SD83 Students Gear Up For Math/Science Careers

Some SD83 K-3 students engaged in some hands-on science this week thanks to a visit from a certain regional university faculty.

UBC-Okanagan’s “Gearing Up” program allows university students to travel the region hosting sessions about science and engineering careers and then to do some neat experiments. Fourth year computer science student Noah Samashkewich and third year mechanical engineering student Anna Wolters did four sessions at Armstrong’s Highland Park Elementary while other facilitators handled three sessions at Ecole Bastion Elementaire.

At Bastion, Sheri Webster’s Kindergarten students learned about “Ecosystems”, Megan Ollinger’s Grade One class learned discovered why “Molecules Matter” while Christine Williams’s Grade Two/Three class were shown some “Thermal Theatrics”. At Highland Park, Kyla Kalf’s Grade Two students checked out some “Creative Chemistry”, while Darby Brandoli, Lisa Coombs and Jenny Daughtry’s Grade Three classes also did some “Thermal Theatrics”.

With the Grade Threes, students started out talking about the differences between scientist and engineers. From there, students started delving into heat transfer, conductors and convention.

Activities to demonstrate these scientific laws involved the great wax race, the unpoppable balloon and colourful convention. Students also got active by demonstrating with their bodies the differences of how solid, liquids and gases behave. By the end of the lesson, students had a chance to experiment with an insulating paste of baking soda, glue and cornstarch to create a protective barrier between a flame and their finger.

If you have great career ideas you would like to see come to a primary classroom, please contact SD83 Career Education Coordinator George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or you can email grichard@sd83.bc.ca. We look forward to bringing more great activities to SD83 K-12 students in and outside of the classroom for 2025/26. Have a great summer!