Exploring engineering through farming and haircare: Free classroom resources from the James Dyson Foundation

Published 13th November 2025

The James Dyson Foundation has released two inspiring free resources designed to help teachers bring engineering to life in their classrooms. Aimed at different key stages, these resources connect real-world engineering with everyday experiences, from sustainable farming to the science of haircare.

For primary schools: The Future of Farming

Engineering Solutions: The Future of Farming is a free resource for Key Stages 1 and 2, created to complement science, design and technology, and geography lessons. It supports teachers in showing pupils how design and engineering are essential to the future of sustainable farming.

The pack includes six fully planned lessons exploring topics such as food production, renewable energy and sustainability. Pupils will:

• Investigate the food supply chain, from how food is grown, reared or caught to how it reaches our supermarkets.
• Collect and test soil samples from around the school grounds.
• Build a working pinwheel to understand renewable energy and test its durability.
• Prototype their own sustainable packaging designs.

Each lesson is supported with worksheets, posters, and videos featuring Dyson engineers and farmers, helping pupils see the many roles engineering plays in agriculture. Case studies from Dyson Farming bring learning to life, sparking curiosity and discussion.

A highlight of this resource is the Sustainable Strawberry Project, based on The Glasshouse at Dyson Farming, which showcases the innovative technology used to grow strawberries all year round. Teachers can even apply for a free classroom resource box containing everything pupils need to grow their own strawberry plants, an exciting way to connect engineering, sustainability and hands-on learning.

   

For secondary schools: Hair Science

The Foundation’s Engineering Solutions: Hair Science resource is a free digital toolkit for Key Stages 3 and 4, designed to enhance science, design and technology, and mathematics curriculums. This engaging resource explores how engineering and science combine within the beauty industry, with a focus on haircare and styling.

Through practical investigations, pupils will test the elasticity and durability of hair, deepening their understanding of proteins and molecular bonds. They’ll then explore how Dyson engineers use these principles to develop advanced haircare technologies.

The resource includes ready-made slides, videos and experiments featuring Dyson engineers discussing their work and careers, helping pupils see how scientific knowledge and creative engineering come together in product design. Each lesson encourages critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving, empowering pupils to develop their own innovative solutions to everyday engineering challenges.

Find out more

Both The Future of Farming and Hair Science are available free of charge from the James Dyson Foundation, offering teachers ready-to-use resources that bring real-world engineering into the classroom.

Teachers can read more about these projects and download the resources by downloading the full article featured in Practice 3, or get your copy here.