Integrated learning for secondary school students: Integrating learning through soap-making and rocket-making projects.

Cross-Curricular Project: Bath Bombs
📌 Science teacher Allison Tiltman integrated Design and Technology (DNT) and Maths into a Year 9 science lesson using bath bombs to teach chemical rates of reaction and energy transfer.
🛠️ The DNT component involved students designing and creating molds for their bath bombs using cardboard templates and vacuum-formed plastic.
🧪 Students explored chemical reactions by adjusting the amount of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid to control the fizzing speed of the bath bombs.
💡 The project simulates running a cosmetics company, challenging students to consider product appeal (e.g., apple shape), flavor profiles, and packaging design.

Interdisciplinary Learning and Business Skills
📊 Students applied math skills to investigate the financial side of their businesses, calculating potential costs and profits.
💻 DNT and ICT lessons were used to explore packaging designs and display stands, culminating in an Apprentice-style competition where students competed to sell their products.
🔗 The cross-curricular approach emphasizes that subjects like Maths, Science, and Technology all work together to provide holistic learning value.

Rocket Project Integration
🚀 A second, potentially more explosive project involves launching rockets designed to fly 750 ft while protecting two eggs inside the nose cone upon parachute landing.
🖥️ Students use SpaceCad, a computer program, to design the rocket structure, predict height and time, and make necessary adjustments before launch.
⚠️ The project involves inherent risks, including rockets spiraling, crashing, and sometimes failing to launch, requiring safety measures like keeping a bucket of water nearby.
📈 Data collected from launches (speed, acceleration, gravity calculations) is used in science lessons, demonstrating real-world application of physics concepts.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Teachers require support from Senior Management and other subject staff to successfully implement complex, cross-curricular projects.
➡️ Educators must be open to making mistakes and things going wrong when piloting new, ambitious educational activities.
➡️ The bath bomb project achieved recognition, winning a semi-final position in an Innovative Teaching competition globally, validating the approach's relevance.
➡️ Successful engagement is achieved when students can see the relevance and connection between different academic subjects in practical scenarios.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 03, 2026, 17:18 UTC