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A partnership with the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science

SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

» INVESTIGATE

» INSPIRE

» LEARN

» INVENT

» WONDER

ESQ Workshops are fantastic!

The kids had a great time and

wanted to do more! ESQ should

visit every classroom in the city!

— GRADE 3 TEACHER

WHAT IS ENGINEERING SCIENCE QUEST (ESQ)?

ESQ is a not-for-profit organization that has been operating

since 1990 in conjunction with the Faculty of Science and

the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

It operates on the philosophy that children learn best when

activities are interactive and hands-on. ESQ is devoted to

providing students the opportunity to experience science,

engineering and technology in a fun, hands-on way. ESQ

achieves this goal through classroom workshops presented

in schools during the school year, and through our popular

summer camp program that runs during July and August

at the University of Waterloo, and at various satellite locations.

Based on past feedback from educators, and the new

Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum we have

re-vamped our school workshop program. We are excited

to offer more variety in our workshops with new curriculum links! All workshops created for more than one grade level are

now modified to meet the specific curriculum of that grade,

with greater challenges for older grades. Keep in mind that our

workshops are designed with an emphasis on the hands-on

application of the science and technology theory, and therefore

support but do not supplement all of the expected learning

objectives in the curriculum. We are doing this in an attempt

to be flexible to your needs, while providing fun opportunities

for your students.

Workshop information can be viewed in this brochure, or on our

website esq.uwaterloo.ca. We are very excited about the 2014

workshop season. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Excellent leadership qualities!

My class was hooked from the

moment the workshop began.

The workshop was clearly

informative and a lot of fun.

— GRADE 5 TEACHER

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TEACHERSWELCOME

IMPORTANT

WHAT DOES ESQ OFFER?

» ESQ staff travel to schools and offer complete one-hour

hands-on workshops that demonstrate key features of the

Science and Technology Curriculum.

» You choose and book the desired workshops and an enthusiastic

team of ESQ instructors will come and present the workshop

with all the necessary materials in your classroom!

WHEN AND WHERE ARE WORKSHOPS OFFERED?

» Our workshops are offered Monday to Friday, starting from January 1

through into June, and October 1 through into December. Some dates

may not be available due to University breaks. All workshops are one

hour to two hours in length and are presented in your classroom by

ESQ instructors.

ARE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED?

» ESQ will bring all necessary materials. For liability reasons, we ask that

teachers remain in the classroom for the duration of the workshop.

» Depending on the workshop, an area other than the classroom

may be required (grassy field, classroom with a sink, hallway etc.).

HOW DO I BOOK A WORKSHOP?

Photocopy and fill out the registration form on the back cover

of this package. Fax the completed form to 519-885-0533.

Or, complete our online registration form at:

weconnect.uwaterloo.ca/ESQ_Workshop_form.html

» Confirmations will be sent back to schools via email.

» Multiple workshop requests from the same school must

be registered/faxed in at the same time!

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE ESQ WORKSHOP TEAM AT:

esqinfo@uwaterloo.ca 519-888-4856

HOW MUCH DOES A WORKSHOP COST?

» Each workshop costs $55.00 (based

on one regular-sized class with

approximately 20-28 students).

If there are more than 28 students

the workshop may need to be

scheduled for two sessions.

» We recommend schools book

either 3 (balanced school day) or

4 (traditional school day) workshops.

A typical workshop day is listed below:

» Payment is due on the day of the

workshop. Cheques can be made

to “University of Waterloo” and

given to the ESQ instructors

Workshop 1 before morning recess

Workshop 2 after morning recess

Workshop 3 before afternoon recess

Workshop 4 after afternoon recess

TRADITIONAL SCHOOL DAY

Workshop 1 before 1st break

Workshop 2 between 1st and 2nd break

Workshop 3 after 2nd break

BALANCED SCHOOL DAY

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WORKSHOP INFOIMPORTANT

ESQ’S FAVOURITES

SNAPPITY SNAP CIRCUITS™What is energy? How does electricity work? How

can we conserve it? Students will learn the theory

behind these concepts and then build electrical circuits

using ESQ’s Snapcircuits™ kits. This engaging, hands-on

activity is a memorable addition to the grade-specific

curriculum. GRADES 1, 5 & 6

* Can be extended to a 2 hour session

ROCKIN’ ROCKETSRocket Science doesn’t have to be a mystery! What

factors do aerospace engineers have to consider when

sending an aircraft off the ground? By building pop

bottle rockets, we will explore concepts such as thrust,

energy, gravity, weather patterns, and more in this

workshop. GRADES 3, 6 & 8

Note: The launching of these rockets requires an open space.

