Program Highlights

• Session 1: 6/8 - 19

Chemistry in the Kitchen

Students explore reactions, acids & bases, emulsions, and food chemistry.

🌱 TK–K

Exploratory Chemistry

Focus: Observation & Sensory Discovery

Students will:
• Observe visible reactions (color change, bubbling, mixing)
• Explore acids and bases using safe food materials
• Compare textures and states (solid, liquid)
• Practice careful observation language

Skills Developed:
• Descriptive vocabulary
• Cause-and-effect recognition
• Early hypothesis thinking (“What do you think will happen?”)
• Safe lab behavior routines

No formal data tables — emphasis is guided discovery.

🌿 Grades 1–2

Guided Investigation

Focus: Beginning Experimental Structure

Students will:
• Test simple pH differences
• Compare reaction speed (temperature or surface area changes)
• Measure using basic tools (graduated cups, timers)
• Record results with structured templates

Skills Developed:
• Controlled comparison (change one variable)
• Beginning data recording
• Pattern recognition
• Clear conclusion statements

Students begin understanding fairness in testing.

🌳 Grades 3–5

Structured Experimentation

Focus: Data & Variable Control

Students will:
• Conduct Vitamin C comparison tests
• Design experiments with independent & dependent variables
• Measure reaction rates quantitatively
• Use basic graphs to represent results

Skills Developed:
• Variable identification
• Data tables & bar graphs
• Basic error discussion
• Experimental refinement

Students begin defending conclusions with evidence.

🌲 Grades 6–8

Quantitative Chemical Analysis

Focus: Precision & Scientific Reasoning

Students will:
• Conduct controlled titration-style analysis
• Calculate concentration comparisons
• Analyze reaction rate trends
• Discuss experimental error & reliability
• Refine experimental design for accuracy

Skills Developed:
• Lab protocol & documentation
• Data validity & reliability evaluation
• Multi-variable analysis
• Structured scientific argumentation

Students maintain engineering-style lab notebooks and justify conclusions with data.

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• Session 2: 6/22 - 7/3

Electrifying Tomorrow: Clean Energy Design

Students investigate circuits, renewable energy systems, and power storage.

🌱 TK–K

Discovering Energy & Light

Focus: What makes things light up and move?

Students will:
• Explore simple closed circuits (battery + bulb)
• Identify energy sources (sun, wind, batteries)
• Observe cause and effect (switch on/off)
• Compare bright vs dim connections

Hands-On Projects:
• Light-up card
• Simple paper circuit
• Sun-warmth vs shade exploration

Skills Developed:
• Cause & effect reasoning
• Safe material handling
• Early systems thinking (“What connects to what?”)
• Observation language

No abstract theory — focus on visible effects.

🌿 Grades 1–2

Building Basic Energy Systems

Focus: Simple circuit structure & renewable sources

Students will:
• Build series vs simple circuits
• Identify conductors vs insulators
• Explore solar energy basics
• Test how different setups affect brightness

Projects:
• Mini solar car demo
• Conductivity testing lab
• Wind-blade exploration

Skills Developed:
• Beginning systems mapping
• Variable comparison
• Recording observations
• Simple problem solving

Students begin asking: “How can we make it work better?”

🌳 Grades 3–5

Renewable Energy Engineering

Focus: Efficiency & Energy Transfer

Students will:
• Build series and parallel circuits
• Measure voltage differences
• Compare renewable energy models (solar vs wind)
• Explore energy storage limitations

Projects:
• Solar-powered prototype
• Wind blade optimization challenge
• Insulation & heat retention test

Skills Developed:
• Data recording
• Efficiency comparison
• Trade-off discussion
• Engineering redesign cycle

Students begin evaluating performance.

🌲 Grades 6–8

Energy Systems Modeling & Optimization

Focus: System Efficiency & Engineering Trade-offs

Students will:
• Model renewable energy systems
• Analyze energy transfer & storage constraints
• Evaluate battery efficiency & load capacity
• Design optimized clean energy prototypes
• Compare cost vs sustainability trade-offs

Projects:
• Solar array angle optimization experiment
• Wind turbine blade efficiency testing
• Power storage capacity comparison
• Energy redesign challenge

Skills Developed:
• Data graphing & trend analysis
• Systems modeling
• Multi-variable comparison
• Engineering trade-off reasoning
• Structured design justification

Students must defend design decisions with data.

• Session 3: 7/6 - 17

​

Earth Lab: Nature as Engineer

Understanding how natural systems inspire material strength, flexibility, insulation, and conductivity.

