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  • Messy Summer Science Experiments! (French version available)

    Messy Summer Science Experiments! (French version available)

    Ok, so school’s out, you’ve watched every episode of your favourite show on Netflix, and you’re trying to avoid doing chores. Or maybe you’re trying to entertain the kids you’re babysitting, a younger sibling or two, or just really, really feel like making a mess! Here are a few experiments that are fun, messy, and educational! No one can get angry about a mess when you’re learning. Right?

    *TIP: Do these outside.*

    • Giant bubbles: Everyone loves making bubbles, but giant ones are even better! This takes simple supplies you may already have around the house. You’ll need string, plastic straws, bubble solution, and a flat container like a cookie sheet. You’ll attach the string through the straws to form a big circle with “handles” (the straws). Then you can create large bubbles to delight kids of all ages. PBS.org has a great how-to with photos on their website.
    • Rainbow Bubble Snakes: Do you have a pile or a drawer full of socks missing a match? This activity will use those poor, lonely socks. You will need a water bottle, an orphaned sock, food colouring and dish soap. This website has detailed instructions with photos that show just how fun and messy things will get. See how long a bubble snake you can create. Can you create a rainbow? How many different colour combinations can you create?
    • Outrageous Ooze: One of my favourite messy experiments involves corn starch. You only need corn starch and water. You can add food colouring if you want more mess (who doesn’t?). The corn starch feels so silky smooth, and the properties it exhibits while you play in it are so soothing. When you manage to get the consistency right, it will look like a liquid in the container, but if you smack the surface of it hard with the palm of your hand, it feels solid! I did this one with 5-year-olds, and while they didn’t “get” the science behind it, they had a blast! You older kids will enjoy it as well, as you explore non-Newtonian fluids. This site shows you how to do it and explains the chemistry behind the ooze.
    • Ice cream in baggies: Now for an experiment, you can eat! Did you know you can make ice cream in a baggie with your own two hands? This website lists the recipe and the detailed instructions. But suffice it to say that this experiment is a delicious way to explore chemistry. I highly suggest this activity be done outside in case a baggie leaks, and bring your spoons. As an alternative, try doing more than a single serving in a coffee can, rolling it back and forth between you and a friend until the ice cream sets. Don’t forget your winter gloves, your hands will get very cold!  Have fun!
  • Why Should Girls Get Involved with STEM?

    Why Should Girls Get Involved with STEM?

    In our society, girls seem to be underrepresented in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Even more interesting is that in contrast to girls, boys seem to be actively involved in all of these fields. So what’s the deal? Why are girls not participating in these fields as much as boys? These are questions that are stumping researchers and other experts.

    There is a stereotype that has been circulating around, that maybe girls just aren’t as good at these subjects as their male counterparts. However, research suggests that there isn’t any evidence to support this claim. We all know girls are just as capable and smart as boys. Researchers have found that, when tested, girls are equally as successful in any of these subjects as boys. However, as long as this negative stereotype continues to persist it can cause real harm. It can actually cause girls to believe that they aren’t good at these subjects before even trying them. There is a natural bias for people to assume that science and math are fields best suited to males and that the arts are better suited to females. Why not disprove this theory?

    People also believe that maybe girls aren’t involved in STEM because there aren’t enough female role models in these fields to look up to. Seeing women who are thriving and successful in these fields could make them more enticing to younger females. People like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have made their fortunes in fields related to STEM. However, there still seems to be lacking female equivalents. It would be great to see females who have invented or developed ideas related to STEM in our society. The women that are contributing and involved in STEM should be given more visibility in order to promote these fields.

    There are many reasons why girls should get involved in STEM. Firstly, positions related to these fields are abundant. Why not make contributions to them and stand out from others? Scientists are trying to solve some of the most difficult questions in our time. Engineers are designing different things that we can use to better our lives and make things easier. With the internet and other forms of communication becoming more popular, there are a wide variety of job opportunities relating to technology.  People in these professions are doing creative and innovative things. In addition to this, these positions provide a person with a really great income (who doesn’t like money?). Helping the world and making great money doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me!