Outdoors in the schoolyard is ideal.

CRASH CARSWhat safety features are used in cars? What forces

are involved in collisions? Working in small teams of

“mechanical engineers,” students will design, build,

and test their own crash car that must safely carry

a water balloon passenger in a high impact collision!

GRADES 3, 5, 7 & 8

KALEIDOSCOPESHow many colours can we see and where do they

come from? Which materials transmit or absorb

light? How do mirrors work? This workshop activity

introduces these concepts while allowing them

to make their own kaleidoscopes! GRADE 4

TERRIFIC TOWERSCan your structure stand the test? Students will

work in teams of “civil engineers” to design and

construct stable buildings with limited and varied

materials. These structures will be tested by

simulating mini disasters right in the classroom!

GRADES 1, 3 & 7

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GRADES 1-8WORKSHOPS

ESQ’S FAVOURITES

DIRTY WATERBeaver Bay has been polluted and needs your help!

In this workshop, students will learn about how

bodies of water can be polluted and how we are

all actively responsible for this. As “environmental

engineers,” students will investigate how filtration

can help clean water when they design and build

their own filtration system. Can their filter clean

up a sample from the polluted Beaver Bay?

GRADES 2 & 4

ELECTROMAGNETS & SPEAKERSHow does a radio work? How does it play music?

Learn about the fundamental concepts of electricity,

magnetism, and electromagnetism. Students will

construct their own acoustic speaker to be tested

on a real stereo – and they work! GRADES 4 & 6

* Can be adapted to a 1.5 hour session

ICE AGEWhat is cold and how does it affect humans? If you

had to live in extreme cold how would you survive?

Can cold affect your muscles and fine motor skills?

Students will learn about cold, heat, and how they

affect humans and the environment, while engaging

in an experiment to test their ability to function

normally in the cold. GRADES 7 & 8

* Can be adapted to a 2-hour session

ENGINUITYIt’s time to put your thinking caps on! Students will

be given a challenge to design and build a device

that transports marbles from one destination to

another. Students will race to see who can fill their

jars with marbles the fastest. GRADES 3 & 7

FLOATING CITESWith the human population rising dramatically

cities are becoming more and more crowded.

As we run out of space, engineers are looking

for different solutions. Students will design and

build a city or structure that is capable of being

maintained on water instead of land. Watch out

for rain! GRADES 5, 7 & 8

STAY COOL!What keeps you cold on a warm summer day?

Is it the clothes you wear, the water you drink,

or staying in a cool, shaded area? Or is it all of

those things? What materials keep us especially

cold, and why is it so important to keep our bodies

at a certain temperature? Students will learn about

insulators as they design and build a structure to

keep an ice cube cold for as long as possible!

GRADES 5 & 7

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GRADES 1-8

ESQ’S NEW CREATIONS

BRAIN BLASTERHead injuries have been making headlines! Do

helmets really protect your brain? In this workshop,

students will discover the effects of high impacts on the

brain and the consequences of damaging certain areas.

Students will build model heads, and design helmets

to protect them. These helmets will be subjected to

impact testing to determine how well their helmets

worked! GRADE 5

LASER MAZEHow does light travel? What is reflection vs. refraction?

Students will discover the properties of light using

mirrors and prisms to reflect or refract light around

an obstacle course to hit a final target. The course

will challenge their thinking about how light reacts to

reflective surfaces and the medium in which it travels.

