Science & Technology in Action

Engineers and Scientists – Building our future - STEPS to Engineering

   -  Fourth Edition (2008)
   -  Third Edition (2007)
   -  Second Edition (2006)
   -  First Edition (2005)

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Science and Technology in Action is produced by

AG Education Services,
22 Crofton Road,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin.

PARTNERS

The Teacher Education Section and the Second Level Support Services of the Department of Education and Science (DES)

The Irish Science Teachers Association (ISTA)

Fighting heart disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
Between 1998 and 2006 the percentage of all deaths in Ireland due to CVD fell from 42% to 35% (CSO data). It is still the major cause of death. Research in the UK indicates that a similar decline there was due mainly to lifestyle changes (especially reduction in smoking) and to improved treatment. Worldwide in 2005 about 30% of all deaths were due to CVD – that’s 17.5 million deaths – considerably more than any other cause of death including cancer, AIDS, TB, malaria, (7.6 M, 1.7 M, 1.6 M, 1 M respectively). Annually between 2 and 5 million children die due to malnutrition while in the West an estimated 2.5 M people die of CVD due to over-eating.

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QualifaX
QualifaX is the Irish National Learners’ Database. It provides information on a wide range of .......

ADDENDUM TO CRH LESSON
ENGINEERING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The CRH lesson deals with the process of cement .......

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE PRIZE WINNER
Congratulations to Paul Connellan of the Ursuline Secondary School,Thurles, who is the winner .......

Science and Technology in Action has been developed with the active participation of many of our leading science oriented organisations from the private and public sectors.

It is an innovative and attractive resource for teaching and learning that benefits both industry and education.

PARTNERS

-	Bord Gáis
-	CRH
-	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
-	EI Biotech
-	Energia
-	EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
-	Genzyme
-	HEA – Higher Education Authority
-	HSA – Health and Safety Authority
-	HSE/NIO – Health Service Executive / National Immunisation Office
-	IMB – Irish Medicines Board
-	Intel
-	Irish Rail
-	Teva
-	OSI – Ordnance Survey Ireland
-	RTÉ – Radio Telefís Éireann
-	Shell
-	STEPS to Engineering
-	Teagasc

The folder contains resource material, lesson plans, real-life applications of science and background information on the following topics:

The Natural Gas Network
How does natural gas differ from coal gas? Why is natural gas not bottled? What is meant by the energy density of natural gas? How can natural gas be used to produce hydrogen?

Cement production
What fuels can be used in the process? In what other ways can energy be saved? Are there viable alternatives to cement?

Biodiversity
Can sports facilities enhance biodiversity? How does organic farming help? Are there international agreements on biodiversity? How can cities improve diversity?

Enzymes and Biofuels
What are thermophilic organisms? What is lignin and why is it difficult to decompose? Can synthetic enzymes be used in biofuel production?

Wind Power
How does wind energy vary with wind speed? What is RMS voltage? In electricity generation what is meant by the phase? How can wind energy be calculated?

Climate Change
In what ways can carbon dioxide be captured and stored? What is the trend in energy demand? What percentage of world energy is renewable? How can individuals make a difference?

The treatment of Hurler Syndrome
How is Hurler syndrome diagnosed? How can the condition be treated? What is enzyme replacement therapy?

Brain ageing and Alzheimer's Disease
What causes Alzheimer's disease? How does it affect levels of acetylcholine? How does it differ from normal age-related memory loss?

Safety in the school laboratory
How do students learn safe laboratory practices? What are the safety guidelines for chemical hazards? What are the safety guidelines for biological and physical hazards?

The MMR vaccine
What is an attenuated virus? Should everyone be vaccinated? How are measles, mumps and rubella contracted?

The science of medicine
Who in Ireland issues licences for medicines? What is aspirin? What is a placebo?

Digital electronics
How is a voltage divided across two equal resistors? What is a truth table? What is a NAND gate?

Energy and efficient rail travel
Where does a train's energy go? What is flywheel energy storage? What are diesel multiple units?

Fighting heart disease
What are the main causes of cardiovascular disease? How is smoking related to CVD? Why do some insignificant risks given more importance than real significant risks?

Optical imaging (aerial photography)
Can GPS data be combined with LIDAR data? What are stereoscopic images? How can the resolution of GPS be enhanced?

Web design and technology
Why are sketches important? What exactly are wireframes? What is meant by 'dynamic content'?

Energy needs and global warming
What is carbon dioxide capture? Why are oil sands assuming more importance? What is the potential of alternative energy?

Engineers and Scientists – Building our future
How do engineers contribute to medical care? How do science and engineering interact? What are the main branches of engineering? How can engineering improve the environment?

Potato Blight
Are there degrees of resistance to blight? How are more resistance varieties produced? What is the life-cycle of the blight organism? How is blight controlled?