  • How the Motion Picture Hidden Figures is Inspiring Women to Consider STEM

    How the Motion Picture Hidden Figures is Inspiring Women to Consider STEM

    Hidden Figures is based on three incredible female trailblazers in the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM during the Space Race against Russia led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the early 1960s.

    This film was a breath of fresh air for moviegoers. For one, it brought into the spotlight three strong female characters namely Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, all of whom did not get the recognition they deserved for helping John Glenn become the first astronaut in history to orbit the earth three times. The trio was wonderfully brought to life by talented actresses Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, and while the film was a lighthearted take on their real-life challenges, it nevertheless made people aware of the disparity of males and females in the STEM industry and how we can do something to change that. Pundits are hopeful the film has taken the right step in inspiring women of today to join STEM.

    Surprising ratio

    There is a poignant scene in the movie when NASA mission specialist Karl Zielinski poses the question “If you were a white man, would you wish to be an engineer?” to Mary Jackson. The latter answers in a matter-of-fact manner, “I wouldn’t have to. I’d already be one.”

    Of course, the hurdles Jackson had to overcome to be an engineer were one of the film’s focal points—and to see her triumph was one of the film’s most heartwarming moments. She aspired to be an engineer and had to fight tooth and nail to gain admission to an all-male educational institution that offers graduate-level courses in math and physics to be qualified for the job, filing a petition with the City of Hampton.

    While there are a sufficient number of colleges and universities that offers STEM curriculum for both males and females, there remains to be an imbalance because of the stigma that this area is only for men.

    According to ITWorldCanada.com, Statistics Canada reported that at the end of 2015, there was a low percentage of female university graduates aged 24 to 35 with a STEM degree (only 39 per cent), and after graduation, these women are less likely to have a career in the STEM fields than their male counterparts. Men with STEM degrees have lower unemployment rates and enjoy higher wages.

    The global figures are not any different. According to a November 2015 report published by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics, women only account for less than a third of the total number of employees in scientific research and development, pegged at 28.4 per cent.

    What is keeping them away?

    In Canada, there is certainly no shortage of well-established schools that offer outstanding STEM degrees to both males and females. In fact, in 2015, the University of Toronto had a record number of 30.6 per cent of female first-year students enrolled in the engineering programs. There are even all-girls’ high schools with a STEM focus such as St. Margaret’s School in Victoria, British Columbia and Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan, British Columbia.

    However, while there is a substantial rate of students completing STEM degrees, only a few of them will actually go for a STEM career after graduation, and those who do join are likely to leave because of feelings of isolation and difficulty in adopting to a male-dominated environment.

    Time for a change

    While there are adequate resources for young Canadian women who aspire to have STEM careers, Canada’s Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan deduces that the low number of females who actually establish careers in the STEM field is largely due to the fact that there are rarely any champions to lead the way. By champions she means not enough women in senior leadership positions.

    Duncan says that for a recent round of nominations from Canadian universities for the Canada Research Chairs, men gained twice the number of nominations over women.

    Duncan is hopeful things will change as she believes “Science opens up a wonderful world.” And as the three amazing “hidden figures” have proven, that wonderful world is within reach, we all just have to work together to achieve it.

