Our most popular workshops

Best Hands-on Activities to Introduce Science to K-3

There’s no better time to introduce science than in the early grades.  But teaching science doesn’t have to be terrifying!  You will learn a boatload of safe, effective hands-on activities that will get your young charges charged up about science. We will explore sinking/floating, states of matter, air, weather, mixtures, slime, food, color, light, art, and much, much more.

Magnificent Labs, Activities, and Demos for the Middle Grades

Upper elementary and middle school science can be so much more than “rocks and body parts.” This workshop will focus on those activities that are foundational to understanding the basics of life and physical science. Each activity is designed to engage the student and share a profound concept. We will investigate the scientific method, measurement, the metric system, density, phase changes, air pressure, energy, reactions, solutions, acids/bases, and much more!

Making Physical Science Awesome 

Rather than being a throw-away course, physical science, whether taught to upper middle school students or high school freshmen, can be a transformative course that will lay a foundation for more advanced high school science courses.  We will take a deep dive into measurement and the metric system, density and buoyancy, phases and phase changes, pressure, energy, waves, physical and chemical changes, and much more!

Amazing Chemistry Labs, Activities, and Demos 

Chemistry can be the most exciting course students take in high school if the teacher adopts the right approach. By combining visually striking demos with thought-provoking explanations, the teacher can help their students appreciate the wonders of chemistry. This workshop will focus on giving teachers an abundance of activities that are engaging, inquiry-based, and foster a deep understanding of core concepts. Topics include the metric system, density, gas laws, atomic structure, moles and stoichiometry, bonding, electrons, mixtures, reactions, acids/bases, and more.

Phenomenal Physics Labs, Activities, and Demos 

High school physics is the ideal course to get students thinking deeply. But if physics is primarily taught as just another math class where the goal is to find the right formula to get the correct answer, then students lose out.  By creating a phenomena-based classroom where students use physics principles to explain the world around them, physics can come alive. This approach can be utilized not just for “conceptual physics,” but for even the most advanced physics course, where phenomena can illuminate the formulas. If you are looking for creative ways to teach motion, Newton’s laws, forces, energy, momentum, circular motion, electricity/magnetism, and much more, this workshop is for you.

Brilliant Biology Labs, Activities, and Demos

Students often approach biology with high expectations: What could be more exciting than studying life, or plants and animals, or your own body?  Not to mention all the great dissections. But students often leave biology disillusioned, feeling overwhelmed by the extensive vocabulary and the complexities of DNA or the Krebs cycle.  However, learning biology can be just as fun as teaching it. Discover a plethora of activities, labs, and projects that will make even the most mundane topic come alive.  Topics include classification, biochemistry, cells, genetics, and much more.

Simply the Best AP Chemistry Labs, Activities, and Demos

AP Chemistry can be so much more than just teaching to the AP test. An engaging classroom experience and excellent test scores are not mutually exclusive.  Learn numerous demos to shed light on important AP topics, as well as a whole slew of inquiry labs, an important component of the AP test. Topics include advanced stoichiometry, thermochemistry, intermolecular forces, kinetics, equilibrium, acids/bases, and more.

Metric Mania

Students often struggle with metric conversions, and with truly understanding how the metric system works. A big reason for this misunderstanding is the methods used to teach it. Too often teachers resort to shortcuts and gimmicks, which often short-circuit the learning process. In this workshop, teachers will investigate measurement, area, volume, proportional reasoning strategies, and other methods that will lead to a deep understanding of how the metric system works in all three dimensions.  

Dazzling Density Activities

Density is one of those fundamental topics that can be used to introduce and reinforce a wide variety of topics, including the scientific method, measurement, the metric system, buoyancy, Archimedes’ Principle, forces, convection, and more. Many everyday phenomena can only be understood by grasping the concept of density, such as submarines, hot air balloons, boats, blimps, lava lamps, Galileo thermometers, and much more. Participants will participate in several inquiry labs and engage with dozens of dazzling demonstrations.

Mix it Up: The Magic of Mixtures

The majority of matter on earth is composed of mixtures, yet this topic is often only given a cursory treatment.  Physical/chemical changes, solutions, suspensions, colloids, chromatography, alloys and a bevy of other topics can be touched on when discussing mixtures. We will perform an avalanche of activities designed to shed light on a wide variety of topics, including solubility, precipitation, crystallization, surface area, food science, and much more. 

