Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Tag: Let's Talk Science

Join the Spring Daily Discover Series for Grades 4-6 Students

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Still time to Register for the next Series!

This spring, SCDSB Grades 4-6 students are invited to spend time exploring their surroundings, out of their seats and discovering the amazing world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) during the Spring Daily Discovery series.

Join Let’s Talk Science Experts for a week of daily hands-on activities using easy-to-find materials. 

Each day, teachers and/or participants will receive an email with a video demonstration and description of a fun, hands-on STEM activity that can be done at school or at home. Material lists will also be shared with you by email one week in advance of your week.

Check out students in Ms. Cipressi’s Remote Learning Class who made “lava lamps” while learning about the concept of density and making something beautiful at the same time. 

Watch Dahlia’s video as she does the experiments from home!

In this video she states that she likes science and that this experiment was fun! Dahlia just can’t wait to learn about tomorrow’s experiment!

Dahlia’s Lava Lamp Experiment

Please note that each week will have the same daily activities. Register for the time slot that works best for your schedule, or enjoy the content multiple times over the spring!

Register

Activities will include exploring Density, Wind, Chemical reactions, Binary code and Non-Newtonian fluids! 

There is still time to register for the next session! Please see the dates.

This activity series is available during the following weeks:

  • February 28 to March 4 
  • March 7 to March 11
  • March 14 to March 18
  • March 21 to March 25
  • March 28 to April 1
  • April 4 to April 8
  • April 11 to April 15
  • April 18 to April 22
  • April 25 to April 29
  • May 2 to May 6

Daily Themes and Material

Activity 1: Density

Materials (per youth participant): Water, food colouring, vegetable oil, a clear cup or container, and Alka-Seltzer (or baking soda and vinegar)

Activity 2: Wind

Materials (per youth participant): Square piece of construction paper, pencil with an eraser on top, thumbtack, scissors, tape

Activity 3: Chemical Reactions

Materials (per youth participant): 

• Experiment 1 (Mystery Substances): A clear container, sugar, baking soda, flour, water, vinegar

• Experiment 2 (Elephant Toothpaste): ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup dish soap, 1 tablespoon (or 1 packet) of yeast, an empty bottle, a mixing cup, and warm water

Activity 4: Binary Code

Materials (per youth participant): Binary key worksheet, 3 colours of beads, string, pen or pencil, and scissors (Alternative supplies: 3 coloured pencils, binary key worksheet, and paper)

Activity 5: Non-Newtonian Fluid

Materials (per youth participant): Container or bowl, corn starch, cup of water, mixing spoon, measuring cup, food colouringFor more information or support contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca

SCDSB Students Participate in Virtual Quiz Show!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Over 650 students from grades 4-6 participated in a special Brain Buster Quiz Show organized by Let’s Talk Science solely for Sudbury Catholic students.

Students tested their knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in a fun and engaging activity. 

During the 45 minute session, multi choice questions in a variety of categories such as careers, inventions, public, multidisciplinary, sprint and general were selected. Students learned new vocabulary such as crepuscular, felidae, canidae,  mustelidae and so much more all while having fun!

Students were also given the opportunity to ask questions to special guests Gaëlle and Nick about their experiences studying in STEM. Both university graduates, Gaëlle studied engineering while Nick studied physics.  Both educators have a passion for teaching and sharing their knowledge about STEM to students across the country.

We would like to thank the team at Let’s Talk Science for organizing this event for our students. 

Please check out other upcoming Let’s Talk Science’s Virtual Events:

Let’s Talk Science STEM Club (Grades 4-6)

Join us with your class for fun and interactive STEM activities starting on January 27th! Each week features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials.  Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspiring STEM role models. STEM Club is ideal for busy educators and caregivers, no matter what their learning environment looks like! Register for STEM Club here.

Let’s Talk Science Challenge (Grades 6-8)

The Let’s Talk Science Challenge is a competition that takes place each year for students in Grade 6-8 across Canada. It includes a question and answer competition and an engineering challenge. 

