SCHOOL CHALLENGE MENU
Pick a Project. Download the Kit. Get Started.
These ready-to-go resources are designed to help you undertake the School Challenge and create your student project to be showcased at your School STEM Expo in Term 4.
The menu below is divided into three categories for students and classroom teachers to select:
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Design & Build – Create models or prototypes
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Investigate & Experiment – Test ideas and analyse data
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Create & Educate – Share energy knowledge creatively​
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Each category includes Primary and Secondary student project ideas, plus ways to showcase them at your school’s Expo. Choose a project below or come up with your own!
Each project comes with a Ready-to-Go Student Project Kit which includes step-by-step instructions, a materials list, and Expo presentation ideas.
If you need guidance or assistance at any stage, reach out to us on schools@rezourceforce.com.au
Design and Build
Design, build, and test real-world models while exploring key STEM concepts such as renewable energy, structural engineering, and sustainability.
Solar Oven
Design, build, and test your own working solar oven using everyday materials. In this creative STEM challenge, you will explore how sunlight can be captured and used to heat or melt different objects. Along the way, you’ll learn about solar thermal energy, insulation, absorption, and the greenhouse effect.
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Recommended for Years 4–9: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified by focusing on basic materials and scaffolded designs, or extended by comparing oven efficiency, graphing temperature changes over time, or exploring solar cooking as a sustainable solution in real-world contexts.
Wind Turbine
Design and build your own wind turbine that transforms wind into electricity! In this hands-on STEM project, you will create spinning blades, connect a working circuit, and use a mini generator to produce electricity from movement. You can even measure the electricity your turbine generates using a voltmeter or multimeter. You’ll explore how renewable energy works and discover the science behind wind power.
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Recommended for Years 5–9: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified by focusing on blade design and basic spinning motion without electrical measurement, or extended by experimenting with blade angles, comparing materials, testing tower height, or powering a small device.
Tower Challenge
Design, build, and test your own paper transmission tower! In this hands-on engineering challenge, you will compete in teams to design, build, and test a transmission tower using only paper and tape. You’ll need creativity, teamwork, and clever thinking to keep it all strong and stable!
Recommended for Years 4-9: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified by focusing only on height or by providing a partially built base. It can also be extended by introducing material budgets, applying additional scoring formulas, or exploring real-world transmission line design, including load-bearing calculations and wind resistance.
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Investigate and Experiment
Ask questions, test ideas, and collect real data as you investigate energy, materials, and the world around you through hands-on science experiments.
Fruit Battery
Did you know a lemon can power a light? In this hands-on science investigation, you will explore how chemical energy in fruits and vegetables can be transformed into electricity. Build a simple circuit using zinc and copper electrodes, test a range of fruits and vegetables, and measure the voltage they generate. Then share your findings and creative ideas for using food-based power!
Recommended for Years 5–8: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified by focusing on one type of fruit and a basic setup. It could be extended by testing different variables like temperature or freshness, connecting cells in a series circuit, or powering small devices like LEDs.
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Colour and Heat
Can colours affect how much heat something absorbs? In this science investigation, you will test different coloured materials to find out which ones get the hottest in the sun. You’ll use thermometers to collect data, record your results, and learn how colour and light absorption relate to heat, a concept used in real-world design, from houses to clothing.
Recommended for Years 4–6: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified by testing fewer colours or providing a template for recording results, or extended by exploring materials, using data to design an energy-efficient structure, or experimenting with reflective surfaces.
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Plan your own investigation
Come up with your own scientific question and design a fair test to explore it. This project gives you the freedom to investigate what you’re curious about. Follow the step-by-step guide to research, hypothesise, experiment, and analyse your results.
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Investigation ideas
Here are some ideas to get you started:
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How does the angle or shape of wind turbine blades affect the amount of electricity generated?
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Which solar panel setup (tilt, area, or material) produces the most electricity over time?
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Can fruit, saltwater, or another household material act as a battery? Which creates the highest voltage?
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How does insulation (e.g. paper, foil, fabric) affect the energy needed to heat a model house
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Recommended for Years 7–10: This project can be adapted to suit different year levels. It could be simplified with structured templates, guided questions, or teacher-led experiments. It can also be extended by encouraging independent inquiry, exploring more complex variables, or connecting the results to real-world applications in energy and sustainability.
Create and Educate
Get creative and share what you’ve learned about electricity and renewable energy by designing powerful messages, stories, or resources to educate and inspire others.
REZ Energy Agents
Use your creativity to teach others what you have learned about electricity and renewable energy. Choose from a range of project ideas such as making a superhero story, designing a persuasive poster, or creating your own comic or video to help people understand why renewable energy matters.
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Recommended for Years 3–6: This project can be simplified to suit younger year levels by focusing on a single message, offering templates to follow, or matching the task to students’ art and writing skills.
Energy Game Changers
Use your creativity and communication skills to help others understand Australia’s energy transition. You might create a documentary, design a board game, launch a social media campaign, or come up with your own idea to share what you’ve learned about electricity and renewable energy in a powerful, engaging way.
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Recommended for Years 7–10: This project can be simplified by focusing on a single energy message or choosing familiar formats like posters or short videos. To extend the project, students can explore real-world energy data, target a specific audience with their campaign, prototype an interactive resource (like a game or app), or link their project to real sustainability goals or policies.
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