Activities

The Texas Advanced Computing Center at UT Austin is home to some of the fastest supercomputers in the world. Researchers and students use cutting-edge technologies to help advance knowledge on climate change, space debris, and urban waterways.

In this series of short videos, you’ll meet members of the main groups of invertebrates that live in the ocean—anemones, corals, snails, shrimp, crabs, sea stars and sea urchins. And just for fun, you’ll also meet some of the most popular vertebrates on the 40 Acres: residents of the UT Turtle Pond.

The discovery module on emergency preparedness will help teach kids and families about how to be prepared for emergencies such as fires, floods, winter storms, and man-made disasters. This short program will cover important information, such as a checklist on how to build an emergency kit, tips to remain safe in different types of emergencies, the dos and don’ts of certain unsafe situations, emergency numbers to keep on hand, and a mix of games and quizzes to engage viewers and facilitate learning. By being aware of the different roles, resources, and responsibilities involved in emergency preparedness and disasters, you can help keep yourself, your family, and community safe.

This video tour, an Urban Safari of the UT Austin campus, explores the natural world of our urban spaces and includes common – and not so common – organisms that can be found on campus.  It highlights challenges facing urban nature and spotlights areas where there has been success in encouraging plants, animals and microbes to flourish.

Switch explores the world’s leading energy sites, from coal to solar, oil to biofuels, and gets straight answers from the international leaders driving energy today. This documentary is approximately one hour and 40 minutes long. Links to the Switch Energy lab video series are also included in this educational resource. 

Come learn about the technology we use everyday! We have two different sets of activities based on grade level. For our middle, junior, and high school students, we have a technology crossword and word search. For our younger elementary students, we have two activities. The first is a presentation about S.M.A.R.T. safety tips when using technology and the internet. 

This video presentation of Space: Fact vs. Fiction contrasts a number of common and not so common misconceptions about space by sharing the real facts about those issues. Issue topics include gravity, living in space, rockets, atmospheric entry, the costs and benefits of space exploration, the civilian space program, Star Trek and extra-terrestrials.

Are you thinking about becoming a nurse, a nurse practitioner, or a nurse researcher? Explore the many pathways to a career in nursing, including an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in nursing, and a doctoral degree in nursing.

Take the "Which Nutrition Job Best Fits Your Personality?" quiz and then discover more about nutrition professions by navigating through fun interviews with future Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

Education is a critical component of Livestrong Cancer Institutes’ mission and work. The goal of these programs is to reinvigorate cancer education at every age. Explore Livestrong Cancer Institutes’ podcast, curriculum, and program opportunities!

Meet three undergrad students on their medical school journey while they share their experiences as they prepare for medical school. They will walk you through their undergrad academic, extra-curricular, and leisure decisions and share what they’ve learned throughout their experience.

Dell Med neurologist Dr. Steve Steffensen helps Central Texas K-12 students gain a hands-on understanding of the brain by creating their own mini brain models. Try it out at home with easy to find materials!

Many students have heard about the dangers of climate change, but don’t know how it happens or what we can do to reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) that’s already in the air. Discover how scientists from the Gulf Coast Carbon Center hope to change this by educating communities about the greenhouse gas effect and the benefits of carbon capture and storage.

Nursing is one of the most diverse, satisfying, and fastest-growing occupations in the country.  Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and whether it may be the right career choice for you.

Join Greg Clark from the Freshman Research Initiative Cell Signaling team to discover how plants have unexpected abilities to sense and respond to stimuli and "talk with" each other and with animals. Learn how plants sense and respond to changes in their environment and how plants are able to communicate using a chemical language.

Experimental Archaeologist, Sergio J Ayala, discusses and demonstrates the role of experimental archaeology and how this advances the understanding of ancient stone tool industries and the prehistoric individual. Sergio also demonstrates the strategies in Clovis dart point technologies, starting with the earliest steps of large bifacial reduction.

A look at the basic definitions of weather and climate and the actual elements of weather (things we observe and forecast) as well a brief look at the various weather hazards that we experience here in Central Texas.

Building a model of the human lungs and diaphragm using balloons to understand how they work. Our lungs are vital to our body's respiratory system and our ability to acquire oxygen. The bottom balloon works like your diaphragm, which is a strong muscle that expands and contracts, causing the lungs to fill with air and then emptying it.

Spending more time than ever in front of a screen? Learn how screen time and social media can impact your brain. Dell Med students Anne Nguyen, Ananya Roy, and Karina Albab have created a video discussing the positive and negative mental health outcomes of social media use.

Public health professionals are leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide. This video presentation will use the pandemic to answer the question “What is Public Health?” and provide high school teachers with resources to help them explore this dynamic and impactful field with their students. Participants will also learn about the UT Austin Undergraduate Public Health Program and meet some of UT Austin’s public health graduates!

Join the campers from the 2020 Dell Medical School Health Sciences Virtual Summer Camps to learn about cholera and the importance of reliable sources of clean water for public health.

Hurricanes, one of the most powerful natural hazards, are intense low-pressure weather systems that form in tropical waters. In this presentation you will learn more about hurricanes and how these powerful storms have impacted the Texas coastal environment.

This virtual nature tour of the UT campus and around Austin utilizes the format of a choose-your-own-adventure game. Players can choose where to go, what to see, and with which systems they want to interact. Along the way, adventurers can discover the variety of ecosystems that exist and the organisms that inhabit them.

Join Dr. Scott Tinker on an amazing global adventure to remote corners of Africa, Asia and Latin America to meet leaders, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens working to eradicate 'energy poverty' in their countries. In a journey that's enlightening and emotional, uplifting and unforgettable, Switch On will change the way you look at energy and the developing world forever. The entire documentary is approximately one hour and 20 minutes long. Links to the Switch On Energy Poverty video series which are approximately 20 minutes long each are also included in this educational resource.

Join the UT Austin Physics Circus as they use do extremely "cool" science demos to show how temperature relates to the three states of matter. They might even show you how to turn a banana into a hammer.

Nursing students explain the basics of what the COVID-19 virus is, how it spreads and how to stop the spread, including information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

In this interactive game, participants will test their skills at identifying scientific objects and organisms from super-zoomed-in images.

Living during a pandemic presents challenges that none of us ever expected to deal with. With increased isolation, we may find ourselves swimming in worries or lacking motivation to complete tasks. Join us to learn how to identify strategies to improve your mental health. We'll share practical ways to put those strategies into practice, even when you are stuck at home on Zoom.

Meet current UT nursing students as they answer common questions about what it is like to be a nursing student in nursing school.

One of the major health issues facing our society is the epidemic caused from the overuse of opioid drugs. For many, it hits very close to home.  Would you know what to do if you found someone passed out on the couch – are they napping, did they drink too much, did they overdose on painkillers? Learn how to assess a potential overdose through our interactive opioid overdose rescue training.

Join in for video demonstrations of glass blowing and live Q&A with UT Austin glassblowers. This show is part of the Girl Day at UT Austin experience. Learn more and register to join in.