MAD SCIENCE WORKSHOPS: 

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For more information, please call Mad Science of Windsor at (519) 256-6094 or toll free at 1-877-545-6266.

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[Detailed workshop descriptions are listed in alphabetical order after the curriculum table.]

MAD SCIENCE WORKSHOP MENU

This workshop will introduce your students to the concept of acidity and alkalinity. The children will be shown the colour changes that Universal Indicator undergoes when exposed to various acids and bases, illustrating one way that acidity and alkalinity are detected and measured. Using the same method scientists use, the class will test various solutions to determine levels of acidity. Once the fundamentals have been established, the children will be introduced to the many applications of acids and bases, such as how carbon dioxide produced in an acid-base reaction can be used to put out fires. Finally, the children will enjoy an entertaining application of their new knowledge in constructing a "Canister Cannon" that everyone gets to take home.

This workshop offers children a solid introduction to the properties of acids and bases. The children will learn that acids and bases come in a variety of strengths, how their strengths can be measured and on what scale. They will come to understand what happens when acids and bases react and how acids, bases and their reactions relate to everyday life. With safety always being an important concern, the students will learn to distinguish between a safe and an unsafe acid or base, as well as proper methods for handling them.

The Art Gallery of Windsor and Mad Science of Windsor have teamed up to bring you a unique multi-disciplinary tour called the "Art of Science". Your class will spend an hour touring the Gallery’s exhibits and then spend another hour in the studio with Mad Science. What do science and art have in common? This workshop will provide students with an opportunity to use both halves of their brain as they explore what these two disciplines have in common and what features are important to both artists and scientists. Students will learn how art forgeries are detected using chemistry and physics. They will also learn how colours combine both scientifically and artistically to create a work of art. The children will also learn about Pointillism, anamorphosis and the "physics" of pencil drawings. Tours take place at the AGW. For more information call the AGW at (519) 977-0013.

This workshop demonstrates the cross discipline qualities of science and art and how there are many scientific methods and components to art and art appreciation. The children will learn that colour is one of the elements of art that an artist plans and that artists mix paints together to achieve different colours. The students will discover that old and modern paints react differently to Ultraviolet light and certain chemicals and these scientific tests may be used to detect art forgeries. They will learn about Pointillism, an artistic technique using layers of coloured dots to create images and how it is similar to the use of coloured dots (pixels) to make pictures on television and in print. Lastly, the children will learn about another artistic technique called anamorphosis, which is a form of perspective that distorts an image so that we will not see it as we would normally expect to unless we view it in a special way. Everyone will get to take home a distorted image.

Environmental disasters are all too frequent in our modern world. In this workshop students will learn that even water that looks clean might actually be dirty. They will become aware of the negative effects an oil spill can have on waterfowl and they will have the opportunity to devise and test clean up techniques in a mock oil spill.

This workshop introduces students to some of the environmental issues relating to our water systems. Specifically, students will learn that oil contaminated birds cannot fly and are at risk to the effects of hypothermia and poisoning. The children will learn that dilution is not an effective means of dealing with water pollution and that even water that looks clear may still contain contaminants. Students will learn about a variety of oil spill clean up techniques and explore the role played by chemical dispersants as they plan and carry out a mock oil spill clean up.

Your students will be introduced to the world of the creepy, crawly creatures that they find beneath their feet through hands-on activities and interactive and entertaining demonstrations. Students will use the information they have learned to build their very own model insect to take home.

This workshop introduces children to biology and entomology. Children of all ages have an innate curiosity about the creatures that share the Earth with them. The goal of this workshop is to illustrate for children the important role that insects play in the environment as well as to educate them about the unique characteristics and attributes of insects. Your students will learn about insects’ fabulous flying abilities, their unique eyesight and the ways that they defend themselves against predators. The children will discover that although insects are sometimes considered pests, they play an essential role in our ecosystem.

Students will begin their exploration with a demonstration of the difference between physical and chemical changes. This is followed by a display of chemical "magic" whereby we turn water into "wine"… and back! The class will be dazzled when they watch Styrofoam^TM reduced to a puddle of goo, and see camphor provide the chemical equivalent of an outboard motor—all chemistry in motion. Sure, chemistry can produce some great tricks, but it’s also very useful. Students will apply their knowledge of chemical processes to make their own soda pop and a super science ball that they get to take home.