    SOURCES:

    http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-supports-young-scientists-and-engineers-through-promoscience-at-science-odyssey-launch-622088113.html

    http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/lets-talk-about-women-in-stem/391215

    http://www.macleans.ca/society/canadas-science-minister-speaks-out-on-women-in-stem/

    https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2017/02/08/hidden-figures-highlights-the-ongoing-legacy-of-women-and-minorities-in-stem/

    https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/13/hidden-figures-inspiring-stem-heroes-for-girls/

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/noodleeducation/2017/02/24/encouraging-todays-hidden-figures-in-stem/#64b6ddae4c39

    http://www.livescience.com/43296-what-is-stem-education.html

    http://www.npr.org/2016/12/16/505569187/hidden-figures-no-more-meet-the-black-women-who-helped-send-america-to-space

    http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2013001/article/11874-eng.htm

  • Completing the Puzzle: Why Nature Matters

    Completing the Puzzle: Why Nature Matters

    With so many devices to keep a person entertained in the confines of their home, it is hard to blame anyone for spending much of their time inside. You may be reading this in your room. I wrote these words sitting at home. So it can come across as a trite platitude when you are told to spend more time in nature. You have heard that time and time again. You know it is important. But knowing is only one piece of the puzzle.

    By stepping outside, a response is triggered in your mind and body that no words can match. The sights and sounds of nature have a physiological effect that reduces stress and puts your body in a more relaxed state. Touch trees, run your fingers through blades of grass, smell flowers, and breathe in the air. Let your senses take in nature directly and you will build a relationship with nature.

    By spending more time in nature, you understand more and more that the separation between nature and society is an imaginary line. Every single bit of technology on your desk, every bit of material used to make the building or bus you are in- all of it is derived from the Earth. We have simply taken all those elements and mixed and rearranged them in a very unique way. By seeing a human home not as something different from a bird’s nest or beaver dam, but rather a more complex version of the same thing, you can feel the connection to nature and the need to care for it.

    From there, you will be more aware of opportunities around you to care for the world around you. You can use science class to practice gardening. You can find countless volunteer programs helping the environment in your local area or beyond.

    These might feel like small steps in a world this big. It’s so easy to be cynical and feel like you have no impact. On one hand, towering trees and endless fields can make you feel small. But they also show how literally every single thing that exists is interconnected. From the plants rooted in the soil, to the soil stretching across the land. From the animals eating those plants, to the air those animals breathe stretching across the Earth’s atmosphere. Nature reveals everything as integral pieces to a larger puzzle. Those tall trees have stood for centuries, and those animals will give birth to offspring. Nature connects you not only to everything in the present, but to the past and future as well.

    Remember that your small actions lead to other actions. Recycling, planting one small tree, and picking up of trash off the ground can inspire your friend to follow suit and think more positively. That can affect another person, and another. No one piece completes any puzzle, but no one puzzle is complete without every piece.

     

  • What Kinds of Jobs are in Agriculture?

    What Kinds of Jobs are in Agriculture?

    If someone asks you to name a job in agriculture, chances are the first thing to come to mind is farming. When you are interested in agriculture, but working on a traditional animal or crop farm is not the type of work you wish to do, it can be difficult to learn what other options are available. Luckily, these days there are many different jobs in the agricultural industry besides farming.

    Food Scientists ensure that food production is safe and healthy, and help to develop new foods and other agricultural products. They often go to university and study subjects including chemistry, biology, and genetics. These scientists study things like food allergies, reasons why food goes bad and how to prevent this, or how to make processed foods healthier, more nutritious, and better tasting.

    Agricultural Officers work to ensure research laboratories and outdoor field production follow municipal, provincial, and national regulatory standards. They will also conduct investigations when a company disobeys the regulations, act as consultants, and give advice to companies and government agencies.

    Plant or Animal Biologists work in research labs studying ways to use, grow, and protect our food crops and animals, or in civilian and government positions working to affect legislature and laws. Research can include how to fight plant or animal pests and diseases that can affect food production, and ways to help food crops grow faster or in poor conditions.

    Inspectors with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspect and certify industrial food production and processes, to ensure they comply with sanitary production, and other health and safety regulations.

    Veterinarians are important members of the agricultural field, specializing in produce animals such as cattle, chickens and other birds, and pigs, to ensure that they are healthy and well-treated. They will also advise on matters of public safety, such as disease control.

