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2025 After School Junior Scientists K-3

For students who love science in grades K through 3, the After School Junior Scientist workshops are fun and educational enrichment activities.  Space is limited. We will accept between 4 and 8 students in each 3-week session. We also have After School Workshops for older students.

+ Fridays, 3:30-4:30 pm. #1 Jan 31, Feb 7, 14. #2 Feb 28, Mar 7, 21 (skip 14th). #3 Mar 28, Apr 4, 11. #4 May 2, 9, 16. #5 May 30, Jun 6, 13.

+ We will choose one STEM activity from the list below for each session, depending on supplies, weather, and other variables.  Activities will be an exploration of STEM topics that will introduce students to new concepts and challenge them to think and learn.

 

+ The lead instructor has been a teacher for 45 years and has taught math, algebra, Latin, English, chemistry, astronomy, earth science, electronics, coding, woodworking, graphic design, photography, amateur radio. Adult instructors go through CORI/SORI verification.

 

+ Parents are welcome to stay during the workshop to assist their own children, or to hang out in another room. WIFI access and a ready supply of coffee, tea, and snacks is available.


Tour before registering – Check us out before signing up! Come to one of our regular open houses. We want you and your child to be comfortable with our facility and program.


In addition to registering for this workshop, please fill out the Student Permissions Form. PLEASE DO THIS.
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NOTICE:


For safety and proper supervision, NO OTHER CHILDREN may be in the facility except those registered and participating in the classes.


For proper planning of lessons and allocating materials, please register at least 1 day before class starts, or call to inquire about late registration.

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Junior Scientist Workshop Topics

 

- Exploring Physics of Collisions – how to land a rover on Mars, or drop a rover with an egg from 3 stories up and have it survive.

- Exploring Rocketry – building air-powered paper rockets, launching them outside and learning about propulsion and physics.

- Exploring Radio Waves – talk through portable radios, understanding the speed of light and astronomical distances.

- Exploring Communications – how Morse Code works, how to send by light or sound. Make a portable Morse Code keyer.

- Exploring Electricity and Magnetism – create an electromagnet and lemon battery, understanding electromagnetism.

- Exploring Electric Circuits – understanding current electricity, voltage, LEDs, and resistance. Make an LED nightlight.

- Exploring Light and Color – understanding the visible spectrum, refraction, and color. Make a kaleidoscope.

- Exploring Earth-Sun Motion – solar system, apparent motion vs. real motion, how we get day/night. Make a portable sun dial.

- Exploring Star Patterns – constellations and how they got their names, mythology vs science. Design your own constellation and myth.

- Exploring Atoms and Molecules – what things are made of, reactions, compounds. Make molecules of H2O, CO2, and O2.

- Exploring Geometry – shapes and angles, identifying regular polygons, angles of reflection. Play a billiards game and practice angles.

- Exploring Temperature – motion of molecules, what is heat, phases of matter. Experiment with Liquid Nitrogen.

- Exploring Chemistry – chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar. Make exploding baggies and mini soda rockets.

- Exploring Oobleck – experiment with a non-newtonian fluid (cornstarch & water), make it come alive with sound, take some home.

- Exploring Meteorites – rocks from space, experiment with them to see what they’re made of. Hold a rock from the moon.

- Exploring Static Electricity – explore +/- charges, make static using balloons and friction, use a Van de Graff generator.

- Exploring Air Pressure – atmospheric pressure, suction cups and hovering beach balls, Bernoulli principle, and more.

- Exploring Friction – concept of aerodynamics with vehicles, friction of moving air and tires. Build a pinewood race car.

- Exploring Tornados – how tornados form, air vs. water, tornados on other planets. Make a tornado with bottles and tornado tube.

- Exploring The Solar System – scale modeling, size-distance, names and order of the planets, rocky vs gaseous. Make a scale model.
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