CoST of 5 week program: $100/per student 

After School Elementary Program Topics

Chemicals, Atoms and Molecules

Green, bubbly, dangerous...All answers we hear when we ask students, "What is a chemical?".  The real answer is much more exciting.  We learn how to make new molecules and put chemistry to work for us as we burn, burst, reduce and polymerize our way to a better understanding of how matter works.  

Magnetism

We learn why these little lumps of metal stick to stuff, then we explore different ways to make our own and tie it into survival skills when the kids make their own compasses to take home!

Adaptations

Every wonder why that hermit crab you brought home from the beach last summer didn't live very long in your sandbox?  We get down to why critters live where they do and why some can handle moving to a new environment better than others.  Then we build the ideal environment for one of our animal assistants.  

MD JUNIOR

We've all been to the doctor. Ever wonder how that squeezy arm cuff thingy or that knee-hammer work? We show you how it's done and then give you the chance to practice yourself using modern medical equipment to take blood pressure, heart rate, test reflexes, practice stitching and test your eye sight!

Flight

The title sums this one up...We learn how to make things that fly, then we make them, then we make them fly!  But, of course, first we need to understand exactly WHY things are able to fly in the first place...So we do that, also.  

Sound waves

This is your chance to build your own Kazoo, play the guitar and drive your family and friends crazy with all sorts of noisemakers! But, we also discover how sound propagates, how waves work and we get to "see" sound waves by playing music into our amazing Ruben's Tube - A 6ft long flaming pipe used to visualize sound pressure waves (displayed on the right).

Bones & Skeletons

Maybe you don't think about your bones much until you break one, but your skeleton performs a nuber of diverse functions. We look into the science of skeletons by looking at living bone through the microscope, assembling and articulating a real, full skeleton and dissecting some smaller skeletal specimens.

Electricity

We put a twist on your usual electricity lab experiments to deliver students a truly one-of-a-kind experience exploring energy and electricity.  This is a lab that they will surely never forget!  

Microbes and cells

Journey into the tiny, tiny world of the millions of unseen critters that live in, on and around us. Get up close and personal with bacteria and fungi using our microscopes, make slides of YOUR OWN cells and then use these some of these organisms and their metabolic superpowers to make bread!

Density and bouyancy

This fun-filled workshop investigates the concept of density - How much matter is packed into a given space. Then we utilize this concept to build all sorts of floating contraptions, including hot air balloons!  

RocketS

Want to launch into orbit? All you have to do to achieve escape velocity is generate enough pressure to accelerate enough mass through a properly shaped and balanced nozzle and, - Bang! - Up we go! Simple, right? Newton's Third Law, Thrust, Mass-Flow Rate and all that good stuff are explored as we build and launch objects thousands of feet into the sky.

friction

Energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can change forms and that is exactly what happens when two objects rub together. Via friction, kinetic energy is converted into heat...but by adding a lubricant to the mix, we can reduce friction between objects. Students in this lesson learn how to best lubricate moving surfaces, which ultimately leads to us constructing and riding on our very own, homemade HOVERCRAFT...Yes, really, a HOVERCRAFT!  

surface tension & surfactants

We were going to call this lesson "Bubble Science" but our scientific advisers thought that sounded like too much fun. The point is, we learn how to manipulate the properties of water to create the ultimate bubble! And, yes, it is a lot of fun.  

CRYSTALLIZATION

Crystals aren't just the pretty, shiny, sparkly stuff of jewelry and treasure chests. Crystals are important to medicine, technology, industry and entertainment. Once we figure out what crystals are and how they are formed we go on a quest to grow our own, from scratch - choose what color and shape crystals you want and figure out how to make them! 

animal anatomy

Ever wonder what is going on inside your body? What exactly are "Guts" and what are they doing? When you say the pledge of allegiance, is your hand really over your heart? We answer these questions and many more when we study animal anatomy. We even offer students the opportunity to dissect some real animal bodies and figure out what goes on inside (Optional, of course) From the innards of a shark to the eyeball of a cow, embrace your inner surgeon and explore animal anatomy with us!  

acids and bases

Most people have heard of acids. Acids get a bad rap, often characterized as dangerous, caustic chemicals that burn through anything they touch. We break down this myth as we discover how useful acids are to chemists, how they are essential to life on Earth and as we learn about their chemical opposite, a somewhat lesser-known class of compounds known as bases.  

Fossils

Building Motors

Learn how to convert different types of energy into motion and build several devices that provide usable kinetic energy from simple, household items. In this engineering lab kids can build their own basic motor to take home and continue their experimenting DIY style after with our “Take it Further” page.

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