Besides exploring and explaining a variety of chemical processes and phenomena, Che-mystery introduces students to this exciting vital science—its importance in our daily lives, and its role behind the scenes in many everyday and not-so-everyday phenomena! In other words, this workshop takes the "mystery" out of chemistry.

Problem-solving abilities, scientific know-how and retention skills are put to the test when students tackle the problem of creating a circuit which will light a bulb. It’s not as easy as it sounds! After mastering simple circuits, the class will turn to a hands-on exploration of more complex series circuits. With that knowledge, students will investigate, create and play with a variety of applications including a "nerve tester", Mad Science electricity labs and the amazing Tooth Tunes^TM device!

Whereas our Watts-Up workshop introduces children to the fundamentals of static electricity and electrical charge, "Current" Events explores the practical applications of electricity—in circuits and in motion! Students will learn the definition and function of circuit components such as conductors, insulators and fuses as they construct and test a variety of electrical circuits.

This workshop will give the students a chance to step into the role of a Mad Science Detective. Through hands-on activities children will learn how science plays a central role in solving crimes. They will explore some of the various methods employed by forensic scientists to help solve crimes, including fingerprint analysis, examination of dental imprints and even investigating written materials. They will take home an identification kit in which they can record their fingerprints and other vital information.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the use of science in police and detective work. Students will learn about the skills that scientists and detectives share when doing their jobs. Observation, analysis, asking questions and even conducting chemical experiments are all skills shared by these two professions.

Students will be introduced to the concept of matter, and the properties and characteristics of its three most common manifestations: solids, liquids and gases. Using water as an example, they will learn how, why and in which progression matter usually transforms from one state to another. Students will then learn of a lesser-known phenomenon called "sublimation", whereby a solid turns directly into a gas without ever becoming a liquid. Then, they will see it in action with dry ice! Children will be shown what happens to dry ice when it is exposed to an object at room temperature, and will observe its amazing cooling ability. With the concept of sublimation explained, the class will explore the end product when dry ice is involved: carbon dioxide. They will see, taste and smell the gas. The children will then enjoy the lighter side of carbon dioxide and dry ice, watching it pop a cork off a flask and blow smoky bubbles! In the presentation’s exciting conclusion, students will see for themselves how dry ice makes for a great prop in scary scenes in movies!

This workshop offers children a solid introduction to the three states of matter and their properties. They will learn how and why matter changes between the different states, and will have a good understanding of elementary physical principles. The children will be able and eager to tell an inquiring adult all about carbon dioxide—in its solid or gaseous state! Perhaps most importantly, this workshop relates the material to the students’ lives and school curriculum: they will leave with an understanding of the science behind the water cycle, carbonation and even Hollywood special effects!

Students will become geologists in training as they learn more about Earth science. Through a combination of engaging demonstrations and hands-on activities, students will explore rocks, minerals, mountain formation and much more. They will build their own sedimentary stacker to take home so they can continue to investigate the fascinating elements of geology.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the science of geology. Students will discover what the Earth is composed of and how various forces combine to create rocks and minerals. They will investigate the formation of mountains and try to build some of their own. The science of earthquakes will be explained to help provide an understanding of the forces that create them.

Students will find out what makes the world go ‘round in an entertaining introduction to the concepts and basics of forces. Children will encounter and experiment with their own centre of gravity. What happens to an object when a force acts upon it? The Mad Scientist will answer that question in "Bombs Away" with plasticene (clay) and rubber balls! With the class divided into four groups, students will visit four activity stations to learn and experiment with gravity, precession, centrifugal "force" and centripetal force. The gyroscope, a Hot Wheels^TM loop-to-loop and our very own coin centrifuge will enable students to both further explore and apply the concepts that they have learned.

This workshop is a fun introduction to physics and gives students a vivid and concise understanding of what makes the universe tick as it lays the foundation for the further study of gravity, inertia and centripetal force.