🌱 TK–K

Exploring Natural Materials

Focus: Touch, compare, observe

Students will:
• Compare hard vs soft materials
• Test what bends and what breaks
• Explore waterproof vs absorbent items
• Observe how animals and plants protect themselves

Hands-On:
• Leaf water test
• Rock vs sponge absorption
• Build a “strong house” from natural materials

Skills Developed:
• Descriptive vocabulary
• Early classification (strong / weak / bendy)
• Cause & effect observation
• Curiosity about nature’s design

No formal measurement — sensory exploration and guided questioning.

🌿 Grades 1–2

Nature-Inspired Design

Focus: Comparing material properties

Students will:
• Test absorbency rates
• Compare flexibility of materials
• Explore insulation (heat retention test)
• Identify natural design examples (shells, spider webs, bark)

Projects:
• Waterproof challenge
• Mini bridge strength comparison
• Animal shelter design

Skills Developed:
• Controlled comparison
• Beginning measurement
• Recording results
• Early biomimicry thinking

Students begin asking: “Why is this stronger?”

🌳 Grades 3–5

Materials Testing & Structural Design

Focus: Measuring strength & performance

Students will:
• Conduct tensile and compression tests
• Compare insulation performance
• Test conductivity (basic circuit integration)
• Analyze structural stability

Projects:
• Bridge strength challenge
• Heat-resistant container test
• Shock-absorption engineering

Skills Developed:
• Data tables
• Graphing comparisons
• Failure point analysis
• Iterative redesign

Students defend which material performs best — and why.

🌲 Grades 6–8

Applied Materials Science & Systems Engineering

Focus: Quantitative testing & design refinement

Students will:
• Conduct controlled stress tests (tension/compression)
• Measure load capacity & failure thresholds
• Analyze thermal insulation performance
• Evaluate conductivity differences
• Apply biomimicry principles to prototype design

Advanced Projects:
• Structural load challenge with weight measurements
• Multi-layer insulation efficiency comparison
• Conductivity optimization experiment
• Nature-inspired structural redesign

Skills Developed:
• Multi-variable analysis
• Quantitative graphing
• Trade-off reasoning (strength vs weight, cost vs durability)
• Engineering documentation
• Prototype iteration based on measured data

Students must justify design decisions with quantitative evidence.

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• Session 4: 7/20 - 31

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🚀 Innovation Studio: Design the Future

Students integrate chemistry, energy systems, and materials science into a final engineering challenge.

🌱 TK–K

Invent, Build, Share

Focus: Guided invention & creative problem solving

Students will:
• Identify a simple problem (toy storage, shade, light, water)
• Build with structured materials
• Test “Does it work?”
• Share their idea with peers

Projects:
• Light-up model house
• Waterproof shelter
• Mini energy-powered structure

Skills Developed:
• Early design thinking
• Cause & effect reasoning
• Problem → Solution mindset
• Confidence in presenting ideas

Presentation Format:
Show-and-tell style with teacher-guided explanation.

🌿 Grades 1–2

Design & Improve

Focus: Guided engineering cycle

Students will:
• Define a problem with criteria
• Build a prototype
• Test performance
• Improve based on feedback

Projects:
• Solar-powered mini build
• Strongest bridge redesign
• Water filtration model

Skills Developed:
• Beginning design cycle
• Data-informed improvement
• Clear explanation of choices

Presentation Format:
Simple poster + demonstration.

🌳 Grades 3–5

Engineering Challenge Studio

Focus: Structured design process

Students will:
• Define constraints & criteria
• Select appropriate materials
• Apply energy systems knowledge
• Test efficiency & durability
• Redesign based on measured data

Projects:
• Sustainable mini-city
• Energy-efficient home model
• Multi-material structural design

Skills Developed:
• Systems integration
• Trade-off reasoning
• Data-driven redesign
• Team collaboration

Presentation Format:
Formal board + data table + prototype demo.

🌲 Grades 6–8

Applied Innovation & Engineering Defense

Focus: Independent engineering project

Students will:

1️⃣ Identify a real-world problem
2️⃣ Conduct background research
3️⃣ Define constraints (cost, materials, efficiency)
4️⃣ Design & prototype
5️⃣ Collect quantitative performance data
6️⃣ Analyze results & refine
7️⃣ Present at the FutureLab Innovation Summit

Project Examples:
• Micro renewable energy system for small community
• Sustainable food storage system
• Heat-efficient shelter design
• Shock-resistant structural system

Skills Developed:
• Integrated systems thinking
• Multi-variable analysis
• Trade-off evaluation
• Engineering documentation
• Structured presentation defense

Students must justify:
Why this design?
Why these materials?
What does the data show?
What would you improve next?