Welcome to Aboriginal Access to Engineering, Queen's University
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School Workshops
Find out more about our STEM workshops for First Nations Schools
The AAE Outreach Team offers STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and Engineering Design Workshops that align with the Ontario Science Curriculum for grades 1-8. As certified teachers ourselves, great care has been taken to ensure these workshops can seamlessly fit into learning objectives in your classrooms and schools. As Indigenous teachers, we also include culture as much as possible, when the subject matter naturally connects.
We currently offer three workshops for each grade level. Each workshop includes material kits for all students, instructions, and an assessment checklist for the teacher.
We concentrate on the engineering design process.
We support critical thinking and imagination.
We align to the big ideas in the science curriculum.
Workshop models currently align with COVID-19 realities for our partner schools:
1. Virtual Workshops, where we virtually visit your online or in-school classroom and lead the workshops for you
2. Home Kits, for asynchronous, offline classrooms where students work at their own pace. Instructions are included in kits.
Our Workshops at a Glance:
Please click on the blue link for each grade for more detailed workshop descriptions
Curriculum Strands | Understanding Life Systems | Understanding Structures and Mechanisms | Understanding Matter and Energy | Understanding Earth and Space Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade 1 | Daily and Seasonal Changes: Weather Station | Material Objects and Everyday Structures: Helping the Harvest | Energy in Our Lives: Flying High! | ___ |
Grade 2 | Growth and Changes in Animals: The Code of Growth | Movement: Run, Marble, Run! | ___ | Air and Water in the Environment: Water is Life-Clean Water By Me |
Grade 3 | Growth and Changes in Plants: Can You Help Me Grow? | Strong and Stable Structures: Having a Good Mind- Helping our Animal Friends | Forces Causing Movement: Run, Marble, Run: It’s About Time | ___ |
Grade 4 | Habitats and Communities: No Place Like Home | Pulleys and Gears: Gearing up the Pulley Run | Light and Sound: Drum Roll Please | ___ |
Grade 5 | Human Organ Systems: Modelling Heart and Lungs | ___ | Properties and Changes in Matter: I’ve Got Gas – observing chemical change | Conservation of Energy: Let’s Spring into Action – design and build an elastic band powered vehicle |
Grade 6 | Biodiversity: Finding a Closer Way to See | Flight: Paper Airplane Design and Testing | Electricity: Lemon v. Potato | Space: Sundial – Charting the Walk |
Grade 7 | Interactions in the Environment: May the Forest Be with You | ___ | Pure Substances and Mixtures: Don’t Be Salty – Building a Separation Apparatus | Heat in the Environment: Too Cool for School – experiments in insulation |
Grade 8 | Cells: Am I a Plant or an Animal – designing cells | Systems in Action: You Can Add Arm – designing and building a pneumatic or hydraulic arm | Fluids: The Force flows through Fluid Dynamics | Water Systems: The Force flows through Fluid Dynamics |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much do workshops cost?
Workshops are free for schools located on First Nations territories. All supplies and materials are also included.
How do I book a workshop?
You can contact us by email to book your workshop, aboriginal.access.outreach@queensu.ca
We will need your name, your school, grade and workshop title.
What is included in kits?
Most supplies are included in the kits as well as a lesson plan. We will let you know upon booking if there are any supplies that we are unable to mail.
How much time in advance do I need to book a workshop?
For workshops that are in southern Ontario we ask for a 2 week window from ordering to receiving your kits. For schools that are further away, we ask for 3-4 weeks. We use UPS for shipping so our timeframes are based off their schedule.
How many workshops can I book?
You can book as many workshops as you would like, there are no limits on number of workshops.
How long are workshops?
Workshops vary in length. Grades 1-4 workshops are 60 minutes, with some additional time for a review. Grades 5-8 workshops are 90 minutes, with a second meeting for a review of big ideas.
How do the instructors from Queen's connect to my classroom?
Once the schedule is set up, our instructors will join as guests based on the video conferencing system you use in school. Our facilitators have experience with both Google Meet and Zoom.
