Teachers' notes
Introduction
RAF Target contains activities to support the Maths and Science curricula at 11–14 and 14–16. These teachers’
notes deal with the activities found in the Science area of the site.
The resources on the RAF Target Science website have been developed by education experts and specialist Science
education authors, with input from practising teachers. These teachers’ notes will guide you through the site,
providing pointers on how you can get the most value from this resource.
The RAF Target Science website aims to provide an exciting, context-led resource supporting the Science curricula
for 11–14s and 14–16s. The site presents Science in a real-life context with the aim of motivating students
by showing them the practical uses of Science linking to actual jobs in the RAF.
The website focuses on three areas of a fictional Search and Rescue base – the Medical and Fitness area, the
Field Kitchen and Mess area and the Engineering and Maintenance area. There are Biology, Chemistry and
Physics activities, or ‘missions’ at each area. These missions are available in two differentiated versions
for both 11–14s and 14–16s to cater for students of different ages or abilities.
Each mission is supported by a Fact File, which provides information that can be used to help students complete
the missions. Extension questions and supplementary worksheets are also available in the teachers’ area so that
work can be further extended either as classwork or homework.
Overview
When they have selected the Science part of RAF Target, students are presented with the following scenario:
There has been a serious earthquake in a remote, mountainous region, destroying many homes.
An RAF base in the area sustained only minor damage. Personnel have been conducting humanitarian
aid and Search and Rescue operations, airlifting food and shelter and providing emergency healthcare
for people who have been injured.
Students are asked to use their scientific knowledge to help the RAF personnel to run the base smoothly,
which will help ensure the success of the Search and Rescue operations.
Once they have read the scenario, students navigate to a base map, and select one of the following areas:
- Medical and Fitness
- Field Kitchen and Mess
- Engineering and Maintenance
- Communications and Intelligence
- Personnel Support and Logistics
- Airstrip / Helipad
The three areas in bold contain Biology, Chemistry and Physics activities, or ‘missions’, as well as relevant
RAF career profiles. The other three areas just contain relevant RAF career profiles. Science activities will
be added to these areas at a later date.
Once students have selected an area of the base map, they will be given some brief background information about
that area and will be asked to choose a subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) at one of four difficulty levels
(Trainee Airman, Trainee Corporal, Trainee Sergeant and Trainee Flight Sergeant).
Students will be given a general brief before starting their mission. Once they have selected ‘Start mission’,
they will be able to pause the activity to access a relevant Fact File at any time, or to re-read details of their
task. The Fact Files are fact sheets which explain the Science behind the mission. The Fact Files can be printed
to use offline.
Ability levels
In each of the three base areas that currently contain activities (the Medical and Fitness, Field Kitchen and Mess
and Engineering and Maintenance areas) students will be able to access Biology, Chemistry and Physics activities,
each at four difficulty levels:
| Trainee Airman |
11–14s (easier) |
| Trainee Corporal |
11–14s (more difficult) |
| Trainee Sergeant |
14–16s (easier) |
| Trainee Flight Sergeant |
14–16s (more difficult) |
The easier activities are suitable for the younger or less able students within each age group, while the more difficult
ones are suitable for the older or more able students.
In some cases the more difficult activities can be considered an extension of the easier activities. In other cases the
easier and more difficult activities may consider the same situation but from the viewpoint of different topic areas.
This allows maximum flexibility in terms of curriculum coverage and ensures that students do not feel that they are simply
repeating work that they have already completed.
Progress through the site
Students can complete the activities in any order. However, you may want to encourage students to complete all the
activities at one particular difficulty level (e.g. all the Trainee Airman activities) or in one particular subject at
one particular level (e.g. all the Biology Trainee Airman activities).
Using the website
The activities are highly interactive and can be used by students working individually or in small groups, if facilities allow. Alternatively, they can be used as whole group activities by running them from an interactive whiteboard.
The activities can also be used as homework for students with access to a PC out of school. Teachers can monitor their progress by logging in.
Extension questions
There are extension questions available which relate directly to the activities found in the students’ area. These can be accessed in the Science teachers’ area, and can be given to students completing work early, or to think about as homework.
Worksheets
The website activities are further supported by a set of worksheets, which can be accessed in the Science teachers’ area and which can be printed and used offline.
These worksheets relate to the subject matter covered on the website but access to the website is not required to complete them. As such, they can be used either as class-based extension work or homework.