SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS October 2009

Please phone 9692 9206 for bookings. Unfortunately we are unable to process online bookings while our shopping cart software is being updated

5 EXCITING WORKSHOPS TO CHOOSE FROM All workshops held at Forest Lodge Public School corner of Ross St and Bridge Rd Forest Lodge.

Monday 12th October

1. . EARTH SCIENCE 9.30am - 11.30am. For ages 5-7yrs. Cost $40

This science session is about understanding our planet and the part we play in keeping it a home for plants, animals and us. If we can help our children discover the beauty and majesty of the Earth they should grow up aware of the fragile balance that allows life to exist here. By making and breaking rocks we will begin to understand the world we live on. We make our own soil, we will make a fossil and use compost and wastes to create a soil to grow a seed. Presenter: Camilla Gordon

2. .CHEMICAL DETECTIVES 1.00pm- 3.00pm. For ages 5-7 yrs. Cost $40

How can we find out what things are made of? In this workshop we will be doing all sorts of mixing such as; beating egg white, bubbling gases, playing with clear liquids and white powders, adding acids to bases; making honeycomb and watching how things change. The changes we create give us clues as to what things are made of. That's just how real scientists make discoveries. Come along and be a chemical detective! Presenter: Camilla Gordon.

Tuesday 13th October

3. MEDIEVAL WARFARE. 9.30am - 12 noon. For ages 8-12yrs. Cost $40

Build strong castle walls and learn how to create positions of strategy for your medieval warriors. Discover the benefit of metal shields. Construct a large catapult that will turn potential energy into kinetic energy. Predict the velocity and trajectory of ammunition options before engaging in battle sessions. Helmets and goggles are worn during all battles. Students take home small catapults. Presenter Dianne Kersting-Neverly

4. THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. 1.00pm- 3.30pm. For ages 7 - 11 yrs. Cost $40

Explore the science of sound and light through many hands-on activities. Playing with acoustics whilst making air molecules vibrate in strange ways can be a lot of fun! A better understanding of electric circuitry will be sparked through the design and construction of games using coloured lights. Students will learn about series vs. parallel circuits as they apply theory to practice. Students take home electrical creations and annoying noises with variable volume control. Presenter: Dianne Kersting-Neverly Wednesday

14th October

5. ROBOTICS : LEGO MINDSTORMS 2.00pm - 4.00pm For ages 7-11yrs. Cost $40

How does a robot really work? Using laptops and the NXT Lego Mindstorms robots, students are asked to complete a variety of tasks whilst learning about basic programming. The programming itself is based on Lego's easy to understand NXT computer program, whereby students intuitively use the simple "drag and drop" icons to form a code. Working in pairs or threes, children are guided step by step on how to program their robot to perform precise movements as well as how to operate environmental sensors such as light and sound. Presenter; Fizzics Education. To Book: ph 9692 9206

 

 

OUR PRESENTERS

Camilla Gordon : Camilla Gordon is a lecturer in Early Childhood Science at Macquarie University. She has been teaching astronomy science to children for many years in the Young Starwatcher Programme at Nepean Observatory and to gifted and talented children throughout Sydney. She is currently busy developing an astronomy preschool curriculum for 4/5 year olds and deconstructs this complex science with stories and visual presentations.

Experimental Science :Dianne Kersting-Neverly: Dianne continues to put the wow factor in all her workshops and has many young fans. Parents and kids rave about her Science Birthday Parties and schools compete to hire her for their after-school science club

Helen Dudeney is a private consultant who has been actively involved in working with gifted children, their parents and teachers since 1990. During this time she has run programs for 3-16yr old children and their families and conducted seminars, workshops and in-service training for parents and teachers about understanding and meeting the need of gifted children and young people. Her consultancy specialises not only in gifted children, but also those who are visual -spacial learners. She has completed the Certificate of Gifted Education at UNSW and a Masters of Adult Education. For the past 18yrs she has been a member of the NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children Committee and held the position of President for 8 years. Helen runs Australian Gifted Support Centre, incorporating a HD Counselling, Training and Advisory Service. Ph 02 9620 6037.

Fizzics Education is a company dedicated to presenting science activities to community and school groups by running workshops and staging events. There experienced presenters keep interest high with lots of hand-on activities.

Caroline Shaw founded Terrific Scientific and organises Lab Rats. She has many years experience teaching science in classrooms and in workshops and has organised hundreds of workshops and lectures. Her mission is to create experiences which allow the natural curiosity of children to develop so that inquiry learning becomes a part of their life.