The Joy of Polymers

Polymers are all around us, providing abundant avenues for exploration.  We will perform a plethora of engaging labs and demonstrations involving polymers that will introduce basic chemistry principles to students of all ages. In this workshop, participants will experiment with a variety of materials, including plastics, rubber, superabsorbent polymers, non-Newtonian fluids, multiple types of slime, and much more. 

Cryogenic Chaos: Fun with Dry Ice and Liquid Nitrogen

Do some cool chemistry with dry ice and liquid nitrogen. Participants in this workshop  will perform a number of activities using these substances. We will make root beer with dry ice and liquid nitrogen ice cream. There is no better way to illustrate concepts of density, energy, pressure, and phase changes than with these two very cool substances. 

It’s a Small World: Atomic Structure and Radioactivity

A deep understanding of atomic structure is essential to success in chemistry. Learn numerous hands-on activities that will make this concept understandable and accessible. Once students understand the atom, they can then grasp how radioactivity works. Discover how you can test for radioactivity using a Geiger counter. You might be surprised to learn that any number of substances in your home are radioactive!

Making Waves

We wouldn’t be here were it not for waves. Waves in the ocean, sound waves, and light waves all share similar properties. We will look at the different types of waves, properties of waves, and how they interfere. We will do experiments with both sound and light as well as other types of electromagnetic radiation, including microwaves, UV waves, and infrared. 

Glow-in-the-Dark Science: Light and Fluorescence

Don’t be left in the dark! Join us for an illuminating time exploring the wonders of all things that glow in the dark. We will examine visible light, primary and secondary pigments, diffraction, dispersion, refraction, and reflection. Lasers provide a great way to investigate monochromatic light. Black lights shed light on the breathtakingly beautiful world of fluorescence and phosphorescence.

Amazing Chemical Reactions

Few things capture the essence of chemistry like chemical reactions. Observing matter change forms is the closest thing to magic you will find in our world today.  Most of the reactions in this workshop are easy-to-do, yet are guaranteed to engage even the most recalcitrant learner. New twists on old favorites, as well as a bevy of reactions you have most likely not seen before, will be performed. Investigate catalysts, reaction rate, chemiluminescence, color changes, combustion, and much more! 

Engaging Energy Experiences

Energy is one of the most fundamental concepts in all of science, and success in biology, chemistry, and physics hinges on a deep understanding of this all-important concept.  An integrated approach to energy will be taken, where we will examine phase changes, exothermic and endothermic reactions, calorie counts in food, law of conservation of energy, kinetic and potential energy, and much more.

Alluring Acids and Beguiling Bases

The study of acids and bases is one of the most fascinating, and colorful, in all of chemistry. We will take a deep dive into pH, performing a number of activities to illustrate this crucial concept. Take home a plethora of ideas for labs, projects, and demonstrations that will be sure to engage your students.

It’s a Gas: Air Pressure and Gas Laws

Few topics can grab a student’s interest like air pressure. Learn a plethora of quick and easy ways to illustrate air pressure with household materials. Bernoulli’s principle, SCUBA diving, barometers, vacuum packing, and a host of other phenomena rely on air pressure. Once students understand pressure, the gas laws make perfect sense. Learn several practical ways to experimentally illustrate each of the gas laws.

The Marvelous World of Magnetism

Magnets are intrinsically fascinating. Students are never too young to begin learning about this marvelous world. Perform dozens of simple experiments with magnets, which can be used to illustrate any number of concepts in chemistry and physics. Learn about domains, make an electromagnetic, explore magnetic money, make your own magnetizer, and much more.

The Heart of Chemistry: Moles and Stoichiometry

The mole concept is fundamental to understanding chemistry. Yet many students leave chemistry without having a firm grasp on this all-important concept. We will explore several strategies designed to promote a deep conceptual understanding, which will then make mathematical calculations involving the mole a breeze. When proportional relationships are stressed, stoichiometry is quite doable. Learn several new labs and activities that will greatly enhance your students’ understanding.

Fantastic Forensic Science Activities

Thanks to television shows like CSI, forensic science is now  part of our cultural landscape. Capitalize on student interest by either offering a stand-alone course or incorporating forensic science into your existing science classes. Whichever way you decide to go, this workshop is for you. We will perform a whole host of activities, delving into glass analysis, ballistics, fingerprinting, hair, handwriting analysis, arson, blood spatter analysis, and much more!