Workshops

This year, we are offering many in-person, virtual and on-campus workshops (IP: In-Person, V: Virtual, OC: On Campus). Volunteers will guide classes through a presentation and one or more hands-on activities. All workshops should take 45-90 minutes of class time.

Please contact Heather at uwaterloo@letstalkscience.ca if you have a unique request. 

 

School Workshops

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Name Grades Duration Subjects Description
Bubbles Bonanza Kindergarten, 1, 2 Less than 1 hour Physics What makes bubbles strong? Why do bubbles have a rainbow color? Why can bubbles form? Students will explore these questions and more through fun, hands-on stations.
Matter Matters Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3 1-2 hours Chemistry Students explore the properties of solids, liquids, and gases and their interactions in exciting hands-on stations.
Energy Exploration 1 1-2 hours Physics Use all of your senses to categorize and investigate different types of energy and find out where energy comes from.
What Floats in a Moat? 1, 2, 3 1-2 hours Chemistry, Engineering, Physics Time to set sail! In this science storytime, students follow the adventure of Archie the goat and his friend Skinny the hen as they try to figure out the best way to cross a moat without sinking. After our volunteer reads the book to your class, students explore the different properties of solids and how they relate to buoyancy in water by building and testing out their own boats.
Video Game Physics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 1-2 hours Physics What is the science behind popular video games? How are we able to launch birds in Angry Birds? How do cars move in MarioKart? How do structures in Minecraft stay upright? Students will explore these questions and more through fun, hands-on challenges. No screens or electronics are used in this workshop.
Building Bugs 2 1-2 hours Biology Design the best bug, but for which environment or purpose? Students learn about the form and function of various insect parts.
Medieval Machines 2 1-2 hours Physics Catapults, drawbridges and castles teach students about levers, wheels, axles, gears, pulleys, and inclined planes. A great introduction to the topic with hands-on simple machines.
Earthquake! 3 1-2 hours Physics, Engineering, Earth & Environmental Sciences Oh no! There’s an earthquake! Wait… what even is an earthquake? Students learn how and why earthquakes happen and about the technologies that allow structures to resist an earthquake’s powerful force. They then build and test their earthquake-resistant structures on earthquake tables.
Root of the Matter 3 1-2 hours Biology Within a species, plants show remarkable diversity. Learn about the adaptations within known food plants, and how your bean plant will survive different scenarios (e.g. drought, frost, pests).
Wetland Food Web 3 1-2 hours Earth & Environmental Sciences Examining the biodiversity within a wetland ecosystem, students learn how all living things are connected and used in energy pyramids that can alter various habitats and communities.
Pulling Your Weight 4 1-2 hours Physics There's hard work to be done! Which machine will make your work easier? Students problem-solve and learn about gears, pulleys and ramps.
Endangered Earth 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 1-2 hours Earth & Environmental Sciences Students assume the role of conservation biologists and work in teams to protect endangered species and their habitats. Learning about species at risk, teams allocate funding and advise on land development.
Exploration Mars 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 1-2 hours Physics, Engineering, Astronomy and Space Science Experience the challenges of space exploration using unmanned space probes. Explore different types of space probes – Orbiters, Landers, and Rovers. Students will build and test a lander in hopes of discovering new information about Mars and whether it could ever have supported life!
Crime Labs 5 1-2 hours Biology, Information Technology/Computer Science, Chemistry CSI? Dexter? Bones? Crime Scene Investigation may seem like it really only happens in movies and TV shows but forensic science applies various disciplines of science like chemistry and biology to find and test evidence to help solve cases. Students apply their knowledge of density, chemical change, and fingerprinting as members of the forensic science team who were hired to find a thief. (Warning: Lots of materials required, but super fun)
Fight or Flight 5 1-2 hours Health Science, Biology Grown-ups are not the only ones who experience stress – kids get stressed too! Students explore what happens in their nervous system, endocrine system, and circulatory system when their brain detects stressful situations. Students will also discuss ways to identify, reduce, and manage stress in their lives.
