1. STEM Club challenges

2. These challenges were developed as part of the Ultimate STEM Challenge. The competition is now closed but why not complete one of the challenges as part of your school’s STEM Club? We want you to put their STEM skills to the test and tackle some real-life problems set in challenging environments. Working in teams, all you need to do is create a science or engineering project on one of three exciting challenge areas. STEM Club challenges

3. Human beings use science and technology to help them explore, live and work in the harshest places on Earth. Workers in the desert must cope with scorching temperatures of over 50°C, and in freezing environments it can plummet to - 50°C! Staying safe and comfortable in such extreme environments depends on having the right clothing and equipment! Challenging environments

4. How many challenging environments can you think of? Can you think of reasons why people might want or need to explore, live and work there? Even the UK has experienced extreme conditions. Can you guess the coldest and hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK? Challenging environments

5. About BP BP is one of the world's leading international oil and gas companies.

6. Finding oil & gas BP has built up a reputation as a great explorer operating in some incredibly challenging environments - from the bottom of the ocean to the heat of the desert.

7. Finding oil & gas

8. To extract gas and oil from these challenging environments, BP scientists have had to use STEM to address many challenges that arise from operating in these conditions. BP and STEM

9. The following case studies show real-life examples of BP operating in extreme environments around the world. In all of these cases, BP scientists have to use STEM to address the many challenges that arise from operating in these conditions. BP case studies

10. Challenging environments: The sea Andrew Platform in the North Sea The weather gets really wild out in the North Sea. BP workers fly out by helicopter and everything has to be brought to the rig, including food.

11. Challenging environments: The desert BP plant in Egypt This separation and gas processing plant is located in the Egyptian desert, which is a very hot environment.

12. Challenging environments: The desert Desert fox

13. Challenging environments: Alaska Prudhoe Bay, Alaska The temperature here can plummet to a bitterly cold -50°C, and the wind chill makes it feel even colder!

14. Challenging environments: Alaska Trans Alaska Pipeline

15. Challenging environments: Alaska

16. Now get ready to choose your challenge. Each challenge will put your STEM skills to the test as you tackle some real-life problems set in challenging environments. The Ultimate STEM Challenge

17. In Alaska, people live and work in temperatures as low as -50°C. The animals that live there have adapted to keep warm. Humans, however, need to rely on their clothing to survive and work effectively in such freezing temperatures. Keeping Warm Do an investigation to find out what type of clothing is the warmest – and most practical – to wear in freezing environments.

18. Clean drinking water is key to human survival but in some environments it can be hard to find. It is therefore very useful to have a solar still in case of emergencies. Solar stills use heat from the sun to make water, such as seawater, drinkable. This would be helpful to anyone stranded on a desert island! There are lots of different designs to try when creating a solar still. In designing a still which could provide an emergency fresh water supply, economic viability and portability are important considerations. Keeping Hydrated Design and test a portable solar still to provide an emergency fresh water supply.

19. In the blistering heat of the desert, temperatures can soar to 50°C. This makes carrying out complicated and dangerous construction projects very challenging. Construction workers must always wear their hard hats but when the desert sun is beating down, this can feel uncomfortable. Having a hot head doesn’t just feel sweaty and unpleasant, it slows down your thinking. Construction work can be very dangerous so workers must always be alert and concentrating. This means that their hard hats need to provide physical protection while also preventing their heads from overheating. Keeping Cool Adapt and test a hard hat to keep the wearer’s head cool in strong sunlight and desert heat.

20. Working in groups: Choose your challenge Create a PowerPoint presentation or Create a YouTube video showing how you approached your experiment How to complete your challenge

21. If you are running this as part of a school competition then you may wish to use the same judging criteria as the Ultimate STEM Challenge. This would include demonstrating the following: Excellence of method – have you followed a sound scientific method? Communication skills – can you explain your work clearly, confidently and in a way that inspires others? Passion for STEM – does your enthusiasm shine through? Judges’ criteria

22. To follow a good scientific method you should: make a hypothesis do your research make sure your experiment is a fair test can you replicate your results? analyse your results present your evidence and explain your conclusion clearly. To find out more about following a sound scientific method, watch our InvestiGATE videos.InvestiGATE videos Sound scientific method

23. Remember the following: Speak clearly. Think of your audience – don’t waffle! Don’t just talk – show us what you’ve been up to. Introduce yourselves, your school and what inspired you to tackle the challenge. Remember copyright – don’t include anything that you didn’t create yourself, so no music or photos taken from the internet. Practise – do a practice run through, checking light and sound. Watch out for time – plan what you’re going to say and who is going to say it. Tip: You don’t have to use a professional video camera to make a film – you could just use someone’s phone. Creating a winning video

24. Remember to: Write clearly – check your spelling and grammar. Think of your audience – don’t waffle! Include lots of pictures to show us what you’ve been up to. Introduce yourselves and your school and what inspired you to tackle the challenge. Remember copyright – don’t include anything that you didn’t create yourself, so no photos or video clips taken from the internet. Creating a winning PowerPoint

25. For details on how to enter next year’s Ultimate STEM Challenge competition visit: www.bp.com/ultimatestemchallenge www.bp.com/ultimatestemchallenge