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 A4 Periodic Table to take home and stick to their wall. The Universe in their own bedroom!
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: Photosynthesis
How Plants Make Your Food and O2
Photosynthesis is like a plant’s recipe for making its own food! Using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air, plants create glucose, a type of sugar that is just prefect for our fuel. That has to be the worlds best deal for us humans!
Here’s how it works: the leaves absorb sunlight, which powers a chemical reaction. In this reaction, the plant takes in carbon dioxide and water from the soil, then rearranges them to make glucose and releases oxygen into the air. This process not only feeds the plant but also produces the oxygen we breathe. Photosynthesis is nature’s way of turning sunlight into life-supporting energy for almost all living things!
6CO2+6H2O+light energy→C6H12O6+6O2
Photosynthesis Equation
You will mimic the photosynthesis equation using magnetic molecular models called Sticky Atoms.
Look through a microscope and discover the little holes in the leaf where CO2 molecules enter and the O2 leave the plant. These holes in the leaf are called stomata and you can think of them like little plant "noses" for exchanging gases with the outside world.
stomata
Advanced Workshop: Polymers
How Molecules Make Daisy Chains!
Polymers are like molecular chains made up of repeating smaller units called monomers. Imagine a string of beads, where each bead is a monomer, and the whole string is the polymer! These chains can be long, short, stretchy, stiff, or flexible depending on how they’re arranged. Polymers are everywhere around us: in nature, they form things like DNA (which carries our genetic information) and cellulose (which makes up plant walls). Humans have also invented synthetic polymers, like plastic, rubber, and nylon, which we use in countless products. Polymers are incredibly versatile, making them essential in everything from clothing to technology!
Advanced Workshop: The Secrets of Water, Light & Sound Waves
Discover the Exciting World of Quantum Leaps!
Waves are like the high-fives of the universe! They’re all about energy moving through a medium—whether that’s water, air, or even solid ground—without the actual material traveling along. Picture yourself doing “the wave” at a stadium: each person stands up and sits down, but the wave of motion travels around the whole crowd.
Waves have cool characteristics like:
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Wavelength: The distance between two crests (the highest points).
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Frequency: How many waves pass a point in a second.
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Amplitude: The height of the wave, which shows how strong it is.
There are different types of waves:
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Water waves: Think of the ripples when you toss a pebble into a pond.
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Sound waves: Vibrations traveling through the air that let you hear your favorite music.
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Light waves: These waves can travel through the vacuum of space, bringing sunlight to Earth and letting you see everything around you.
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So, next time you see waves at the beach, hear a song, or see a rainbow, you’ll know it’s all about waves bringing energy and information in the most awesome ways!
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.
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!
Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh explains electron transitions
