STEMNET Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network

A new set of education resources for post-16 students focussing on the Thames Tideway Tunnel is launched today by Thames Water.

The updated ‘Tunnelworks’ site will build on the success of the Key Stage 3 and 4 resources launched in September 2012 and now include online lessons with a focus on science, engineering and maths for those in the 16 plus age range.

Students and teachers will have access to lessons in A-level Chemistry and Maths and Levels 2 and 3 BTEC Engineering and Construction.

The updated website is the latest in Thames Water’s educational efforts to use the real-life challenges in designing and constructing the Thames Tideway Tunnel as a basis for classroom activities which aim to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering.

Reports suggest that the UK needs to increase by 50% the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) graduates it is creating. There are approximately 23,000 engineers graduating every year in the UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering estimates that 830,000 graduate-level STEM experts will be needed by 2020.

The resources are free, whiteboard-friendly and flexible, requiring minimum preparation time. Worksheets and teachers’ notes are also provided to make the resources simple to use.

Crucially, they aim to link together learning in the classroom with real life career opportunities.
The online materials are carefully developed to provoke the interest of students and their teachers, and to link to National Curriculum specifications.

A-level Chemistry lessons cover enthalpy changes for exothermic reactions and the Winkler test to explore stoichiometry and titrations in testing for dissolved oxygen in water. The A-level Maths lessons require students to generate and transform trigonometric graphs using a real life example from the Thames Tideway Tunnel project modelling of flow in the sewerage system.

Subjects covered in Level 2 & 3 BTEC Engineering include exercises to test the students’ knowledge and understanding of Personal Protective Equipment and Health and Safety considerations for visitors to a busy construction site. There are also a range of suggestions for students’ engineering projects– a unit covered by many colleges teaching BTEC courses in engineering.

Students can also complete an optional project as part of the CREST awards scheme, endorsed by The British Science Association. This can be used in science or after-school clubs. CREST is Britain's largest national award scheme for project work in the STEM subjects.

CREST awards are endorsed by UCAS, the university admissions service, for inclusion in students’ personal statements.

The project idea for the Gold CREST Award consists of an extensive research project through which students investigate why the number of sewage discharges into the River Thames is increasing, the effect these have on river wildlife and planning a campaign to ensure the river’s continued health.

The British Science Association’s Director of Education, Katherine Mathieson, said: “The Tunnelworks resources present a real-life scenario which has a massive impact on people in and around London, which is just the sort of investigative project based approach we encourage through the CREST Awards scheme.
“The British Science Association are pleased that the Thames Tideway Tunnel approached us to ensure their resources fit the ethos and structure of the CREST Awards and we’re excited to see their range of resources expanding.”

Since launching in 2012 the Tunnelworks site has so far attracted some 2,000 unique visitors and been used as the basis for focussed science and maths days in London schools.

The educational resources are available free of charge from www.tunnelworks.co.uk.