SUPERCHARGE your child’s SCIENCE education at Atomic School’s holiday workshops. They are hands-on and minds-on and your kids will LOVE them. Guaranteed!
Atomic School is the only organisation worldwide that teaches advanced high school science to primary school students from Prep to Year 7. And they make it FUN and EASY by providing heaps of hands-on activities, explanatory videos, and spectacular demonstrations. Atomic School teaches fundamental 21st Century science skills that are the gateway to all the other sciences like engineering, computer technology, nanotechnology and medicine. They prepare children with the key skills for future STEM career paths in these fields, as well as those that haven’t been invented yet.
What happens at an Atomic School holiday workshop?
At an Atomic School holiday workshop, your kids will:
- test the CO2 in their own breath
- view plants and insects through x100 microscopes
- shoot harmless balls of air at their friends
- perform a chemical reaction between magnesium and acetic acid (vinegar)
- build lots of molecules with patented, hands-on, magnet-based models
- see oxygen reignite a glowing splint
- use electric circuits to test conductivity
- write chemical formulas
- watch awesome liquid nitrogen demonstrations
- see carbon dioxide bubbles explode on their hand
- watch a helium-balloon shrink and sink, then expand and float
What will they learn?
Your children will learn all these amazing things at an Atomic School workshop –
- the scientific theories of why the world behaves the way it does. They don’t get this in primary school
- to grasp the Periodic Table, and how it lists all of the atoms in the Universe, find out why it has its special shape
- to understand how atoms bond together to make molecules. This is happening all the time in the world and in their own bodies!
- how to write chemical formulas of the world’s most important molecules
- to ignite their imagination
- to set themselves up for success in their scientific journey onto high school and beyond
Learning about Respiration (New Activities for Easter 2023)
Your child will:
- Use Atomic School’s unique, patented, molecular models called Sticky Atoms that they can instantaneously assemble to form molecules. They are enormous FUN and a big improvement on previous molecular models.
- Build the key molecule that fuels our bodies, glucose, C6H12O6. We need this like a car needs petrol.
- Build the other molecules that complete our respiration chemical reaction- O2, H2O and CO2. They will then combine C6H12O6 with O2 and rearrange them into CO2 and H2O, our waste products.
- Students can test the presence of co2 in their own breath using a chemical reaction
- They will also hear their own heartbeats and how they respond to exercise. This is like putting our foot on the accelerator, and seeing what happens. They will hear the result.
Atomic School have developed new activities for the Summer 2022/23 school holiday workshops that gives kids a deeper insight into how the Periodic Table works.
Learning about Molecules (New activities for Summer 2022/23!)
Your child will:
- use Atomic School’s unique, patented, molecular models called Sticky Atoms that they can instantaneously assemble to form molecules. They are enormous FUN and a big improvement on previous molecular models.
- build molecules such as H2O, NH3, CH4, CO2, amino acids and proteins. These are the components of our air and our bodies so understanding them is a real real-life skill. They will then construct a class protein molecule model that will stretch across the room.
- feel the bonding forces and see the shapes of these molecules. This is upper high school level, yet with Sticky Atoms your primary school kids can master it in a jiffy.
Learning about Atomic Structure
(New advanced workshop for previous graduates – best if earlier workshops are attended first)
Launching these holidays, students will:
- learn the rules for electric charges as well as engage in hands-on activities to see with their own eyes that there’s electricity inside matter. This is fun!
- use Atomic School’s other unique, patented hands-on model called Atom Maker which enables children to build atoms from scratch using protons, electrons and neutrons.
- see the pattern in the structure of matter as it is built from these three sub-atomic particles.
- understand the complex behaviour of different substances in the world with amazing simplicity.
- learn that a key property of atoms’ structure is their electric charges carried by protons and electrons. Arguably this provides the “personality” to atoms and decides whether they are metals or non-metals, and whether they form ionic or covalent substances.
Discovering Chemical Reactions
- Chemical reactions make the world go round and also powers your own body. Your child will create their own reaction by producing hydrogen gas, then” popping” it with a flame to see and hear it combine with the oxygen in the air. They will also model this reaction using magnetic molecular models and then balance the chemical equation … normally only done in Year 10 and later. This makes it a true hands-on and minds-on learning experience.
- See the “elephant’s toothpaste” experiment and follow the chemical equation that is behind it.
- Watch in horror as the Atomic School Assistant sets fire to his Instructor. Luckily, both will survive.
Atomic School’s credentials
Atomic School’s program has been university researched, with results presented at prestigious education conferences and written up in international scientific journals. They’ve been covered by ABC 7:30, The Australian newspaper, The Conversation website, Channel 10, the ABC Science Show, the UK Association of Science Education and the British Royal Society of Chemistry journals.
