on your discussion place the card on the decision chart. 4. When you have placed all the cards on the decision chart, discuss in your group: • Are they spread evenly around the chart? • Are there any patterns with the types of things that were useful and not useful? • Are there any patterns with the types of things that lots of people trusted and the types of things that people would not trust a machine to do? • For the things that people would not trust a machine to do, is there anything that would change your mind? 2
1 6 11 Buy a gift for your best friend Prepare meals for you Reply to messages from your friends 2 7 12 Post pictures of you on social media Choose your clothes for you Book an appointment for you 3 8 13 Prescribe medical treatment for you Drive a car Take photographs at your birthday party 4 9 14 Teach you a foreign language Give you driving lessons Referee a football game 5 10 15 Mark a school test Order for you in a restaurant Decorate your bedroom 3
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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.
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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