October 21, 2005 Source: University of Waterloo:
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4615 Science Open House and Gem Show to be held at UW WATERLOO, Ont. -- Children and their parents can experience science and technology at the annual Science Open House at the University of Waterloo on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities and demonstrations at the free event are geared to be of interest to children from grades one to eight and their families. Most of the events will be held in the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology. The building is the home of the Earth Sciences Museum, which will also host the Annual Gem and Mineral Show. Open house activities include soapstone carving, blasting water rockets into the sky, breaking glass with sound, piloting a remote-controlled airship, turning pennies into gold, chemistry and physics experiments, and hands-on activities by the Engineering Science Quest team. A popular event is the Chemistry Magic Show at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Lunch is available with hamburgers and hotdogs served at the Carbon Grill Barbecue. The Gem Show continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with emeralds and other beryl minerals the theme of lectures at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., with a video at 3 p.m. UW alumnus Andy Smith, of True North Gems Inc., will give the 2 p.m. lecture on the gem emeralds found in the Yukon. There will be displays from the Petrolia Discovery Centre, Royal Ontario Museum, Tim and John Elliot's minerals from the Lafarge Quarry, Dundas Display, True North Gems, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, and Aqua Rose Mines, Quadeville, Ont. There will also be demonstrations of lapidary crafts such as faceting gems, polishing semi-precious stones, rock-sphere making and gold-wire jewelry. Free mineral and fossil samples will be available for children courtesy of the Kitchener-Waterloo Gem and Mineral Club. There will be a free hourly draw and an amethyst cathedral geode draw held at the end of the show on Sunday. "Open house is child friendly with something to offer for all ages," said Peter Russell, curator of the museum. Once a year, volunteers from UW's Faculty of Science come together to share their love of science with the community. Free parking is available Saturday in parking lot M. Sunday visitors should park in Lot B off Phillip Street and follow the signs. For more information: www.openhouse.uwaterloo.ca. Contact:
Peter Russell, museum curator, (519) 888-4567, ext: 2469; esmuseum@uwaterloo.ca
Jim Fox, UW Media Relations, (519) 888-4444; jfox@uwaterloo.ca
Release no. 232 -- October 21, 2005 2005-10-21 09:50:36
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