The 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, science and technology learning center encompasses nine science labs, two 500-gallon aquariums, a lecture theater, a conference room, a science library, an outdoor amphitheater, a student garden, hummingbird and butterfly habitats, and playfield. Our lab space allows us to offer classes in subjects like astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, health, natural science, and photography.
For more information about facility rental or using the EIS building for a community event, call Rebecca Gerber
at (619) 263-2302.
608 51st Street, San Diego, CA 92114-2201 | Tel: 619.263.2302 | Fax: 619.263.0268 | E-mail: eis@eisca.org
This is the study of physical and chemical properties of matter outside the earth's atmosphere. Our students have modeled craters with tin pans, flour and marbles, as well as made star charts and scale distance models of the solar system. They have explored Hubble's constant by walking at different rates, made a telescope from two lenses, and mapped sun spots.
Students learn black-and-white photo developing and printing. We have a developing room and a darkroom with sinks and enlargers. Projects include making pin-hole cameras, learning how light exposes film, and understanding the parts of a camera such as viewfinder, shutter speed, aperture, ASA dial, and F-stop ring. Students create photograms overlaying objects on photo paper, print reverse negatives, shoot long exposures, "write" using a laser beam, and print images from microscope slides. Students enjoy setting up models or objects, shooting their own photos, and then printing them using the darkroom.
Students learn about the hardware that makes up the computer and to use various software applications. They have dissected a computer to identify and name major components such as microprocessor, RAM, ROM, network interface cards, and the power supply. Floppy disks are also dissected to see the magnetic disk that records the information. Students practice typing and creating their own web sites using various programs such as FrontPage, html, and C++. They graph experimental results using Excel, make PowerPoint presentations, and manipulate digital photos using Photoshop. When learning how computers work concepts such as Boolean logic, simple gates, and binary numbers are introduced.
Students explore several engineering fields such as mechanical, structural, electrical, and aerospace. In mechanical engineering students use inclined planes, balances, gears, and pulleys to explore concepts like velocity, force, and gravity. In structural engineering students build bridges, simulate earthquakes, and test the strength of materials. Students build basic circuits on bread boards learning about components such as resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and transistors, and measuring devices such as multimeters and oscilloscopes. Students have also enjoyed constructing models of airplanes, hot air balloons, parachutes, kites, and airfoils.
Students learn the history of the earth and its life especially as recorded in rocks. Projects have included identification of various rock samples and classification of rocks into three different types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. They have constructed models of three different volcanoes: cinder cone, composite, and shield. Students have also made geysers with alka-seltzer tablets, grown crystals, made fossils using plaster of Paris, and studied plate tectonics and their role in the shaping of the surface of the earth.
Ecology, environmental science, and marine science are all taught in this lab. Past projects include observation of desert plants and "typical" houseplants to compare how plants absorb water and prevent water loss. Students learn reasons to recycle, create artificial nests, chart food webs, create fictional animals adapted to specific environments, and practice communicating with bioluminescence using glow sticks. They also make self-watering gardens and discuss the atmosphere and the green house effect.
This lab complements all of the other labs for modeling and visualization purposes using software rich in illustrations, photographs, video clips, animations, and diagrams. For example, after doing a dissection in biology, students come to the technology lab to use software that allows each to make a trip through the human body. After doing black and white photography, students scan their pictures and use PhotoShop to add coloration or other filters to their own pictures. Whenstudying molecular structures in chemistry, students can use programs that visualize complex molecules like enzymes and DNA.
Students are introduced to the elements and compounds, including basic reactions, as well as learning nomenclature of glassware and other equipment used. Students experiment with every day materials such as water, oil, vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol to learn properties such as solubility, density, viscosity, surface tension, pH, and polarity. Students have created models of molecules, made soap, aspirin, and polymers such as slime and silly putty.
Biology deals with living organisms. Students take an in-depth look at the physiology and anatomy of humans and other organisms by studying circulation, respiration, digestion, organ arrangement, and the skeletal system. The benefits of good nutrition and exercise are also reviewed in our new health science course. Lessons have included dissections of earth worms, starfish, squid, bullfrogs, perch, cow eyes, and grasshoppers, as well as viewing pond water under a microscope and green house experiments with beans and radishes
EIS built the Community Lecture Theater as a neighborhood resource to accommodate up to 100 people in an informal setting for discussions or presentations. San Diego is home to a wide variety of science-related businesses, research institutions, and universities with which EIS has developed an excellent network for promoting science and technology in the community. The Community Lecture Theater allows EIS parents, students, and community members to visit EIS to learn about science, technology, and health in a culturally sensitive way.
For more information about facility rental EIS space, call Rebecca Gerber at (619) 263-2302.
For more information about facility rental EIS space, call Rebecca Gerber at (619) 263-2302.
Students learn about the hardware that makes up the computer and to use various software applications. They have dissected a computer to identify and name major components such as microprocessor, RAM, ROM, network interface cards, and the power supply. Floppy disks are also dissected to see the magnetic disk that records the information. Students practice typing and creating their own web sites using various programs such as FrontPage, html, and C++. They graph experimental results using Excel, make PowerPoint presentations, and manipulate digital photos using Photoshop. When learning how computers work concepts such as Boolean logic, simple gates, and binary numbers are introduced.
Students learn the history of the earth and its life especially as recorded in rocks. Projects have included identification of various rock samples and classification of rocks into three different types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. They have constructed models of three different volcanoes: cinder cone, composite, and shield. Students have also made geysers with alka-seltzer tablets, grown crystals, made fossils using plaster of Paris, and studied plate tectonics and their role in the shaping of the surface of the earth.
Ecology, environmental science, and marine science are all taught in this lab. Past projects include observation of desert plants and "typical" houseplants to compare how plants absorb water and prevent water loss. Students learn reasons to recycle, create artificial nests, chart food webs, create fictional animals adapted to specific environments, and practice communicating with bioluminescence using glow sticks. They also make self-watering gardens and discuss the atmosphere and the green house effect.
This lab complements all of the other labs for modeling and visualization purposes using software rich in illustrations, photographs, video clips, animations, and diagrams. For example, after doing a dissection in biology, students come to the technology lab to use software that allows each to make a trip through the human body. After doing black and white photography, students scan their pictures and use PhotoShop to add coloration or other filters to their own pictures. Whenstudying molecular structures in chemistry, students can use programs that visualize complex molecules like enzymes and DNA.
Students are introduced to the elements and compounds, including basic reactions, as well as learning nomenclature of glassware and other equipment used. Students experiment with every day materials such as water, oil, vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol to learn properties such as solubility, density, viscosity, surface tension, pH, and polarity. Students have created models of molecules, made soap, aspirin, and polymers such as slime and silly putty.
Biology deals with living organisms. Students take an in-depth look at the physiology and anatomy of humans and other organisms by studying circulation, respiration, digestion, organ arrangement, and the skeletal system. The benefits of good nutrition and exercise are also reviewed in our new health science course. Lessons have included dissections of earth worms, starfish, squid, bullfrogs, perch, cow eyes, and grasshoppers, as well as viewing pond water under a microscope and green house experiments with beans and radishes
EIS built the Community Lecture Theater as a neighborhood resource to accommodate up to 100 people in an informal setting for discussions or presentations. San Diego is home to a wide variety of science-related businesses, research institutions, and universities with which EIS has developed an excellent network for promoting science and technology in the community. The Community Lecture Theater allows EIS parents, students, and community members to visit EIS to learn about science, technology, and health in a culturally sensitive way.