Preparation for the competition is important. Students will work in teams or individually to learn STEM concepts provided in a handbook prior to the competition. There will also be practice quizzes and design and build challenges available weekly throughout the Play & Learn weekly activities portion.

Register for the Let’s Talk Science Challenge Here

Grades K-3 Students Learn About the Importance of Hand Washing with Let’s Talk Science!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

STEM Storytime – Washing Your Hands

Students at Sudbury Catholic Schools joined the Let’s Talk Science Team for STEM Storytime yesterday afternoon.  

Students listened to Helen Patuck’s book, “My Hero Is You” read by Angelica, a graduate student at University of Guelph in the Plant Agriculture program.

Then together with our students, she completed a hands-on science activity about the importance of soap and washing your hands!

Students used water, black pepper and soap to learn about germs, how they spread and the importance of washing our hands as an effective way to prevent the spread of infections.

Register now for weekly STEM Storytime series on Tuesdays at 1pm.  Each week a Let’s Talk Science Outreach student will read a storybook followed by a hands-on activity.  

If teachers cannot make it to a live session, they can register and will be sent a link to the recording afterwards. 

Also, for each week that a class participates in a STEM Storytime live event, they will receive an entry in Let’s Talk Science’s monthly draw for a $50 gift card to buy books for your classroom! 

Upcoming listings can be found on the events section of the Let’s Talk Science website: https://letstalkscience.ca/events?type=storytime.

The direct links to the next few sessions are as follows:

If you require more information about this initiative please contact:

christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca

Virtual After School STEM Club for Grades 7-9 Students Begins!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin


On Wednesday Dec 1st, a group of Grade 7-9 Students participated in the first of six Virtual After School Stem Classes offered in partnership with Let’s Talk Science! 

In this introductory lesson, Nicholas Butt, Outreach Coordinator for Let’s Talk Science and special guests; Dhruvi and Ahlam, Cambrian College students from the Dental Hygiene Program led the students in a Paper Flyer STEM activity.  

The students learned how the four forces; gravity, thrust, lift and drag create the aerodynamics of flight. Following, students had the opportunity to design, build, test, and re-adjusted their own paper gliders. 

Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials.  Students are given the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspiring STEM role models. In addition, a prize is drawn at the end of each class and  students earn an entry per session attended, for a chance to win a grand prize in June! 

There is still time to Register for the next five interactive and fun sessions! You only need to register once to be able to participate in all of the classes. Please note, you must register the Monday before the next session in order to receive all the supplies delivered to your school on time. For more information  about participating in this activity contact: christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca

St. John Students Create Parachutes while Learning about STEM!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Ms. Filice’s Grade 4/5 students from St John School participated in a STEM activity that involved the forces of gravity and drag. Students designed, built, tested, adjusted and retested their creations. They experimented with weight, size of parachute and indoor vs. outdoor flight.

Nicholas Butt, Outreach Coordinator for Let’s Talk Science and special guest, Hiba, a Research Student from the University of McGill in Montreal led the students in this week’s STEM activity.  

There is still time to Register Your Class  for fun and interactive STEM activities intended for Grade 4-6 students! Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials.  Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspiring STEM role models. 

An English activity is offered two times per week (Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. ET & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET), and a French activity is offered once a week (Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET).

The third cohort starts on January 27th 2022.For more information visit: Join the Let’s Talk Science STEM club or contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca if you would like more details about participating in this activity.

Students Send Postcards to Space!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Ms. Reale’s Grade 1 & 2 students at Holy Cross School had fun learning about the solar system! Students listened to the story, “There’s No Place Like Space” during story time.  Following, as a class, the students imagined living in space and created rules that they would need to follow to keep safe.  

Here are some of their rules for living in space:

  1. Stay together as a group.
  2. Always be kind.
  3. Always put your space gear away when not being used.
  4. Don’t talk to aliens!
  5. Always wear your space safety belt.
  6. Be helpful.

Students then picked the rule they felt was the most important and designed their very own postcard that will be sent into space.  These postcards will be returned and upon return, each postcard will get stamped with an official “Flown to Space” stamp. 

