STEAM Activities & Ideas (MCYU Archives)

A creation of Mrs. Sara Croke’s grade 4-5 students form R.A. Riddell Elementary School highlighting the life and state of Lake Ontario.

Zakki, an alien, is looking for a new home and we’re going to explore the solar system and find the best planet with ideal terrain, good climate and resources for Zakki.

Download the crossword (PDF)
Download the crossword answers (PDF)

Atoms are unique building blocks and work together to form different materials through the way they interact. Let’s explore how atoms form different materials and why it is a big deal, with Samantha Stambula!

Julie Bolduc-Duval takes us on a tour in an out of this world lecture about astronomy, the phenomena and the complexity of space.

Dr. Derek Chu discusses how food allergy affects health and how discoveries at McMaster are reimagining food allergy and anaphylaxis.

Dr. Adrianne Xavier discusses how Indigenous culture, community, food and the environment all work together.

Trees are an important part of our landscape and well-being – they give us shade, they help the air quality and they are beautiful! In this fun and interactive lecture, Dr. Myles Sergeant and a group of his students from the McMaster sustainability program discuss the importance of trees to our landscape and well-being. Together, we explore why we need trees, how to plant them and how to create more urban forests.

Wayne Terryberry discusses the possibility of restoring a parking lot at McMaster University to a natural environment with marshlands, native plants and trails. Together, we will explore the possible ecological restoration and the environmental significance of this area.

Let’s take a closer look into ecology and biodiversity!

In Part 3 of this three-part lecture, Dr. Quinn talks about Smooth-billed Anis in Puerto Rico, including topics like behavioral patterns and referential alarm calls. Two playback experiments and microsatellite DNA fingerprinting are also discussed.

In Part 2 of this three-part lecture, Dr. Quinn talks about Pukeko in New Zealand, which includes the following topics:

• Mating systems in birds
• Joint-laying (nest sharing) in Pukeko and smooth-billed anis
• Pukeko mating system, indirect fitness, status signaling and egg laying control

In Part 1 of this three-part series, Dr. Quinn talks about topics like: natural selection, genes, behavioral patterns, several species that engage in cooperative breeding and a closer look at Florida scrub jays.

Featuring special guest Grant Maltman, Chief Curator of Banting House – The Birthplace of Insulin. Maltman joins us virtually from Sir Frederick Banting’s bedroom, where Banting woke up at two o’clock in the morning on October 31, 1920, with the idea that led to the discovery of insulin. Includes Q&A and Maltman’s lively stories about Banting.

Discover the man you thought you knew.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. Do you understand why it’s important to wear masks or keep a fair distance between one another? Or what it means when we hear that new variants of the virus are here or how this affects everyone? Join Dr. Puja Bagri and discover why the virus that causes COVID-19 has been so tricky to eliminate and discuss how vaccines will help us return to our normal lives.

Did you know that cells in the body of plants and animals have their own language? They can scream “help” or “stay away”! This helps our body to adapt to future stress. For example, when we get sick by breathing in a germ, how does our whole body feel sick? How do we get stronger and faster when we exercise? Do you know that mothers can even communicate with their babies in womb to prepare them for when they are born? Together, we’ll learn about some of the conversations IN your body and talk about some ways in which you can try to tune in to the signals.

Have you ever broken a bone? Ever wonder if there are things you can do when you’re young to make your bones as strong as possible to prevent broken bones later in life? Join Dr. Pritchard to discover things you can do NOW to make sure your bones stay healthy and keep you standing tall for life!

Tune in to Stefan Weber’s presentation and discussion with students from the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, Grades 4 – 8, on The Carolinian Life Zone in Canada, rare native trees in Hamilton, Ontario, how to grow trees from seeds, ecosystem service and the role of native plant communities.

Supporting Materials:
Hamilton Public Library’s All About Tree’s Booklist (PDF)

McMaster University Grad Student, Stefan Weber presents and discusses the power of seeds with Grade 2 and 3 students from the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. Tune in to learn about pollination and pollinators, fruit and seed diversity, growing plants from seeds and why we need plants for healthy food, clean air and water.

Supporting Materials:
Hamilton Public Library’s All About Tree’s Booklist (PDF)

MCYU presents Happy Exercise. Let’s explore the different happiness chemicals we experience when we exercise and play “Name that Happiness Chemical!”

Let’s explore and investigate how soap helps to clean our hands during this COVID-19 pandemic, along with two fun activities, including making a do-it-yourself homemade virus!

To complete our UPlanet project, we’ll be looking at how people live together and create laws and societal rules for them to follow! Topics include health care, youth development, education, and social services.

Let’s create our own planets and explore how biology, technology, engineering and design all work together!

In part three, Dr. Thomas Hawke’s Research on Seals in Antarctica. Discover what we can learn about human biology and medicines, by studying seals.

In part two, Dr. Hawke shares photos and stories of his time spent in Antarctica, and we get a glimpse of a researcher’s journey and experience, working and living in Antarctica.

Seals can hold their breath for a long time while they swim and chase their food! How can understanding how they do this help us design better medicines for people who are sick? Join us in this three part series to learn about seal research in Antarctica!

In part one, Dr. Hawke tells us about how Antarctica was discovered and teaches us about the terrain, climate and wildlife there painting a vivid picture of the harsh climate

In Exercise Messengers we challenge you to be active every day next week and share how you keep your muscles strong.

Try this MCYU challenge to create your mind game and, once you’re finished, share any questions you may have with us!

Create your water filter, take a photo, and share with us!

Episode 1 features Dr. Katie Moisse who is a scientist-turned-science journalist. Dr. Moisse now teaches science communication at McMaster University. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, Spectrum, and the Atlantic. She was also a health reporter and editor for ABC News from 2010-2014. The questions in Episode 1 were submitted from kids who attended Dr. Katie Moisse’s lecture “The Science of Storytelling” with the MCYU Family Lecture Series at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. The lecture introduced stories of scientific discovery stranger than fiction and explored why stories are a great way to learn about science.

Mr. Rob Bell’s Grade 5/6 class investigate the life of Hazel Isabel Layden, a Dundas resident who perished as a result of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.