Teachers Workshops
Science North has developed a series of dynamic teacher workshops that will bring the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum as well as the New Ontario Elementary Math curriculum to life. Each workshop is designed to give teachers the confidence and resources they need to investigate and explore the scientific concepts involved. These workshops involve teachers in fun, hands-on activities that are easily reproduced for the classroom at little or no cost.
Full day teacher workshops are 5 hours in length and can be customized to your needs. The fee for a full day teacher workshop is $1500 + HST, with a maximum of 25 teachers in attendance.
If you are looking for a customized solution or would like to book us for your school or board, please contact Sarah Chisnell, Senior Scientist – STEM Education at sarah.chisnell [at] sciencenorth.ca
CURRENT WORKSHOP LIBRARY
- PRIMARY EARTH & SPACE — GRADES 1 to 3 (combined)
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach the Primary Earth & Space strand of the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum. Using simple, easy to acquire materials teachers will leave the workshop ready to explore seasons, air & water concepts as well as soils in the environment with their students as early as the next day. Bringing inquiry-based learning into the classroom is engaging and provides a memorable learning experience.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- CODING WITH OZOBOTS (intro) — GRADES 1 to 3
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively use coding in the classroom. Coding with Ozobots is a great addition to any primary level classroom, and will have students working with colours & patterns to bring the Ozobot to life. This workshop will highlight how this tool can be used effectively to reinforce science and math concepts for the primary grade levels.
Length of workshop: 2 hours
- STRUCTURES & FORCES — GRADES 3 & 5
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Structures need to be strong and stable to withstand the forces that they are under every day. By completing a series of hands-on activities, teachers will learn what properties make a structure strong and stable, what forces buildings experience and how these forces are created. By completing station-based activities and a STEM inspired culminating activity, this workshop will provide grade 3 and grade 5 teachers with the ideas and confidence they need to teach their structures and mechanisms unit.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- LIGHT & SOUND — GRADE 4
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This workshop will have teachers exploring the fundamental concepts of light & sound for the grade 4 curriculum, through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. Once the fundamental concepts are explored, teachers will be engaged in 2 culminating activities (one for light and one for sound) to bring it all together. This workshop features many cross-curricular links and is a true representation of how STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) can be fully integrated into the classroom.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- PULLEYS & GEARS — GRADE 4
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This workshop features hands-on learning with engaging station-based activities that will allow participants the opportunity to fully understand the concepts of pulleys and gears. Putting their learning to the test, participants will work collaboratively to complete a challenge. This unique experience combines innovation with an inquiry-based learning approach that aligns with the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- ROCKS & MINERALS — GRADE 4
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This workshop will provide teachers with the foundation to identify rocks and minerals with their students. Exploring the properties of minerals, participants will work collaboratively to identify 9 different minerals. This workshop will also look at the mining/resource industry, the importance of rocks and minerals in everyday life, and features a strong tie to financial literacy. This cross-curricular workshop with hands-on, engaging activities will give teachers the knowledge and confidence to teach the grade 4 rocks & minerals unit.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- CODING WITH MICRO:BIT — GRADES 4 to 6
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively use coding in the classroom. This workshop will introduce teachers to the Micro:Bit coding tool, and provide them with thought-provoking challenges and activities specifically catered to the grade 4–6 science curriculum. Teachers will gain the confidence to use coding and technology as an effective learning tool for their classroom.
Length of workshop: 5 hours
- CODING WITH SCRATCH — GRADES 4 to 8
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This coding workshop will provide teachers with hands-on coding-focused lessons that are easily implemented in the classroom. Using scratch as a tool, participants will learn the platform, and then apply it to the grades 4-8 science curriculum expectations. This is designed to introduce coding to teachers and how to use it in their classrooms as a tool, rather than as a unit itself.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- MATTER — GRADE 5
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Do you want to explore the grade 5 Matter & Energy strand of the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum with your students? This workshop is full of hands-on, engaging activities that will have your students fully engaged and learning. Station-based activities are used to teach the fundamental concepts, while the culminating challenge brings it all together.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- ELECTRICITY — GRADES 5 to 6
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach the conservation of energy and resources unit for grade 5, as well as the electricity unit for grade 6. Station-based activities will help teach the fundamental concepts while the culminating challenge will have participants using the engineering design process. This workshop will effectively integrate STEM concepts through active engagement, and application of the fundamental concepts of electricity.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- FLIGHT — GRADE 6
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Do you want to build rockets with your students? This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach flight for grade 6. This workshop features station-based activities that teach the fundamental concepts of flight and then pulls it all together with an exciting culminating challenge. Using the engineering design process, participants will be fully engaged in STEM activities.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- SPACE — GRADE 6
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach the grade 6 space unit. Participants will explore the concepts of space through four very different hands-on activities. Everything from Canadians contributions to space, formation of planets, and exploration of the constellations, this workshop is full of STEAM activities that will challenge your students.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- HEAT IN THE ENVIRONMENT — GRADE 7
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Heat is essential to processes within the earth’s systems, and this workshop will have participants exploring these concepts. Using inquiry-based, engaging, hands-on, activities that are easily reproduced, participants will leave inspired and excited to bring these into their classrooms.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- PURE SUBSTANCES & MIXTURES — GRADE 7
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What in the world isn’t Chemistry? This workshop is full of hands-on, engaging, safe activities to bring the chemistry of pure substances and mixtures to life in your classroom. This workshop ends with a culminating activity where participants will identify an unknown substance. Participants will be involved in fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach the grade 7 Pure Substances and Mixtures unit.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- PROJECT & INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE LEARNING — GRADES 7 & 8
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This workshop is a full day of hands-on learning, interactive experiments and engaging activities to help teachers understand what is required for quality science fair projects. This unique experience combines innovation with an inquiry-based learning approach that aligns with the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum. The workshop will promote inquisition and critical thinking related to real life issues as well as highlight the importance of Science, Engineering, Math and Technology.