The class will learn and observe the basic properties of heat by play acting the role of atoms, as well as observing the effects and behaviour of warm air and water. The children will witness a mini ‘rocket’ launch, the lighting of a candle in defiance of gravity and even take part in a sense-confusing temperature test. The workshop is capped off with a taste bud pleasing demonstration of heat at work, transforming solid sugar crystal into the spun floss of cotton candy!

This workshop introduces children to the idea of heat and important related scientific concepts. Students will learn the physical explanation for the existence and sensation of heat, as well as its many characteristic properties.

Students will begin by learning the fundamentals of wind by experimenting with its properties. They will explore prevailing winds and build their own wind-wheels. Students will learn why winds blow in the direction that they do and construct parachutes and pinwheels to take home in order to experiment with wind on their own.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the science behind one of the greatest forces of nature. Students will learn about air pressure, what affects the creation of wind and how we can harness its energy.

This workshop will give students a chance to explore the elements of chemistry that are part of our everyday lives. Students will perform hands-on experiments to learn about the science that happens in the kitchen as they investigate foods that contain fats, sugars and starch. They will make their own super solar cookers to take home.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the use of science in everyday life. Students will get the opportunity to apply basic chemical principles and learn how important our food is to power us through the day.

The fundamental scientific concepts necessary for a good understanding of laser light will be presented in entertaining discussions, and illustrated in a brief demonstration. The class will then be introduced to the laser, and then the real fun begins! In a series of interactive demonstrations, the children will explore the laser’s beam, discovering its unique properties. The students will learn how to make the beam visible, and will have fun manipulating the beam’s path by using reflection. To illustrate the laser’s practical applications, a series of demonstrations and discussions are interspersed throughout the workshop. They include the performance of painless laser "surgery" on an intrepid volunteer, an exciting look at how holograms are made, and for the grand finale—a laser light show!

Imagine taking high school and college-level science and making it clear, understandable and fun for elementary-age children. That is exactly what this workshop is about. Children are introduced to the world of optics; the production, properties, characteristics and types of light are all covered. Children will learn how, and under what circumstances, we see colour. They will learn how light travels, and how it can be manipulated. They will leave with the ability to distinguish between coherent and incoherent light, reflection and absorption, and white and coloured light. They will understand how, where and why laser is used.

Using Newton’s colour wheel, students will observe and create a simulation of white light, providing the background for an exploration of colour, accomplished through several different demonstrations. A chromatography demonstration introduces the students to the visible spectrum. ‘Rainbow’ glasses are used to diffract white light into its component colours and a series of exciting demonstrations and activities will cover both the infrared and the ultraviolet components of the spectrum, always an enthralling portion of the class.

This workshop will bring high-school-level physics to children, teaching them about the electromagnetic spectrum, visible versus invisible light, diffraction, spectroscopy and chromatography…only they will be having too much fun to realize that they have just learned about some pretty advanced topics!

This workshop will give the students a chance to discover that simple machines can make our lives much easier. The students will get the opportunity to learn about and try out different types of simple machines: levers, incline planes, wedges, wheels and axles, and pulleys, through various demonstrations and hands-on activities. The students will apply their newfound mechanical knowledge by building their very own Mad Science machine to take home!

This workshop is an excellent introduction to basic physical science. Students are introduced to mechanics and the role that they play in our everyday lives. Children learn that by reducing the effort required, simple machines allow us to push and pull less strenuously, but over a longer distance or for a longer time.

Children will examine magnets up-close and at work, observing their characteristic behaviour and discussing their use in both compasses and speakers. Students will be involved in activities that will let them visualize magnetic fields as well as explore the relative strength and properties of those fields. After an entertaining demonstration which illustrates the magnet’s gravity-defying abilities, the children will be introduced to electromagnets and learn how they work.

This workshop provides a wonderful grounding in the basic physical principles governing magnetism. Students will learn how magnets behave, and the reason for this behaviour. They will learn how magnets can be created, and how magnetism can be lost. These scientific concepts are related to their lives as they gain a better appreciation of the role that magnets play in their everyday lives in applications ranging from door closures to electric motors.

