Resources

Using real-life examples from along our waterways, these exciting activities below will bring STEM to life in your classroom.

All our activities include a classroom presentation and an activity pack. The activity pack contains practical session guidance, curriculum links and extension activities.

Boat Plans and Elevations

Presentation

Download our boat plans and elevations presentation to understand boat design features.

Activity pack

Use our activity sheet to do our isometric drawings task.

Water Pollution

Presentation

Learn what happens when pollution gets in our waterways and the impact on waterway ecosystems.

Activity pack

Understand that the types of macroinvertebrates found in water can be an indication of water quality.

Gears

Presentation

Understand how mechanisms can make work easier and the places we use them in.

Unique Huddersfield Broad Canal lock gearing

Activity pack

Assemble a lock paddle gear system to get a practical understanding of gears seen on locks.

Eutrophication

Presentation

Understand that canals and rivers are vulnerable to external threats such as eutrophication.

Activity pack

Explore how human and physical processes can impact local environments and ecosystems.

Boat lift

Presentation

Download our presentation and learn more about the hydraulics used behind boat lifts.

Activity pack

Teachers can download our activity pack for their lessons on boat lifts.

Canal crane

Presentation

Learn about gears and the mechanisms involved in cranes

Activity pack

Teachers can download our canal crane activity pack to use for their lessons

Canal maintenance

Worker fitting a new lock gate in a drained canal lock

Presentation

Download our presentation to understand the importance of good quality water

Activity pack

These practical activities help explain the forces that cause banks to erode, and the impact of erosion and human activities on water quality

Gauging rod

Presentation

Download our presentation to understand how gauging rods were used

Activity pack

In this pack, pupils use gauging rods to see how Archimedes’ principle of upthrust was applied to life on the canal networks

Lock design

Two Canal & River Trust volunteers open a lock gate

Presentation

Download our presentation to learn and apply the concept of water pressure to the challenges of designing a canal lock

Activity pack

In this pack students will identify with the concepts of forces and relate them to real life engineering design examples, focusing on canals

Classroom Case Studies

For additional resources linked to real life engineering works, visit our classroom case studies page.

Last Edited: 18 September 2023

Resources

Boat Plans and Elevations

Presentation

Activity pack

Water Pollution

Presentation

Activity pack

Gears

Presentation

Activity pack

Eutrophication

Presentation

Activity pack

Boat lift

Presentation

Activity pack

Canal crane

Presentation

Activity pack

Canal maintenance

Presentation

Activity pack

Gauging rod

Presentation

Activity pack

Lock design

Presentation

Activity pack

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