Primary challenges (ages 3-11)


Typically completed by 3-11 year olds, CREST Star and SuperStar challenges relate to everyday experiences. Children complete six to eight activities to gain a CREST Award, with each activity taking between 45 minutes and one hour to complete.

The activities are designed to be easy-to-run and low-cost. You don’t need to be a teacher, have a science background or have access to specialist equipment to run them. The packs contain helpful hints and tips for you to use, explaining the scientific themes and offering guidance on conversation topics for your children.

There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.


To browse the packs, click the buttons below or scroll down.

crestaward
Views
6 years ago
Flag

All SuperStar challenges

  • Text
  • Handson
  • Stem
  • Challenges
  • Discussion
  • Explore
  • Create
  • Experiment
  • Investigate
  • Toothpaste
  • Materials
  • Glue
  • Tomato
  • Yoghurt
  • Superstar
The activities in this pack have been selected from our library of CREST SuperStar challenges. Children need to complete eight challenges to achieve a CREST SuperStar Award. If you want, you can mix and match challenges from different packs, as long as children complete eight SuperStar challenges. 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/).

COLD Warm or Cold

COLD Warm or Cold Organiser’s Card About the activity This activity is designed to get children thinking about warm and cold-blooded creatures. Dina Digg needs some help working out whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded or not. Can the children work it out by doing some tests? Through this activity you will support your group to: WARM OR COLD • Explore whether dinosaurs were warm or cold-blooded. • Investigate the difference size makes to how quickly things cool down. • Complete a grid to compare warm and cold-blooded theories. • Design a dinosaur fact sheet. Kit list To test temperature change of water in different sized bottles they will need: • Different sized plastic bottles with lids • Measuring jugs • Warm water • Thermometer and stop watch or data logger What to do 1. Read the ACTIVITY CARD to familiarise yourself with the activity 2. Check the Kit list and ensure you have the correct resources. 3. Set the scene by discussing the story with the children. 4. Help children gather the resources. 5. Encourage children to talk together about their ideas and carry out their own investigations. 6. Discuss the differences between warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals. 7. Encourage children to read scientists’ arguments for and against dinosaurs being cold-blooded. 8. Help children to recognise that more tests may be needed to reach a firm conclusion.

Things to think about Scientists argue about whether dinosaurs were warm or cold-blooded. Cold-blooded animals lie in the sun to warm up. They need to stay warm for as long as possible. One theory says that dinosaurs could have been cold-blooded because very large animals are able to stay warmer for longer than small ones. Evidence from this investigation appears to support this theory. However, there are other theories (see the ACTIVITY CARD). Encourage children to research these theories. The current view seems to be that some dinosaurs were cold-blooded and some warm-blooded. Keywords • Dinosaurs • Water • Temperature • Warm-blooded • Cold-blooded Watch out! If children do not use very hot water there are no safety issues with this investigation. WARM OR COLD WARM OR COLD British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236

Star level

Collections of one hour challenges recommended for children aged 3-7 years that relate to children’s everyday experiences. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the CREST Star page.


Back to top

SuperStar level


Collections of one hour challenges recommended for children aged 7-11 years that relate to broader situations that children are likely to have come across. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the CREST SuperStar page.


Back to top

Managed by:

Supported by:

British Science Association

Wellcome Wolfson Building,
165 Queen's Gate
London
SW7 5HD

© 2018 British Science Association

Search