    Hydroponic and Aeroponic Farmers are related to traditional farmers, but use special techniques to grow plants with little or no soil, and often indoors. Hydroponic farming works by having the plants grow in pots or containers with their roots in a water mixture containing minerals and nutrients. Aeroponic techniques are similar, but have the plants’ roots hanging into an empty space or container, where they are surrounded by a fine mist of nutrient-rich water. This type of farming is becoming very popular, because they can produce a large volume of food crops with very little land requirements, as since these are typically indoors, a hydroponic farm can operate inside a building with several floors, each dedicated to different crops if desired.

    Horticulture and Landscaping Technicians grow primarily non-crop plants, usually for ornamental indoor and outdoor use, and are responsible for breeding, growing, planting, and maintaining them. They can work at greenhouses, landscaping companies, golf courses, or municipal and regional parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

    Sources:

    Government of Canada Job Bank – Explore Careers by Occupation

    http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/occupation_search

     

  • Nature Watch: Exploring Our Solar System – Events To Watch In 2015

    Nature Watch: Exploring Our Solar System – Events To Watch In 2015

    Our solar system is our neighbourhood, with many questions remaining about our planets, moons, comets, and asteroids. If you are interested in space and planetary exploration, the search for water on other planets, and uncovering the secrets of our solar system, these are three events to keep an eye on this summer.

    Rosetta Mission – Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

    (European Space Agency)

    The Milestone: Rosetta is performing the first long-term close observation of a comet, and the Philae lander is the first scientific lander on a surface other than a planet or moon.

    The Mission: Launched in March 2004, Rosetta’s main objective was to catch up to and orbit comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and deploy the Philae lander to the surface. Both events succeeded in November 2014. In 2015, Rosetta continues to observe 67P as it nears its closest approach to the Sun, examining gas and dust interactions that create a comet’s characteristic “tail”. Both Rosetta and Philae have sent back stunning photographs of the comet from orbit.

     Events This Summer: 67P’s perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) will occur around August 13, 2015. The data gathered will show what happens to comets as they pass close to the Sun.

    More Information: http://sci.esa.int/rosetta

    http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta

     

     

    Dawn Mission – Protoplanet Vesta and Dwarf Planet Ceres

    (NASA and JPL)

    The Milestone: Using a specially designed ion propulsion system, Dawn achieved a remarkable feat: visiting two separate planetary bodies in the asteroid belt, and performing orbital observations around both. This also marks the first visit to a dwarf planet by any spacecraft.

    The Mission: Launched in September 2006, Dawn travelled through the solar system to encounter and orbit the proto-planet Vesta from July 2011-September 2012. After mapping and science observations, Dawn broke orbit from Vesta and travelled another two years to rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres in March 2015. By studying these planetary bodies, we hope to learn about the early formation of the solar system.

    Events This Summer: August 2015 and December 2015 will see Dawn perform the two lowest mapping orbits, providing detailed surface photographs and scientific measurements, and hopefully solving the mystery of the “bright spots” on Ceres’ surface.

    More Information: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov

     

     

    New Horizons Mission – Pluto System Flyby

    (NASA)

    The Milestone: The first ever flyby of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moon system, the most distant and still unexamined member of our solar system.

    The Mission: New Horizons launched in 2006, and will perform a flyby observation of the Pluto system, then continue on an extended mission into the distant Kuiper Belt to visit the small, icy bodies orbiting the outer edges of our solar system. This mission will provide detailed photographs, surface maps, and valuable scientific data about Pluto, and help us learn about the outskirts and formation of our solar system.

    Events This Summer: New Horizons closest approach to Pluto is scheduled for July 14, 2015. Currently in approach phase, new pictures with increasing detail are regularly transmitted back to Earth and made available to the public.

    More Information: http://nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons

     

  • The Importance of STEM Education

    The Importance of STEM Education

    STEM education. What is it? STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It is applied to academic fields that use these studies. This type of education implements both hands on and problem based approaches.[1] So why STEM? What is its significance? It is a guide line to help further grow our engineering and innovation industry. It helps students apply these skills both to profession based and everyday problems. With the ever growing technology industry, we need to help individuals recognize the importance of STEM and encourage them to follow this path.

