For Educators

Educational Programming

The Pump House offers a number of educational programs; program descriptions and curriculum connections are noted below. Please contact us at education@cityofkingston.ca if you have questions or are interested in booking.

Program Fees

Children (75 or 90 minute program) $4.16
Children (Half Day) $7.21
Children (Full Day) $14.29
Adults $6.06
Seniors/Students $6.06
All prices are subject to HST

PumpHouse Program Booking Form 2018

The Museum has the following educational programming options available for booking requests Wednesdays through Fridays.

Program Descriptions

Water, Water Everywhere – Level 1

Grades JK-3
90 minutes

Don’t take water for granted! Learn about the technology that brings clean water into your home and how we can be good stewards of this important resource. Learn about the technology behind the old Kingston waterworks, discuss responsible water use and build a water filter using earth and other common-place materials.

Curriculum Connections

Grade 1

Science & Technology
Understanding Matter and Energy
Energy in Our Lives
1.1, 2.4, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5

Social Studies
People and Environments
The Local Community
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B3.1, B3.3, B3.7

Grade 2

Science & Technology
Understanding Matter and Energy
Properties of Liquids and Solids
1.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.1, 3.5

Understanding Earth and Space Systems
Air and Water in the Environment
1.1, 1.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Social Studies
People and Environments
Global Communities
B1.1, B1.3, B2.1, B3.6

Grade 3

Science and Technology
Understanding Earth and Space Systems
Soils in the Environment
1.1, 2.5, 3.1

Social Studies
Heritage and Identity
Communities in Canada, 1780–1850
A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, A2.5, A3.3, A3.4

Water, Water Everywhere – Level 2

Grades 4-6
90 minutes

Curriculum Connections

Grade 4

Social Studies
People and Environments
Political and Physical Regions of Canada
B1.1,B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, B2.6, B3.1, B3.5,

Science & Technology
Understanding Life Systems
Habitats and Communities
1.1, 3.3, 3.9, 3.10

Grade 5

Social Studies
People and Environments
The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B3.2, B3.6, B3.7

Science and Technology
Understanding Earth and Space Systems
Conservation of Energy and Resources
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5

Understanding Matter and Energy
Properties of and Changes in Matter
2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Grade 6

Social Studies
Heritage and Identity
Communities in Canada, Past and Present
A1.1, A3.2, A3.7

People and Environments
Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B2.2, B2.4, B2.5, B2.6, B3.1, B3.3, B3.5, B3.8, B3.9

Simple Machines

Grades K-4
75 minutes

Collect all the materials you need to build your own contraptions by identifying all the museum’s simple machines! Learn about how machines work and how they make our lives easier, and the many different forms they take, through this new interactive museum program.

Curriculum Connections

Grade 1

Science and Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Materials, Objects, and Everyday Structures
2.2, 2.4 2.6, 3.4, 3.7

Grade 2

Science and Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Movement
1.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4

Grade 3

Science and Technology
Understanding Matter and Energy
Forces Causing Movement
2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 3.1, 3.4

Grade 4

Science and Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Pulleys and Gears
1.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.3, 3.6

Jr. Inventors (Leonardo da Vinci)

Grades K - 3

90 minutes

Inspired by da Vinci’s dabbles in numerous disciplines, let’s explore printmaking and patterns to create images of our own inventions! Everyone creates a printing block of an individual part of an invention, inspired by nature. After, we combine those individual designs in a collaborative printmaking project to reveal unique, new, inventions!

Curriculum Connections

Grade 1

Dance

A1.2, A1.3, A1.4

Visual Arts

D1.1, D1.2, D1.4, D2.2, D2.4

Science & Technloogy

Understanding Life Systems

2.3, 2.5, 2.7

Understanding Mechanisms and Structures

1.2, 2.5, 3.6

Grade 2

Dance

A1.1, A1.4

Visual Arts

D1.1, D1.2, D1.4, D2.1, D2.2, D2.4

Science & Technology

Understanding Life Systems

2.2, 3.1
Understanding Structures & Mechanisms

1.1

Grade 3

Dance

A1.1, A1.3, A1.4

Visual Arts

D1.1, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D2.1, D2.4, D3.2

Science & Technology

Understanding Life Systems

Understanding Structures and Mechanisms

Take Flight (Leonardo da Vinci)

Grades 4 - 6

90 minutes

Da Vinci carefully studied flying birds, insects, and bats to learn about their flight patterns. Explore Da Vinci's devices of flight first hand. Using principles of flight, theorize and analyze how the models might have worked. After design, build, and test your own flying device based off of inspiration from Da Vinci's flying machines!

Curriculum Connections

Grade 4

Science & Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Pulleys and Gears
1.1, 2.4, 3.4, 3.6

Social Studies
Heritage and Identity
Early Societies, 3000 BCE - 1500 CE
A1.4, A2.1, A 3.6,

Grade 5

Science & Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms
1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.2

Grade 6

Science and Technology
Understanding Structure and Mechanisms
Flight
2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4

Building Bridges (Leonardo da Vinci)

Grades: 3-7
90 minutes

Da Vinci's portable bridge was designed to be set up and taken down with ease and convenience to the user. It also had to support the weight of the people crossing it.

Explore three types of bridges and the factors that make them stable and strong through hands-on activities. Use Da Vinci's portable bridge as inspiration to design your own bridge in a bridge building challenge!

Curriculum Connections

Grade 3

Science & Technology
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Strong, Stable Structures
1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1