Length of workshop: 5 hours
- FLUIDS — GRADE 8
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We live in a fluid. Understanding the physics of fluids and how they are used in various technologies is what this workshop is all about. Participants will be involved in hands-on, fun activities that will give them the confidence and resources to effectively teach the grade 8 fluids unit. Through various group activities, participants will explore the properties of fluids and be able to use that knowledge in a STEM-based culminating challenge.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- ASTRONOMY — GRADE 9
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This workshop will have teachers exploring the concepts of space for both the applied and academic level through a variety of hands-on, station-based activities. Everything from Canadians contributions to space, formation of the universe, and exploration of the constellations, this workshop is full of STEAM activities that will challenge your students.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- ELECTRICITY (secondary level) — GRADE 9
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This workshop will have teachers involved in hands-on, fun, station-based activities that will help effectively teach the curriculum requirements for grade 9 applied and academic electricity. Using the engineering design process, this workshop will integrate STEM concepts through active engagement, and application of the fundamental concepts.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- BIOLOGY — GRADES 9 & 10 (combined)
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This full-day workshop will give your teachers a full arsenal of hands-on, engaging activities to teach the grade 9 & 10, applied and academic biology curriculum. Activities include a mix of station-based, game-based and inquiry-based challenges to keep participants fully engaged.
Length of workshop: 5 hours
- CHEMISTRY — GRADES 9 & 10 (combined)
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This full-day workshop will give your teachers a full arsenal of hands-on, engaging activities to teach the grade 9 & 10 applied and academic chemistry curriculum. Activities include a mix of station-based, game-based and inquiry-based challenges to keep participants fully engaged.
Length of workshop: 5 hours
- CLIMATE — GRADE 10
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Do you need new innovative hands-on activities with which to engage your students in learning about climate change? This workshop explores the full climate unit for the grade 10 applied and academic levels. Station-based activities will leave you ready to WOW your students as early as the next day with engaging, and thought-provoking challenges.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
- OPTICS — GRADE 10
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This workshop is based on a problem-based model for learning the concepts of optics. Designed to cover both the academic and applied curriculum, this workshop uses a station-based approach to teach the fundamental concepts of light and optics. Teachers will leave this workshop with new ideas and activities to bring into their grade 10 science classroom.
Length of workshop: 2.5 hours
educator resources
Do you want to do hands-on, innovative science with your students right in your own classroom? Our online lesson plans were designed with you and your students in mind. They are easy to find, simple, and you won’t need any elaborate equipment to do them!
science at home
Science North is thrilled to provide you with resources for your students as well as professional learning to support your delivery of the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum to your students at a distance.
These resources will provide you with independent, flexible and interactive STEM concepts that will inspire your students and build their skills and core competencies.
Teachers Access Pass
Did you know that your valid Ontario College of Teachers card grants you a free Teachers Access Pass, giving you no charge admission to Science North and Dynamic Earth?
This unique teacher benefit will give you access to both our science centres to see first-hand what your students will experience during a visit. We believe that the best way for us to demonstrate all that your students will learn, and all the fun that they have while doing it, is for you to experience it yourself. To take advantage of this offer, please present your valid Ontario Teachers card at the admission desk at Science North or Dynamic Earth.
Free admission benefit does not apply during select annual special events and times, including March School Break, Summer School break, Halloween at Dynamic Earth, Christmas School break, and New Year's Eve Family Fun Day at Science North.
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