    The STEM Education Coalition[2] is a non-profit organization that advocates the importance of STEM education. They raise awareness throughout the United States to schools and other organizations. Scouts Canada[3], the country’s leading youth organization has a STEM program that allows youth to play and experiment with science and technology through a hands-on interactive approach. The programs are collaborations of Scouts Canada, Imperial Oil Foundation and Exxon Mobile Canada. These major energy companies depend heavily on engineers of many kinds.[4]

    Major tech companies such as Google, Cisco and Microsoft have made generous contributions to programs in Canada regarding STEM.[5] A major part of these programs is programming and creating software. This will allow future students to be comfortable with modern day technology while it gives them the skill and confidence to create it. As other nations continue to invest in STEM, Canada must also follow suit in order to stay ahead of the times. As a developed country, Canada cannot afford to fall behind in educating our youth about STEM.

    Research shows that the majority of STEM participants are male.[6] The University of Waterloo has signed on to the HeForShe campaign[7] which is a gender equality campaign that raises awareness for the equal treatment of women. In part, this campaign hopes to encourage females to join STEM fields. STEM education should be supported by both governments and families. All Children should be encouraged from a young age to engage in science-related activities as we will always depend on engineers and scientists to evolve our technological world.

    Footnotes & Resources:

    [1] http://www.cslnet.org/our-agenda/what-is-stem/

    [2] http://www.stemedcoalition.org/

    [3] http://www.scouts.ca/ca/about-scouts-canada

    [4] http://talentegg.ca/incubator/2010/11/22/careers-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-from-start-to-finish/

    [5] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/why-tech-giants-are-investing-in-stem-programs-for-students/article21329798/

    [6] http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/06/20/stem-fields-and-the-gender-gap-where-are-the-women/

    [7] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/waterloo-joins-un-program-promoting-women-at-universities/article24250455/

  • Why Canada Needs More STEM Students

    Why Canada Needs More STEM Students

    As a wealthy, diverse and constantly growing nation, Canada needs students and workers going into the valuable fields of engineering, technology, science and mathematics. While these can be some of the most challenging career paths, they can also be some of the most rewarding. The acronym STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

    There are many other subcategories within the STEM fields like biology, geology, psychology, robotic engineering, aerospace engineering, industrial engineering, software design, computer hardware design, anthropology, sociology and a whole lot more! STEM fields are the backbone of society and new students are always needed to design, improve, innovate and create.

    Graduates of STEM programs are extremely valuable to Canada and make great contributions to the Canadian economy and culture. The achievements of Canadians in STEM fields are known worldwide and it’s up to the next generation of students to continue that legacy of greatness. Engineers are responsible for buildings and structures and are required for just about any major project, from bridges to houses to high rise condominiums. Scientists and mathematicians are needed for a huge variety of jobs, from biologists and chemists to the robotics experts that created the world famous Canadarm or some of our leading bio medical doctors and researchers.

    STEM graduates are needed in almost every field, be it politics, conservation, law enforcement, architecture or military. Former STEM graduates create and plan the roads we drive on, the planes in the sky, the computer programs we use, and they even helped to design your home or school. This wide variety of STEM-based careers is integral to the functioning of society. Simply put, if there were no more STEM students the world would be a much more chaotic place to live!

    Not only do STEM graduates benefit their country, they also benefit themselves. They can open the doors to a wide variety of jobs and careers that put your intellect and creativity to the test as well as paying out steady incomes. Unfortunately, Canada currently isn’t producing as many STEM students as it once did, according to data from the Conference Board of Canada’s website.

    Now more than ever, Canada needs students to step up and study STEM programs and career paths. Take a look at STEM today!

