Calling All Parents Of 5 to 12-Year-Olds Looking
For A Modern Science Curriculum
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Do you want to inspire your primary school child to learn and love modern 21st Century science?
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Do you want them to have FUN while learning advanced science these holidays?
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Do you want to leap frog them 10 years ahead of their school classes and set them up for confidence and success in high school and beyond?
Our 2-hour workshops are FUN. They're both hands-on and minds-on so they engage both your child's left side and right side of the brain. We target the Big Ideas in STEM and science rather than the "baby science" they get in school. Our core curriculum covers the Periodic Table, molecular theory, electric charges and protons, electrons and neutrons. We make it easy and fun for them to fly higher in their science journey.
See our advanced curriculum below.
Special Offers
Up to 25% discount is available for siblings and multiple bookings. See here for details.
Starter Workshop 1: Atoms and the Periodic Table
Discovering the Alphabet of the Universe
What They Learn
Your child will discover that just 92 different kinds of atoms make up their world. That they're invisibly tiny. That each has its own shorthand way of writing it, called its symbol. That each has its own special number, called its Atomic Number.
We call the Periodic Table the Alphabet Of The Universe because it contains the symbols for all 92 atoms found in Nature, plus some extra ones, arranged in order of increasing Atomic Numbers. Just like the normal alphabet, the Periodic Table is a list of letters that kids can use to build "words", that is, new substances just as Nature does. Your child learns about the nuts and bolts of the Universe.
What They Do
Their first activity is using an LED-powered 40 x magnifier and a 100 x microscope to make things look much bigger. Kids are so engrossed in this activity when they discover that their finger prints looks like mountains and valleys, a sand grain looks like a boulder, and their hair looks like a giant rope. This gives them a sense of scale in understanding that, to see an atom, they would need to magnify something a million times using an electron microscope.
The most important categories on the Periodic Table are the metals and non-metals. This is awesome because it turns out to be hugely fun to distinguish between them using an electric circuit containing a bulb. Your student will test different objects and if the bulb lights up, it is positive for a metal.
We finish the workshop with a literal bang by showing what happens when liquid nitrogen expands to a gas 700 times its own volume inside a balloon. We also demonstrate the difference between element number 7 (nitrogen) and element number 8 (oxygen) by their different response to a flame. We won't give the game away but it will be memorable.
What They Get
Each student will be given their own A3 Periodic Table to take home and stick to their wall. The Universe in their own bedroom! We will also give them some free element samples that might inspire them to start their own element collection.
Parents, You're Invited
What better way for parents to support their child's learning than to join them at no extra charge? You might even have some "ah ha" moments when you remember long-lost science concepts, or discover new ones that blow your mind. Some parents get as much out of it as their kids.
If you can't make it, that's fine. We will provide the best learning opportunities for them to grow their science while at the same time meeting new friends and having holiday fun.
Starter Workshop 2: Magic Molecules
Making the Molecules of Life
What they learn
Did you know that children find molecules pretty easy to understand? They are fascinated how atoms can bond together and even follow specific bonding rules. Your kids can even learn to write structural and molecular formulas like H2O and CH4! And by learning this language of real scientists they are being prepared for future success.
Surprisingly, though, primary schools tend to avoid teaching this exciting topic. However, we believe it's time to change that! Our fantastic workshop makes learning about molecules a breeze!
In this workshop, we'll start with the Fabulous Four molecules which all use single bonds: hydrogen, H2, water, H2O, ammonia NH3, and methane CH4. Following that we will delve into the Terrific Three molecules which involve double and triple bonds: O2, CO2 and N2.
These seven molecules aren't just important in our everyday lives, they also serve as powerful demonstrations of underlying chemical principles.
What they do
Your student will play with our interactive (and patented) Sticky Atoms models, allowing students to visualize the four chemical valencies of different atoms and understand how single, double and triple bonds hold them together.
But that's just the beginning! Prepare for an extraordinary accomplishment as your children combine these seven molecules and unlock the very building blocks of life itself. They will discover the remarkable power of molecular combination as they create amino acids and even protein molecules. It's astonishing to think that even older high school students rarely have the chance to explore such advanced concepts.
By grasping these fundamental principles at an early age, your children will gain a head start in their scientific journey. They will establish a solid foundation in Inorganic Chemistry and Biochemistry, paving the way for future success in STEM education. This achievement will set them apart and create exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Your Atomic School Instructors
Our workshops are run by knowledgeable and experienced science communicators who are skilled in making advanced concepts easy to understand to kids (and adults) Our expert instruction builds understanding of fundamental science concepts. This is reinforced by carefully designed hands-on activities that reinforce their understanding. Finally, we do fun and spectacular demonstrations that have that WOW factor which kids will remember and talk about with their friends.