GRADE 4

SQUISHY CIRCUITSDid you know that playdough is a conductor? Learn

about electricity, conductors, insulators and circuits

in this hands on workshop! In this activity students

will learn about electricity by building special circuits.

Instead of using metal conductors they will use

playdough! GRADES 1 & 6

SPECTACULAR SPECTROSCOPESSpectroscopy is the study of visible light dispersed

according to its wavelength. Students will learn about

the properties of light and how spectroscopy is used

by astronomers to study distant stars and galaxies.

Students will make a spectroscope and a telescope

to help them in observe their universe! GRADE 6ESQ

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ESQ’S FAVOURITES

STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHTHave you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered

what those glowing lights we call stars are? Many years

ago, stars were used to guide and direct people. We

have become so dependent on maps, compasses, and

GPSs, that most of us don’t even know how to detect

star constellations. During this activity, students will

learn about different star constellations and will make

their very own night sky domes! GRADE 4 & 6

LEGO E-LABIn this activity, students will learn about mechanical

engineering and how it is used in the world. Using

LEGO, students will be introduced to the six simple

machines that mechanical engineers use when

designing and building more complicated machines.

The students will work in groups of “mechanical

engineers” to build and test their machine. Students will

also learn about alternative energy sources as a means

of powering their machine. GRADE 1, 2, 4 & 6

WORKSHOPS

CURRICULUM

Engineering Science Quest has developed a collection

of classroom workshops that support the Ontario

Science and Technology Curriculum. The following chart

offers recommended workshop suggestions for each

grade based on curriculum strands. Our workshops

make a great end-of-the year treat for your class!

LIFE SYSTEMS MATTER AND ENERGYSTRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS

EARTH AND SPACE SYSTEMS

GRADE 1 » Snappity Snap Circuits» Lego E-Lab» Squishy Circuits

» Terrific Towers» Stay Cool!

GRADE 2 » Stay Cool! » Lego E-lab » Dirty Water

GRADE 3 » Crash Cars» Rockin’ Rockets

» Terrific Towers» Enginuity

GRADE 4 » Dirty Water » Kaleidoscopes» Lego E-lab» Laser Maze» Speakers» Star Light, Star Bright

» Lego E-lab

GRADE 5 » Brain Blaster » Stay Cool!» Brain Blaster

» Floating Cities» Brain Blaster» Crash Cars

» Snappity Snap Circuits» Lego E-lab

GRADE 6 » Snappity Snap Circuits» Lego E-lab» Speakers» Squishy Circuits

» Rockin’ Rockets » Star Light, Star Bright» Spectroscopes» Rockin’ Rockets

GRADE 7 » Floating Cities » Floating Cities» Enginuity» Terrific Towers» Crash Cars

» Ice Age» Stay Cool!

GRADE 8 » Ice Age » Rockin’ Rockets » Crash Cars » Floating Cities

A great way for me to provide science enrichment for my

students. They were excited and engaged in the learning!

— GRADE 4 TEACHERESQ

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LINKSCURRICULUM

Registration FormPlease use a photocopy of this form!

$55 per Workshop

Total Workshop Fee:

School Name:

Address:

Phone Number:

Contact Person: (all workshop calls directed to this person)

Email Address:

Workshop Date Requested:

Second Choice if this date is unavailable:

Fax:

Number and Street City

Postal Code

Contact us for more information.

519-888-4856 or 1-877-ESQ-KIDS (377-5437)

esq.uwaterloo.ca esqinfo@uwaterloo.ca

1st Workshop:

First choice

Teacher Grade Room # Start Time # of Students in Class

Second choice

2nd Workshop:

First choice

Teacher Grade Room # Start Time # of Students in Class

Second choice

3rd Workshop:

First choice

Teacher Grade Room # Start Time # of Students in Class

Second choice

4th Workshop:

First choice

Teacher Grade Room # Start Time # of Students in Class

Second choice

Check here if you would like to receive further Teacher/classroom-oriented programming updates

Or, complete our online registration form at:

weconnect.uwaterloo.ca/ESQ_Workshop_form.html

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