Science FUNdamentals
Activities/Demos
Check back soon for new demos!
Volunteers, please note there are two icons that have been added to most demo docs. The atom is a suggested interactive
component and the microscope is more science background, for your own knowledge, but feel free to use it in your presentation as you see fit.
Acids and Bases
In this demonstration students will be taught what makes an acid and a base and how these two can be differentiated using an indicator. Students will then identify common acids and bases found in their homes. Students will also be shown how the reaction between an acid and base leads to the erosion of an egg shell and the classic baking soda volcano experiment. NOTE: Volunteers must read the egg preparation instructions for a part of this demonstration. The egg must be prepared at least one week in advance..
CSI
In this demonstration students will conduct multiple reviews of common crime scene investigation techniques and learn how they apply to real world crimes. Students will become familiar with interpreting handwriting samples and learn how to use chromatography skills to identify ink samples. Students will also have the opportunity to examine their own fingerprints up close and see how each fingerprint is unique. At the end, the students get the opportunity to solve their own mystery.
Bacteria and Viruses
In this demonstration students will not only learn what bacteria and viruses are, but the importance of hand washing, the dangers of antibiotic resistance, and the ease with which a cold virus can spread between students. They will play a game to mimic how bacteria gain antibiotic resistance, use Glo Germ cream to learn the importance of thorough hand washing, and simulate how the cold virus can be transmitted between students when personal objects such as cups are shared.
Buoyancy and Surface Tension
In this demonstration students will better understand buoyancy, Archimedes principle, density, and surface tension. Students will be shown how density can be changed by increasing the mass of a given volume of liquid, how an object’s buoyancy can be altered by varying the density of liquid it is immersed in, and how density creates the beautiful affects of lava lamps. They will then be given a chance to put their knowledge of Archimedes’ Principle to the test in a group based competition.
Kindergarten Friendly
Kindergarten Friendly
Light
In this demonstration, students will learn about the various aspects of light, including the basic characteristics of light, the splitting of white light, and Ultraviolet (UV) light. Students will be briefly lectured on the characteristics of light, then shown some examples of the splitting of white light, shown how UV light can reveal hidden messages.
Electricity
In this demonstration students will learn about the various aspects of electricity including static electricity, current electricity, and electromagnetism. Students will learn about the triboelectric effect, charge separation, and induced charge separation. They will also learn about current electricity, voltage, and resistance by creating a light bulb using only batteries, wires, and a pencil lead. Students will then learn how magnetism and electricity are connected and will be shown using a homopolar roller that electricity creates magnetism.
Hearing and Sound
Test your ability to identify mystery sounds without the benefit of seeing what made the sound. Examine the challenges between memories of familiar sounds versus unknown sounds. Create vibration waves using pop bottle resonance to understand the difference between high and low frequency sounds. Use tuning forks to further examine resonance patterns of pure sounds. Test your ability to locate where certain sounds are coming from. Finally, explore problems that loud sounds can cause on our auditory system.
Kindergarten Friendly
Weather
In this demonstration, students learn all about weather through experiments on clouds, precipitation, tornados, and air pressure. Students first learn how clouds form using a model water cycle -- all in a jar! Then, we investigate precipitation using a colourful rain cloud experiment. Next, the class generates its own tornado in a bottle. Finally, we learn about air pressure by seeing how air pressure can suck water into a jar. This experiment relates to the Manitoba grade 5 curriculum cluster on weather.
Aerodynamics
In this demonstration, students will learn about air pressure and mechanisms that allow flight to occur. They will explore the strength and interactions of the air around them, how that force is manipulated and used to harness the power of flight and be given the opportunity to design their own aircrafts. This presentation relates primarily to the grade six unit of flight.
Strawberry DNA
In this demonstration students will learn about DNA and how it is the fundamental coding system for all life. This is a highly interactive demo will allow students to work in pairs to extract and see the DNA contained within the strawberry. Students will also learn how their DNA makes them a unique individual with different traits than other people via multiple activities.
Mystery Powders
In this demonstration students will learn about the various aspects of the chemical and physical properties associated with certain household materials. This demonstration fosters and encourages proper observation and scientific note taking. Students will be lead through a group based activity to identify six similar looking powders using various chemical tests including testing acidity and the presence of starch. They will also test physical properties such as touch and how it acts when dissolved in water.