Straw wars

Since the UK banned plastic straws, a range of alternatives, like paper, rice and sugar cane straws, have become more common. But which option is actually better? In this project, students will design their own enquiry question related to this issue and use a combination of secondary research and practical investigation to reach an evidence-based conclusion.

• Project type: Investigation – students work through investigation process
• Equipment: Various kinds of straws,
• KS3 Science: properties of materials
• GCSE Science: Sustainability, life cycle analysis

The brief provides context, and ideas for students’ investigation question, while leaving key choices about the methods in their hands.