You can see Ian’s TEDx talk here –
Why sign your children up?
Not only will they have FUN at an Atomic School workshop, but they will arrive at high school more confident in their science knowledge and language. Atomic School’s mission is to build tomorrow’s future scientists and science-literate citizens. Kids will love the “grown-up” science and feel proud of their ability to master it. Back your child’s potential!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Atomic School? Atomic School is the brainchild of Ian Stuart, an experienced Physics and Chemistry teacher who adapted high school science into a program that primary school students can easily understand and which has since been implemented in top institutions like the Queensland Museum and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.
What ages does Atomic School cater for? Atomic School offers workshops for two broad age groups: 4 to 7 years old and 8 to 12 years old. Though these age brackets are flexible especially if you want to put siblings in the same group.
What qualifications do Atomic School instructors have? All instructors have university degrees in science or STEM and many have higher degrees and are all devoted to science education because they love science themselves. They are all registered teachers or possess a Blue Card.
What duration are Atomic School workshops? Atomic School’s workshops are 4 hours long, starting at 9 am and finishing at 1 pm, with breaks for snacks and bathroom visits.
Does Atomic School provide lunch or snacks? No. Atomic School has a “No Food Sharing” policy to limit the potential dangers of exposure to food allergies. Therefore, please provide all your child’s food and drink needs.
Where are Atomic School science workshops held? Their January 2023 workshops are held in the Physics lab at Brisbane State High School, South Brisbane.
Does Atomic School offer discounts for siblings? Yes. There’s a 20% discount for two or more children in the same family. Email ian@atomicschool.com and you’ll be sent a discount coupon.
Testimonials
My 6-year-old daughter Lilah attended one of your workshops at Marist College six months ago and she is still talking about it. Is there something during the Easter holidays that she may attend? Miranda Bodman
“My son, Thomas, is not generally one to discuss his day in depth, but after today’s Science workshop he spoke non-stop about the activities and what he’d learnt. You’ve definitely piqued his interested! He’s excited for the next workshop! Thank you!“ – Kylie Smith
“Ian trained our education team to deliver his Atomic Kids program in 2015. Since then, we’ve delivered this workshop to over 1,000 students and teachers as part of our school holiday workshops and our teacher professional development programs with fantastic feedback. Students love that they get to learn by doing, and are quite chuffed that they can understand atoms and molecules, something normally reserved for high school students only. We thank Ian for gifting us such a fantastic learning package that makes learning about atomic theory really accessible and fun!” – Dr Bridget Murphy, Office of the CEO, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
“I thoroughly recommend Ian Stuart’s Atomic Theory program which we have implemented across all age levels in our school. Our students absolutely LOVE learning about atoms and molecules, and it has given them a window into the microscopic world that they would not otherwise discover until high school. Learning about the key molecules of life- such as H2, O2 and CO2 – also deepens their appreciation for other fields such as biology, health literacy and space science. We frequently hear our students say that they “can’t wait” to get to their next science lesson.” – Libby Jordan, Principal, Eagleby State School
“I must compliment Atomic School on its amazing Chemistry unit. I taught it to Grade 2,3,4,5 and 6 children over a couple of years and they all loved it. I think you are responsible for turning all these kids into budding scientists, who cheer when they hear we will be studying Chemistry in our Science sessions. I think your concise way of explaining difficult concepts is the reason the program is so appealing to children. The atom kits made it easy for ALL children to be successful.” – Jane McWhinney, Specialist Science Teacher, Bacchus Marsh Primary School
“I decided to bring my daughter Kate to the Atomic School workshop because she’s had a really strong interest in Chemistry and the Periodic Table for a long time. We found the workshop great doing some of those classic experiments that kids don’t usually get to do until they go to high school. My daughter is eight years old and she was able to comprehend it all really well. For me, it’s about continuing to build her confidence in STEM so it’s a pathway she can pursue.” – Andrea Parkyn, Parent
“I was super, super keen for Jessica and Timothy to also have the opportunity to understand chemistry and science as it is so simply explained in such a child-friendly and accessible way by Ian and his crew. I really like the way they can break down how atoms can interact and how they bond together. They would love to attend more like this and deepen their knowledge of this area more.” – Annie Hoare, Parent
“My son is super-keen in science and he needs more than what he’s receiving at school. As a teacher my observations of the workshop were fantastic. The children were really engaged, they learnt a whole lot, and they had a lot of hands-on experiences which is really fun for them. They came back really excited and told me lots of new things. As a teacher and as a Mum I feel these outside-school programs for the children are super important. They get to experience things that they don’t get in the classroom.” – Amber Weekes, Year 5/6 Enhancement Teacher and Parent
To find out more, please visit the Atomic School website. Email Ian at ian@atomicschool.com to receive free animated science videos for your kids!