Starter Workshop 3: Protons, Neutrons and Electrons The Secret Electric Life of Atoms
In this electrifying workshop, your child will embark on a hands-on journey to uncover the secrets of electricity and the inner workings of atoms. Prepare for some astonishing experiments that will leave them in awe!
What They Learn
Through simple yet dramatic electrostatic experiments, they'll discover that there’s electricity inside matter. These experiments will also illuminate the concept that electric force can be both attractive and repulsive, grows stronger with the amount of charge, yet weaker with distance.
Protons and electrons, the fundamental charge-carriers of Nature, hold the key to an atom's "personality." Your child will grasp why the Periodic Table is structured the way it is and why atoms occupy specific positions within it. It's like solving a puzzle that even high school students struggle with, but we'll explain it clearly so that primary kids can master it with ease.
We'll unravel the mystery of how atoms are composed of protons and neutrons nestled in the nucleus, while electrons gracefully orbit in shells on the outside. It's like peering into the very core of matter! They will gain a profound understanding of the modern definition of Atomic Number, which represents the number of protons located within the nucleus. It's an essential concept that lays the foundation for their scientific journey.
What They Do
Our workshop kicks off with exciting activities involving electric charges. Your child will make pieces of paper dance, witness their hair stand on end, and even push an aluminum can with a charged rod. It's an adventure filled with surprises!
Hold onto your seats as they witness their instructor bravely encounter a 400,000V Van de Graff generator, creating mini-bolts of lightning. The machine even has the power to make cupcakes soar through the air like a fountain! These thrilling demonstrations will set the stage for understanding the intricate workings of atoms.
To help your child grasp the layout of protons, electrons, and neutrons within atoms, we employ our exclusive Atom Maker model. It mimics the structure of an atom, making it a breeze to understand how protons and electrons interact with each other and within themselves. It's a key to unlocking the secrets of the world around us!
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Advanced Workshop 4: How Atoms Make Light
Discover the Exciting World of Quantum Leaps!
All atoms can make light. How do they do this?
The atom's electrons occupy energy levels like the floors of a building, with the ground floor being the lowest energy level and higher floors representing higher energy levels. Just like how we get excited when we receive a surprise gift or experience something new, atoms' electrons can also get excited when they receive extra energy! This can be done by zapping the atoms with electricity, heating them up, or using other forms of energy. When the electrons absorb this extra energy, they become like kids on a high-energy playground - we say they're in an "excited state." Imagine the electrons on higher floors, feeling all thrilled and buzzing with excitement! But don’t imagine too hard, because as far as we know, electrons don’t really feel things.
But just like a stone can easily drop from a higher to a lower floor in a building, excited electrons can easily fall back to their original energy levels in the atom. That’s when they release their extra energy in the form of light.
Voila! We get to witness a fantastic light show!
And here’s the fascinating part. The colour or wavelength of the light depends on how far they fall. This means we can figure out how far apart the energy levels are by measuring the light’s wavelength. It's like being a detective and solving the mystery of the atom's energy levels!
Along with learning about atoms and light, we can have loads of fun with light-related activities.
We can create rainbows with prisms, split light into its different colours, and explore how light interacts with objects around us.
Advanced Workshop 5: Electromagnetism
How It Makes the World Go Round
Buckle up for a mind-blowing revelation: electricity and magnetism are like BFFs, two peas in a pod! It's like a cosmic connection – electricity can whip up magnets, and magnets can conjure electricity. Mind. Blown.
Why does this matter, you ask? Well, we've harnessed this dynamic duo to create the coolest contraptions on the block – electric motors and their funky cousins, electric generators. The best part? We're not stuck relying solely on batteries to power our homes or devices. But hey, having both options is like having your cake and eating it too.
Now, imagine diving into a workshop where the magic happens. You'll get the inside story on magnetic fields, and even map their field lines courtesy of your everyday magnet. Ever wondered how electricity can flex its muscles and create a magnetic field? We'll unravel that mystery too. But hold on to your lab coats because we're flipping the script – you'll learn how to turn a magnetic field into electricity. Ta-da! Along the way, you'll be the wizard behind the curtain, crafting your very own electric motor, a legit transformer (no Hollywood glam here), and the world's simplest electric train. Get ready for a wild ride through the electrifying wonderland of magnets and electricity – where science meets pure, unadulterated FUN! 🚀✨
Advanced Workshop: Ionic vs Covalent Substances
How Protons & Electrons Glue the World Together
Ionic and covalent substances are all around us, and they're also on the cutting edge of technology. Of course, lithium ION batteries are fast revolutionising our economy and this workshop will allow your student to quickly grasp what a lithium ion is, and why it's better than many others.
It's protons and electrons that determine whether a substance is ionic or covalent. By understanding how they are organised inside atoms using our hands-on Atom Maker, we can easily work out why some combinations of atoms lead to an ionic compound like salt (NaCl) and others to covalent substances like water (H2O).