Club for the Future will send the postcards into low Earth orbit on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket.  Watch the New Shepard Rocket  launch and land with thousands of postcards.  

Thanks to a partnership between Let’s Talk Science and Club for the Future, Canadian students are invited to design a postcard that will be sent into orbit. Now is the chance for students to own something that has been to space and back. There is no deadline for this project, the earlier you submit your postcards, the earlier they will return.There are many ways you can use this activity with your students. It can be a fun craft or mindfulness activity that also sparks reflection and creativity.  If you would like to have a grade appropriate lesson presented to your class can contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca

Students Create their own Cryptography Wheel!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Students in Ms. Holly Swain’s Grade 4 class at St. Charles Elementary School created their own cryptography wheel and became cryptographers solving mystery messages all afternoon! 

Nicholas Butt, Outreach Coordinator for Let’s Talk Science and special guest Morgan, first year Master’s Student in Neuroscience at University of British Columbia led the students in this week’s STEM activity.  Students gained an understanding about the history of cryptography and how ancient Greeks were known to have ciphers over 2000 years ago. Students also learned that  computer science uses cryptography  to secure information and communication techniques using algorithms to transform messages in ways that are hard to decipher.

There is still time to Register Your Class  for fun and interactive STEM activities intended for Grade 4-6 students! Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials.  Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspiring STEM role models. 

An English activity is offered two times per week (Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. ET & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET), and a French activity is offered once a week (Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET).

The third cohort starts on January 27th 2022. For more information visit: Join the Let’s Talk Science STEM club or contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca if you would like more details about participating in this activity.

Students Create Their Own Space Probe Lander!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Stem Class #3 

Students create their Own Space Probe Lander!

Nicholas Butt, Outreach Coordinator for Let’s Talk Science, lead a group of grades 4-6 students at St. Anne, St. Charles, St. John, Holy Trinity, and Immaculate Conception in both a minds on and hands-on activity about Space Probes. Students learned about the three types of Space Probes: orbiter, interplanetary and the lander. Then, from recycled materials students created their very own Space Probe Lander.

Mrs. Bradley, Grade 5 & 6 Teacher at Immaculate Conception School stated “Students enjoyed exploring ways to stabilize their space probes to be sure they didn’t fall over when hitting the ground.  The engagement and sharing of ideas with each other was amazing!”

To watch the recording of this lesson in either French and English Click Here. 

STEM Club is ideal for busy educators, whether teaching face to face or remotely! There is still time to Register Your Class for fun and interactive STEM activities intended for Grade 4-6 students! Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials. Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspire STEM role models. 

An English activity is offered two times per week (Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. ET & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET), and a French activity is offered once a week (Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET).

The second cohort starts November 2nd, and the third on January 27th, 2022.

For more information, visit: Join the Let’s Talk Science STEM club or contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca if you would like more details about participating in this activity.

Students Learn about the DNA of Fingerprints!

Posted on by Carlee Vendramin

Weekly STEM Club Grades 4-6

Session #2

Mrs. Bradley’s grade 5 & 6 class at Immaculate Conception School participated in this week’s STEM club activity. Students were excited to learn the science of fingerprints by Let’s Talk Science’s Outreach Coordinator Nick and special guest Hannah (a master’s student in biochemistry).

The students took part in a hands-on activity where they learned how to collect fingerprints. They also gained an understanding of the patterns in fingerprints and why fingerprinting is so valuable!

For specific details about this hands-on activity, refer to: How Can I Take Fingerprints? To watch the recording of this lesson in either French and English Click Here. 

STEM Club is ideal for busy educators, whether teaching face to face or remotely! There is still time to Register Your Class for fun and interactive STEM activities intended for Grade 4-6 students! Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials. Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspire STEM role models. 

An English activity is offered two times per week (Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. ET & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET), and a French activity is offered once a week (Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET).

The second cohort starts November 2nd, and the third on January 27th, 2022.

For more information, visit: Join the Let’s Talk Science STEM club or contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca if you would like more details about participating in this activity.

Pictured are students from Immaculate Conception School having fun in this hands-on activity!
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