  • Jobs of the Future: What to Expect When You Graduate

    Jobs of the Future: What to Expect When You Graduate

    Graduation is a major event for students; it’s a milestone in your life and an accomplishment that can’t be taken away. After you graduate you’ll be thrown into the adult world of jobs and careers.

    This is a major time of change and can be scary. That’s why it’s important to have a plan for what you want to do and what sort of education you need to do it. The path to personal success is a rough and bumpy ride, sometimes with many twists and turns.

    Don’t have any what you want to do? Don’t freak out. People change college and university programs multiple times. Most people will cycle through several jobs and careers in their lifetime. Education can help you discover what fits with your personality and what career path suits you the most. Working a job you don’t like, especially for many years, is not a fun experience and it’s important to find a comfortable balance between your working time and recreational time. Nobody likes to be stressed out all the time!

    We live in an exciting and rapidly changing world, and the job market reflects this. Many traditional careers are being changed or ended due to constantly evolving technology. This is why its important to research what sort of career path you want to take and keep up with new developments and changes in your chosen field. Statistics on the employability of certain graduates and the availability of jobs can be found in many online resources. In other words, keep informed!

    STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs, are very important. As technology improves so does the need for dedicated workers in these fields. There are a massive variety of STEM jobs, each field containing a huge variety of careers. A few examples include:

    Science: energy conservationist, agricultural worker, and industrial biotechnologist.

    Technology: construction, automotive manufacturing and economics.

    Engineering: civil engineers, structural engineers, and mechanical engineers.

    Mathematics: architect, high school mathematics teacher, and physicist.

    As you can see, STEM jobs are incredibly diverse and it’s up to you to find what suits you best. STEM jobs can be some of the toughest but also some of the most rewarding, both financially and personally. So keep an open mind and stay up to date on the evolving fields. Getting a STEM job isn’t for everyone, but they can be some of the most exciting and important jobs.

  • How to Prepare for a STEM Career

    How to Prepare for a STEM Career

    Ever wonder how Albert Einstein got started? How about Isaac Newton or even Steve Jobs? If you’re interested in learning about the world around you and how it works, STEM careers might be a good fit for you. Made up of the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM careers are personally rewarding and a great outlet to explore your interests. You may not be at the stage where you have to set yourself on a career path (or you may have already decided to go down the STEM road), but there are things you can do to ensure you’re on the track to success in the field you choose.

    Almost every college and university out there offers a multitude of STEM programs for potential applicants. These programs often have rigorous requirements for admission (for example, in fields like Life Sciences), and the competition can be tough. To properly prepare for post-secondary education in STEM, make sure you take all the necessary prerequisites for the program you’re looking at—and make sure you study hard to meet the mark cut-offs.

    There are so many opportunities out there to get involved with STEM, even apart from post-secondary education. If you’re looking for some great job experience, you can investigate the opportunity for a STEM internship or apprenticeship, which could be a great way to put your practical skills to use. Volunteer positions with certain organizations can be very valuable as well, especially if they’re directly linked to your field of study (to continue the Life Sciences example, look into volunteering at a local hospital). Not only are these sorts of experiences good for your own personal fulfillment, but they look great on a resume, which can really set you apart.

    If you aren’t quite committed to a STEM field but want to learn more, a school club or organization is a fantastic place to start. This gives you the added bonus of being able to meet equally motivated students that share your interests without the serious responsibility of any of the above opportunities. STEM extra-curriculars also look good on post-secondary applications but, more importantly, they give you the chance to explore your options. You are considering pursuing a career that focuses on discovery, after all—why not take the opportunity to discover some of your own STEM-based interests?

    Though it may be a little early to start job-hunting, preparing for a STEM career can mean working on your academics, finding a volunteer or internship position, or even just joining a club. You may be surprised to see how truly valued these types of experiences turn out to be in the workforce. Good luck on your STEM path, whatever you decide it to be. Maybe you’ll be the one making all the discoveries one day!