Students will examine both atoms and molecules, and they will build their very own marshmallow model molecules. Through a hands-on approach, students will learn and observe the difference between physical and chemical changes, play alchemists by watching the Mad Scientist turn a nickel into gold (well, almost). To cap it all off, students will find out just how much fun polymers can be as they make their own Mad Science putty to take home!

This workshop introduces children to the building blocks of the universe! Children will learn the fundamentals of chemistry, from atomic theory to the structure, dynamics, characteristics and possible combinations of the simplest to the most complex molecules.

Discover planet Earth! Peek beneath the Earth’s crust to discover what’s inside. Recreate the process of rock formation and devise ways to classify and identify rocks and minerals. Experience the thrill of panning for "gold", the gold your students find they can take home for further study and identification.

This workshop provides students with an introduction to geology, including an understanding of rock formation processes, classification systems, identification methods and physical properties of rocks and minerals.

This workshop will give students a chance to sit in the director’s chair and discover why science is the real star on the big screen. Exciting demonstrations and hands-on activities will allow students to discover how the amazing special effects that they see in their favourite movies are achieved through science and technology. They will investigate the concept of 3-D and learn how this effect can make it seem like you are a part of the action. They will use red/blue anaglyph glasses and learn how this technique was used to create the first images in 3-Dimensions. The children will get their own 3-D glasses and images to take home.

This workshop is an exciting introduction to the science involved in the spectacular special effects that we see when we go to the movies. Students will learn some of the various applications of science in filmmaking from the concept of persistence of vision that allows us to create moving pictures to the special effects that make them so much fun to watch.

Students will be exposed to a wide variety of optical illusions like the camera obscura, the mirror mirage and various other classic illusions. Periscopes will be introduced and after an instructional demonstration regarding the science inside the periscope, the children will get to construct one of their own to take home.

This workshop uses engaging demonstrations and activities to introduce children to the concepts of reflection and refraction, the science of optics, and the biology associated with sight.

Using lightweight materials such as cardboard and plastic, children will follow the Mad Scientist in assembling a fully functional model rocket, able to fly up to 100 metres and return safely to the ground. The children will also receive a brief instructional lesson on how to fly model rockets. We at Mad Science feel that it is important for each child to be able to take their projects home to enjoy, yet, we understand the thrill inherent in rocket flight. This is why this workshop does not stand alone, but rather complements the Rocket Launch workshop, where we not only bring in our own models for launching, but also cover the scientific principles and concepts behind rocket construction and flight.

The educational value of this workshop lies in the unique opportunity it affords to its students—the chance to actually build a functional model rocket with their own two hands!

The class will be introduced to the basic parts that make up every rocket in a discussion that lays the foundation for the subsequent explanation of both the three stages and the fundamental principles of model rocket flight. To both illustrate and entertain, the children will be involved in a fun balloon-rocket race. With the science behind rockets covered, students will witness the preparation of a model rocket for flight and they will learn basic pre-launch safety procedures. The students will then be brought outside to witness the grand finale—the launch of a model rocket from a launch pad!

This workshop introduces children to the dynamics of model rocket flight, including how and why they fly. The children will learn some basic concepts in design and engineering as we cover the basic parts of a model rocket, including a look at a variety of different recovery systems that may be employed. The children will leave with a good understanding of the relatively complex physical laws that govern the rocket’s design and flight and safe recovery.

Students will be dazzled by a little "magic" with our opening of a "Disappearing Rabbit"…but is it really magic? We’ll challenge them to employ their mind, body and all five senses to determine the scientific explanation to our tricks! We’ll perform some of the most "classic" magic tricks—the Illusion Box, Houdini’s Chains and various handkerchief tricks as well as some newer tricks like Hydrophobic Experience and even a Body Illusion. Have you ever seen the Three-Cup Monte trick? How do they make those crazy diaper commercials? Students will see and try all of these tricks, learn how to reproduce them and most importantly, they’ll learn how to unlock the science behind them! The students will also create and learn a trick of their own that they get to take home.

