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IET Faraday® DIY Challenge

Run your very own IET Faraday® Challenge Day, a fun hands-on design and technology challenge to do with your class, where you can choose a time and theme that suits your students.

How does it work?

Our IET Faraday® DIY Challenges are free of charge activities designed as classroom-based engineering challenge days to help bring STEM together in an engaging way.

Your students will learn key STEM skills and knowledge, as well as developing their problem solving, team working and communication skills.

There are a variety of different challenges to choose from and we’ll provide all the resources you need to run one in your school.

How to run your own IET Faraday® DIY Challenge Day

We’ve teamed up with our very own IET Faraday® Challenge Leaders, Keira Sewell and Phil Hart, who explain how these events can work in your school and provide hints and tips on ensuring your event runs smoothly.

Go to Start up videos

Find out more about who it's for and what's included

Please note, these resources and experiments have been specifically designed to be carried out with adult supervision or direction as appropriate, and it is recommended that the instructions are followed in a safe manner.

All resources and experiments are carried out at your own risk.

Who is it for?

Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12 – 13 years (Year Eight and equivalent), the activity day can be adapted for larger school groups and for students of different ability levels.

What’s included?

The complete set of downloadable materials needed to run your very own IET Faraday® Challenge Day includes:

  • Teacher’s pack - a list of the practical materials needed to run the activity, presenters’ notes highlighting key areas and reinforcing key themes throughout the day, some handy hints on how to deliver the day plus printable Faradays currency and student certificates that you can award to students at the end of the day.
  • Student booklet - available as an editable Word document for ease of use, adaptation and reproduction. Each team is asked to assign real industry roles and each team member will need to be assigned more than one role and feed into different aspects of the day. A great test of your students’ multitasking skills!
  • Introductory PowerPoint presentation - a step-by-step guide for you and your students, taking you through each element of the activity day.
  • Film clips - these clips can be viewed online or downloaded. You will need a video player installed on your computer which plays MP4 clips (digital media players are readily available to download for free online).
  • Start-up videos - have a look at our six start-up videos here where we take you through the days - how they should run and what they involve.
  • Student certificate - a new certificate which you can download below for all challenges and hand out to all participating students.

Download the IET Faraday® Challenge Day certificate

Feedback

If you run one of our IET Faraday® DIY Challenge Days please do share your experience with us via our feedback form and case study template.

Download the feedback form
Download the case study form

 
Our available challenges

Primary challenges

Lighthouse keeper

The students will need to work as a team to design a way of getting lighthouse keepers back to the mainland from a lighthouse based on a small island 200 metres from the nearest land.

The design will need to use a zip line to carry the keeper safely across the waves which can be high during storms.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/primary/teaching-resources/lighthouse-keeper-transfer

Aerospace engineers

This primary activity for schools encourages the children to become engineers for the day. Engineers usually build prototypes to test out their ideas first.

The students will need to work as a team to design an aeroplane as part of a larger product design team and then construct a transporter to move it to the next stage of development.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/primary/teaching-resources/aerospace-engineers

Network Rail

Engineers usually build prototypes to test out their ideas first.

The students will need to work as a team to design and build a prototype bin to help manage waste on Network Rail stations.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/primary/teaching-resources/network-rail

Secondary challenges

Table Tennis server

Students design and make a prototype device that will serve table tennis balls consistently across a table tennis table.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/table-tennis-server-fcd

IHEEM

Students are given an engineering brief to help IHEEM design a prototype which could be used in a children’s hospital to make a stay in hospital more comfortable and relaxing for young patients and their families, carers and friends.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/iheem-fcd

Coding the future

Students work in teams of six to come up with a real-life application for their BBC micro:bit.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/coding-the-future-fcd

Flood defence

Students work in teams to design and make a prototype of a simple device, that will allow homeowners to remove floodwater from their homes.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/flood-defence-fcd

James Webb Space Telescope

Students are given an engineering brief from Tim Peake inviting them to assist the engineering mission of the James Webb Space Telescope team.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/james-webb-space-telescope-fcd

Land Rover BAR

Students are challenged to develop two products, which could help improve performance for the Land Rover BAR team. 

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/land-rover-bar-fcd

Network Rail

Students will help manage one aspect of increased passenger use on their stations.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/network-rail-fcd

Remote operations

Students design and make a prototype device that simulates a remote organ transplant.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/remote-operations-fcd

Future Flight

What will we need to design to ensure deliveries arrive with us safely? How will we protect contents on their journey across the skies, particularly when the weather is bad?

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/future-flight-fcd

Thorpe Park

Students are challenged to engineer a new attraction for Thorpe Park Resort.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/thorpe-park-fcd

Airbus

Students work together in a challenging task to assist the Airbus team in helping transport aid or help people in times of need.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/airbus-fcd

Emergency communications

Students work in engineer rescue teams to design and build a prototype device that will send coded messages between two locations, one of which has been adversely affected by extreme weather conditions.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/emergency-communications-fcd

Smart cycle

Students design and create a prototype smart beacon which will be used to communicate information to cyclists.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/smart-cycle-fcd

Mission to Mars

Students design and construct a rocket and transport system to deliver supplies via Earth orbit to astronauts on Mars.

Go to https://education.theiet.org/secondary/teaching-resources/mission-to-mars-fcd