2022 Spring Online Programs

Looking for an in-person option?
Click here for our IN-PERSON CLASSES!

Looking for online classes for teens?
Click here for our ONLINE TEEN CLASSES!

This project has been made possible in part by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Our Spring Session begins March 21st! Registration is open now. We will be offering classes both online and in-person this Spring.

Be sure to Join our Email List to receive future notifications.

Online Spring Classes:

Join our weekly Zoom class to explore science through hands-on experimentation. We send a materials kit before the first class that will contain everything your student needs to do the experiments during the class at home. Our online science classes are split into three age groups that follow the same series of experiments, as well as a 5-16 year old class for families who prefer a more multi age setting or need extra flexibility in scheduling. Each session has a brand new list of experiments, there is no overlap between this Spring’s list and our previous online sessions. See the list below for experiments we will be doing this Spring.

  • 10 weeks, March 21st – June 3rd. (No classes during Spring Break week April 12-16)
  • Science classes for ages 5-16
  • Click here to see how the Online Lessons are structured.
  • A complete kit of materials will be shipped to each student. (We do not ship internationally.)

Please note: Due to kit assembly and mail delivery times, registration received after March 7th may not receive material kits in time for the first class. Please be sure to register before March 7th.
Register Now

Online Class Schedule

See Home Science Description & Experiment List here.
See Teen Class Description here.

( Click here to see Schedule in Chart format.)
Tuesday Classes

  • 12:00-1:00 PST, Age 5-8
  • 2:00-1:00 PST, Age 7-10

Wednesday Classes

  • 10:00-11:00 PST, Ages 5-8
  • 12:00-1:00 PST, Teen Science, Ages 11-16
  • 2:00-3:00 PST, Ages 9-12
  • 4:00-5:00 PST, Ages 7-10

Thursday Classes

  • 12:00-1:00 PST, Ages 5-8
  • 2:00-3:00 PST, Ages 5-16
  • 4:00-5:00 PST, Ages 9-12

Science for ages 5-16

Bring exciting, hands-on science experiments into your home! Using a combination of live Zoom classes and kit materials we ship to your home, your children will be led through an explanation of the science as well as engaging in fun and exciting hands on experiments. We use storytelling, questions, and fun demos to explain the science and get your child engaged. Children have opportunities to be spotlighted and share their discoveries and creations, as well as receive feedback from both the instructor and their classmates. We will explore a wide range of topics from electricity to chemistry to engineering and physics

Home Science Experiment List:

  • Carnival Games – What is the best way to knock over a stack of bottles with a ball? Can you change something about the bottles to make it harder? Learn about center of gravity while finding out about the physics you need to beat a common carnival game!
  • Capsized! – How do you keep a boat from flipping over? What does a sailboat look like under the water? Build and test sailboats to find out what makes them travel fast without capsizing!
  • Paper Bridge – Can you build a bridge with just a sheet of paper and some paper clips? What makes it stronger? How much weight can it hold?
  • All Broken Up – Will a chemical reaction occur at the same speed if you use small pieces versus one big chunk? Experiment with reaction times and see how you can shoot a film canister into the air using chemical reactions!
  • Sinking Slowly – Would you sink in a pool of honey as fast as you would in a pool of water? Would you rather enter a boat race on the lake or in a tar pit? Explore fluid viscosity while drowning marbles in a test tube!
  • Spying Around Corners – Can you spy around a corner before coming into view? How does a submarine see above the waves without surfacing? Build a periscope and find out!
  • Balance Bot Buddy – Can you create a structure that can balance on a toothpick? A friend who can dance on your fingertip? Play with center of gravity to create a balance bot buddy!
  • Just Water Yourself – Do you always forget to water your plants and come back to a brown husk? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a plant that waters itself? Build a self watering planter and watch your plant thrive!
  • Slow Down! – Do you want your slide to be super slick and fast so you can slip right down? What about your front steps? Learn about how different surfaces affect friction while shooting pennies across the floor!
  • Boomerangs — Can you create something that comes back to you when you throw it? What types of shapes work best? Create your own boomerang design and have your creation come flying back!

Teen Science – Engineering and Design

In addition to our online science classes we have a class this Spring that is specifically designed for teens ages 11-16. There is no overlap of experiments between our teen and online classes, so your teen can sign up for the series that looks more interesting or do both! See the Experiment List below.

Schedule:

Wednesday, 12:00-1:00 PST, Teen Class, Ages 11-16

Teen Experiment List

This Spring we will be exploring forces, temperature, structures, and more through engineering and design! We will be looking at how we can use engineering to make structures stronger or adhesives work even when the temperature reaches extremes.

  • What a Drag — What makes a vehicle aerodynamic? Can you change the shape of an object to reduce its drag? Pull vehicles through water with a spring scale to explore and minimize drag!
  • Paper Airplane Launcher — How do jets manage to take off on the deck of an aircraft carrier? Can you make a launcher to improve the flight of a paper airplane? Can you modify and optimize? Design and build a paper airplane launcher!
  • Strength in Numbers — Can a single piece of spaghetti support weight? Do two pieces support twice as much weight? What about a bundle? Experiment with how load bearing capacity changes as pieces work together!
  • Suspension Bridges — How does a suspension bridge work? How can you modify the design to make it stronger? Design and optimize your own suspension bridge!
  • Wave Blockers — Do tinfoil hats really block electromagnetic fields? Why does your cell phone drop calls? How do you get the best reception on a radio? We’ll experiment with different ways to block waves and temporarily disable devices!
  • Slow Ball Run — Can you win the race? What if the way to win is to come in last? Design a ramp that gets a ball to the ground as slowly as possible.
  • Exploring Nanotechnology — How does outdoor and sports gear get lighter and stronger each season? Can you make something stronger with the same material configured in a new way? Fold, roll, and stack your way to a stronger material!
  • Volleyball Machine — Can you design a machine that sends a ball over a net? That can then return that ball and continue play? Design a machine to play tabletop volleyball and challenge your friends to a match!
  • Building a Hygrometer — Have you ever had a door that stuck after you took a shower? What about a bad hair day? Many materials change in size when exposed to moisture; explore and measure this change with a hair hygrometer!
  • Magnetic Levitation — How does a mag lev train use magnets to both ride above the rails and put on the brakes? Can you make an arrangement of magnets to keep something in the air? Explore how magnetism can be used in engineering and design!

Tuition:

Online Science: $245 ($275 for Charter Schools)
Teen Science: $255 ($285 for Charter Schools)

Register Now

How the Online Lessons are Structured

Rock-it Science is an exciting place for kids to do science, and we’ve come up with a lesson format that will make kids feel as if they’re right here at Rock-it Science even while they’re at home. The classes will be conducted via Zoom, and we’ll send you a kit of materials for your child to use for each lesson during the 10-week session.

Prior to the start of classes we will e-mail you a Zoom link for your child’s class. The kit contains a bag of materials for each week. After the class you will receive an e-mail with a brief summary of the topics we covered in class.

Then, at your normal class time, you’ll log into a Zoom video conference where the kids can see their instructor as well as the other kids who are logged in. The kids will get to ask questions and also hear other kids’ comments while they all do the experiment at the same time.

Your kids will get to experience all the usual parts of a Rock-It Science class. They will have an intro, hear the story, and each be given a chance to respond. After the experiment is explained they will get to do the experiment at the same time as their classmates, ask questions, and get feedback from the other kids in the class.

If you have a cell phone or a computer with a built-in camera and microphone, your child can participate in the online conversation. If not, he or she can still watch the lesson on Zoom, but they won’t be able to be seen or heard by the others.

(see also “In-Person Classes”)

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