The Science of Magic is a unique workshop. It aims not to introduce children to any particular scientific area, concept or theme, but to challenge the children to think logically, and therefore, scientifically. Hopefully, "How did they do that?" will become the initial question that children will ask themselves, not only when watching a magic show, but also when simply observing the fascinating world around them. Children’s natural curiosity provides the perfect stepping stone for understanding magic and science.

Students will explore the science behind the toys that they play with all the time, and some they may have never seen before. Balls and yo-yos are classic toys and always a lot of fun, but they also provide children with an opportunity to explore the science of motion. Students will also investigate some unique items, like Jacob’s ladder toys, vector toys and String Things^TM, which will help to illustrate the inventive nature of toy construction as well as scientific principles. The children will receive their very own Mad Science yo-yo to take home.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to both the scientific method as well as making students aware of the fact that science is all around them all the time. Children will observe and experience the science of some of their favourite toys and get to take one home to continue the exploration process.

Learn to be a sense-ative person! Your students will use all five of their senses to navigate through this workshop. They will play tricks on their senses in order to make some fascinating discoveries about them. Students will test their vision with our mind-boggling illusions and discover how the vision-impaired cope without sight as they learn about and try to read Braille. Your senses will never seem so simple again!

This workshop is an introduction to how our five senses work and function and the ways in which we use them in our everyday lives. Through hands-on experiments and activities students will have the opportunity to explore the importance of all five senses.

Students will witness a demonstration of Silly Putty’s^TM amazing properties. They will explore the properties of this polymer and those of another fascinating polymer called Slime. The students will have a chance to make and experiment with their very own batch of slime. They will also get to watch some magic muffins "bake" before their very eyes without the aid of an oven! If there is enough time left, the class will be able to play with their slime in a series of entertaining demonstrations and activities.

This workshop serves as a primer in advanced chemistry for elementary-age children. Polymers and their properties are relatively complex concepts, but, here, the fundamental ideas are made understandable to the students.

A series of demonstrations will illustrate the properties and transmission of sound waves through various media. A large portion of this workshop, however, is spent changing the students’ voice waves using a digital voice machine similar to those used in movies. Using the sound machine, the children’s voices will be altered to sound like Darth Vader or the Chipmunks. Although these are two of our most popular effects, there are over 150 different variations from which the children can choose. To make this workshop even more memorable, we record the children while they are talking or singing and then present them with the tape of their altered voice to take home.

This workshop covers the concepts of sound, sound waves and their characteristics—a perfect introduction to the science of acoustics.

The students will use simple materials to quickly learn their way around the skies. A scale model of the planets will demonstrate the different relative sizes of the planets in our solar system. A comet will be created before their very eyes. They will get the opportunity to see what happens when meteorites strike the surface of the Earth or other planets. A demonstration will uncover how stars can actually produce the raw material that is the basis of all life on Earth. Finally, they will build and take home a Mad Science Space Shuttle that will fly up to 20 metres into the air.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the science of astronomy and to the vastness of the Universe. Students will explore the outer reaches of space through hands-on activities and will understand why we continue our voyages of discovery to the Moon and beyond!

Students will apply the theoretical basics of flight in the construction of their own stunt planes and gliders, including the mind-boggling football plane and awesome loop flying stunt planes.

Stunt Planes & Gliders is an ideal combination of practical and theoretical knowledge--the perfect introduction to the basics of aerodynamics. Students will learn about the four forces that affect a plane in flight: drag, gravity, lift and forward thrust. Then they will witness, experience, experiment with and use these forces to their advantage in the construction of incredible paper planes!

This workshop will educate children about the power of the sun and the need to protect themselves from the sun’s radiation. They will learn that the ozone layer is our first line of defense against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the differences between visible and invisible light.

This interactive workshop will educate students about the need to protect themselves from the power of the sun. They will understand the fundamentals of ultraviolet radiation and the ozone layer while discovering the tools that can help protect them from the sun’s damaging effects.

