STEM in Context

With your support, together we can inspire the potential of a whole generation

Donate Now

Browse our resource collection by type:

Backgrounders Career Profile Case Studies Hands-on Activities Interactives Learning Strategies Lessons Picture Collections Projects STEM in Context Video Channels

Resources

Lacks historical marker in Clover, Virginia

Why is Henrietta Lacks Important?

When the cells of Henrietta Lacks were collected by medical researchers after her death in 1951, it changed the future of medicine.

The Newest Elements on the Periodic Table

The periodic table was last updated in 2016 with four new chemical elements. What is a chemical element? What is the atomic structure of the newest chemical elements? How did they get their names?

The Chemistry of Pop

Grade

9, 10, 11, 12

Jurisdiction

AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT

There’s a lot of cool chemistry in a can of pop! Learn how solubility, chemical equilibrium, acids & bases and gas laws work in some of your favourite drinks.

plastic food containers, trays and food packaging made from polystyrene

Polystyrene: The Pros, the Cons, the Chemistry

Learn the organic chemistry behind this very useful plastic. Why is recycling polystyrene hard? Why does polystyrene often end up as solid waste?

Meiosis Mistakes

Errors during meiosis can alter the number of chromosomes in cells and lead to genetic disorders.

Salmon aquaculture pens at Dark Harbour, Grand Manan, New Brunswick (Evan Gamblin. Wikimedia Commons).

Farmed Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Aquaculture is seen as a sustainable way to produce fish. But are farmed salmon better than wild fish?

Artist’s conception of NASA’s Space Launch System

Escape Velocity

Why do a baseball and a rocket need the same launch speed to get from Earth into space? It has to do with physics and gravitational force.

How do Wind Farms Affect Birds and Bats?

Wind energy generates a lot of electricity in Canada. But wind turbines can be dangerous for wildlife.

Milky Way galaxy as seen from Australia (Brett Ritchie via Unsplash)

The Milky Way

In 2019, scientists discovered that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is not the shape they thought it was. How do astronomers use astronomical distance to understand the shapes of galaxies?

Topics Menu