Student STEM Camp Topics
Engaging quantum science topics for students in grades 9–12, developed and tested by both teachers and students.
Student STEM camps provide an engaging learning experience for students in grades 9–12 to learn about quantum and how it relates to their lives as well as things they are learning in school. Our goal is to increase their awareness of quantum and possible future career opportunities.
Topics are developed and tested by both teachers and students. If you wish to have a Quantum STEM Camp in your district please contact us for more information. The camp can be one day or several days and can cover many different topics.
Some of the commonly bundled topics are listed below. For more videos and pictures go to our STEM Camp page.
Camp Topics
Engineering Design and 3D Printing
Includes Tinkercad design, problem solving, and basics of computer programming. Students learn to design a component of an experiment that has specifications and must coordinate with other "developers" for success.
Wave Particle Duality
Is light a wave or a particle? Or is it both? How do we know what it is and how can light be used to detect something we can't "see" — like gravitational waves? Students learn about interferometry and develop an understanding of how LIGO actually works.
Superposition and QKD
Security is important when it comes to credit cards and bank accounts, but how does that work? Students learn how uncertainties in quantum behavior can be used to encrypt information and detect an eavesdropper.
MagLev and Quantum Levitation
Many items utilize magnetic fields as well as quantum technology. MagLev trains are an example of how engineering is embracing quantum concepts. Students learn about superconductors, magnetism, and the Meissner effect through an engineering design project.
Bohr or Quantum
The model of the atom has been taught within the limitations of the Bohr model, although this model is actually incorrect. Students learn about energy levels and the quantum model of the atom through engaging activities involving glo sticks, quantum dots, and other phenomena.
Classical or Quantum Computers
Understanding classical computers, semiconductors, and transistors provides a basis for understanding computer gates and qubits. Students will learn about phase changes, quantum states, and cryptography.
Laser Cooling
Lasers are typically thought of as dangerous due to their "heat," however lasers are also used to cool atoms. Students will learn about Doppler shift, conservation of momentum, how lasers are tuned, and applications for quantum technology.
Entanglement
A phenomenon where two or more particles are connected even when separated by a large distance. It's a fundamental concept of quantum mechanics and is at the heart of future quantum technologies.
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Simply stated, this principle holds that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle — one of the most profound ideas in all of physics.
Radioactive Decay / Randomness
Radioactive decay can model randomness and probability and help students understand the more complex concepts related to conservation of momentum and energy.
Quantum Tunneling
A phenomenon predicted by Oppenheimer where tiny particles can pass through a barrier even when they don't have enough energy, due to the wave-like nature of the particle.
Want a Quantum STEM Camp in your district?
info@quantumforall.org