In this workshop the students’ first project will be to build card houses, and we undoubtedly find that all stable card houses have something in common—the triangle. It is triangles and arches that provide the greatest support in construction, a fact that children will see for themselves when they experiment with these two shapes and use them to both strengthen and reinforce structures. Students will then embark on an exploration of the rigidity and stability of a variety of structures, from the Dixie^TM cup, which can support dozens of times its weight (provided no one taps its sides!), to teetering Jenga^TM towers. Finally, if time permits, the students will have a chance to apply all of the knowledge they have gained when they attempt to meet our challenge: build an earthquake-proof building!

This workshop is a fantastic introduction to some of the concepts, terms and ideas behind engineering and architecture, and aims to spark an interest in further exploration of these exciting and practical sciences!

After an entertaining discussion which covers how and why we taste, students will better acquaint themselves with their primary taste organ—their tongue—by mapping it to discover which regions can best determine different tastes. We will shatter any illusion that the tongue is the only taste organ when students take the smell test. Students then observe how their favourite sodas are made, and will put their taste organs to the test for a famous taste test challenge.

This workshop will leave students with a firm understanding of the dynamics of taste as both a sense and a sensation. Students learn the vital inter-relation of their senses of taste and smell, and will learn the basic biology behind them. Best of all, they get to go home with some Gum Drops^TM that they have made themselves!

This workshop is packed with fun and interactive programming that will get children in grades 3-8 completely grossed out by the effects of using tobacco. Your students will be made aware of the danger of using tobacco products as they learn how smoking affects their heart and lungs.

This workshop introduces students to the dangers of using tobacco products in an entertaining and educational manner that avoids ‘preaching’ yet still provides them with the necessary knowledge to make the decision to be Tobacco Free.

Students will be challenged to stop and consider air, its effects on our surroundings and its significance to us and life on Earth. The focus will then turn to air pressure beginning with a fun demonstration that illustrates the concept of unbalanced pressures. Children will enjoy the enthralling story of the Viking ship and witness and reproduce the phenomena of the amazing leaping Ping-Pong ball. Students will also enjoy an exciting series of hands-on activities using a blow dryer that will illustrate Bernoulli’s Principle while appearing to perform gravity defying feats! Bernoulli will be our guide as we explore the phenomena of lift and drag.

This workshop introduces children to the exciting science of aerodynamics and a host of associated scientific concepts including air pressure, the science of flight, Bernoulli’s Principle, Newton’s Laws of Motion and thermodynamics.

Students will explore three facets of the fascinating substance that is water: density, water pollution and the dynamics of waves. Eggbert and Megg, our hard-boiled friends, will introduce and illustrate density. Children will experience this for themselves as they create density stackers using liquids of differing densities before turning to the serious mater of oil spills. How hard are they to clean up? Students will actually see for themselves. Finally, students will capture the mesmerizing motion of waves…in a bottle!

Water is a remarkable substance. It covers more than three-fourths of the earth’s surface and no life on earth could survive without it. Yet besides its two other states (steam and ice), children know little of its other properties. This workshop breaks the ice (excuse the pun) and allows children to dip their toes in a wider study of this all-important substance!

The class will observe and learn the basic properties of static electricity in a series of demonstrations that lay the foundation for both an explanation and demonstration of lightning formation. Using a Van de Graaf generator and a few simple materials, the Mad Scientist will demonstrate the ability of an electric field to light up both a fluorescent and a neon tube, the process of grounding and how to make a gravity-defying flying pie plate! To top it all off, we will take volunteers with a good hair day and turn it into a bad hair day with a hair-raising experience!

This workshop offers the children a solid introduction to the properties of electricity and electric charges. They will learn the distinction between static electricity and electrical current, the basic properties of an electric charge, as well as the science behind these phenomena. Students will be able to relate this information to their daily lives in a newfound understanding of lightning and static electric shocks, which may have previously been confusing or even frightening.

This workshop provides students with an opportunity to learn all about the weather. They will conduct hands-on experiments to better understand how and why it rains and what causes lightning and thunder. Students will investigate the ways in which weather is predicted and measured, as they become meteorologists in training. They will make their very own UV Detector to take home so they can continue to investigate the amazing world of weather.

This workshop is an excellent introduction to the science of meteorology and the forces of nature. Students will be able to apply their newly acquired knowledge when they experience the changes in weather that occur naturally everyday.