The physics department of the University of Guelph has something special in store for elementary school students for the upcoming STEM Week.
The department is organizing a STEM Week event in November for Grade 6, 7 and 8 students, to be hosted at the Guelph Civic Museum, which will be filled with kid-friendly interactive displays for various physics concepts.
“As a physics educator it is sometimes difficult to bring physics to people and not scare or intimidate them,” said Jason Thomas, science communication officer for the Department of Physics at U of G. He is better known as simply Orbax.
“We’re basically trying to take that week to reach out to as many types of people in the community as we can,” said Orbax.
Undergraduate students enrolled in U of G’s Physics program will create interactive exhibits aimed at kids that involve the principles of STEM — science, technology, engineering and math.
The timing of the event coincides with the end of the semester for the undergrads, who have been placed in teams and each be given a budget to create their exhibit. The only limitation being it must relate to the Grade 6 to 8 curriculum.
“The idea is, it is supposed to help teachers to educate and get kids interested in science,” said Orbax.
The exhibits will go on display at the Civic Museum during STEM Week, from Nov. 26 to 29 and on the P.D. Day on Nov. 30.
Orbax said the exhibits could cover a number of topics, including electronics and electricity, form and function or the building of simple machines like catapults.
“A bunch of our students and professors actually work with the Canadian Space Agency to explore Mars, so we are going to have some space exploration and martian stuff as well,” said Orbax. “Hopefully we can reach as many kids as we can and get them excited for science.”
Orbax knows something about entertaining and educating school-age children. He hosts a live show for kids with sideshow act partner Sweet Pepper Klopek called ‘Orbax and Pepper do Science!’ and the pair hold multiple Guinness World Records from their sideshow act Monsters of Schlock.
Earlier this year, the pair were featured prominently in a book for kids called Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff.
Science is becoming destigmatized for children in recent years, said Orbax, something he attributes to science shows and facts featured on platforms like YouTube and social media.
“We live in a fun time now where I think kids want to see more of that,” said Orbax. “They are already tuned into it and excited about it, so we can reach out and show them things that are actually happening in the field right now, stuff that people are working on, it kind of takes away some of the negative stigma of stuff being too hard or too difficult.”
Sign up for the event is available online on the Guelph Museums web site.