High Flyers 6, 7, 8 1-2 hours Physics Explore various aspects of flight and how machines and birds are able to achieve efficient flight. Discuss “what forces act on a plane”, “what causes lift in a plane”, and “how do different wing shapes help achieve different types of flight”. Students will apply their knowledge by building and testing various paper planes in an ultimate paper plane building championship.
Mix it Up! 6, 7, 8 1-2 hours Chemistry Flowers and fireworks? Who knew chemistry could be so beautiful?! Chemistry must really matter... (badumtsss!) Students explore why some things dissolve and not others, how particles interact with each other, and how we can use separation techniques in the real world. (Warning: Lots of materials required, but super fun)
Entrepreneurial Science 7, 8 1-2 hours Physics, Engineering Students learn about the economics of science by forming companies to design self-propelled objects. Teams design, 'purchase' parts, build, and test their creations.
Marshmallow Meiosis 7, 8 1-2 hours Biology This activity introduces genetics and is an extension to the Gr. 8 curriculum. Students sort parental chromosomes, select new offspring chromosomes and decode the new karyotype. Meiosis, fertilization, development, and birth – all in one class!
The Hydro-Logical Cycle 8 1-2 hours Earth & Environmental Sciences Explore our relationship to the water cycle by discovering how much water is on the planet, how it behaves, and how to conserve it.
Watershed Moments 8 1-2 hours Earth & Environmental Sciences Hands-on activities for students to learn how watersheds work, where their water comes from, and our local Grand River watershed.
Ancient Astronomy 9 1-2 hours Astronomy and Space Science Follow in the footsteps of the great astronomers and discover how they learned about the cosmos through the use of ancient tools and simple math. Compare this with the tools used in observational astronomy today.
Chemistry of the Cosmic Calendar 9 1-2 hours Astronomy and Space Science, Chemistry From the formation of the planets to the construction of smartphones, how do elements make up the world around us? Explore how elements formed the planets, and where we discover and use certain elements today.
Cosmic Calendar 9, 10 1-2 hours Chemistry, Astronomy and Space Science Students will explore the history of the universe and the formation of the sun, earth and planets.
Energize: Sustainable City Challenge 9, 10, 11, 12 1-2 hours Earth & Environmental Sciences In a board game simulation, students develop a sustainable energy strategy for the Waterloo Region using real-world data. Teams are challenged to reduce their carbon emissions by 80% before the year 2050!
Let's Talk Cancer 9, 10, 11, 12 15 minutes or less Health Science, Biology Explore the biology of cancer and emerging biotherapeutic treatments. Students assess cellular proteins and problem-solve to develop a cancer treatment.
Let's Talk Eclipse! 9, 10, 11, 12 15 minutes or less Astronomy and Space Science .
The Ins and Outs of Digestion 9, 10, 11, 12 1-2 hours Biology, Health Science Our bodies digest food every day, but what's really happening inside us? Explore digestion with this hands-on kit that discusses digestive anatomy, processes and some ways digestion can go wrong!
Enlightened Optics 10 1-2 hours Physics Explore reflection, refraction, and total internal reflection through demonstrations and activities. Discover the different ways light travels and moves in the environment.
Viral Vaccines 10, 11, 12 1-2 hours Biology, Health Science Through hands-on activities and experiments, students will act out a zombie apocalypse scenario from the perspective of scientists working for the World Health Organization. Students will learn that vaccines are effective at preventing and protecting against the spread of infectious disease.
Einstein and Beyond 11, 12 1-2 hours Physics A quick survey of modern physics: from general relativity to particle accelerators, explore modern physics concepts through hands-on activities. Learn about the research that is happening today at PI, IQC, the University of Waterloo, and other world-class physics institutions.
Evolution and the Tree of Life 11, 12 15 minutes or less Biology Reconstruct relationships and unravel evolutionary timelines in this workshop that outlines the past, present and future of the tree of life.
Gels and Genes 11, 12 1-2 hours Biotechnology, Biology, Chemistry With hands-on micro pipetting and gel electrophoresis experiments, students learn techniques in interpreting and analyzing DNA in a forensic setting.
Marshmallow Meiosis 11, 12 1-2 hours Biology A fun intro or wrap-up to your meiosis unit, this workshop has students sort parental chromosomes, select new offspring chromosomes, and decode the new chromosomes to construct their unique baby creatures.