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Let's celebrate World Quantum Day!
QuanTime kicks off on April 14. You can participate any time until May 31, 2023.
We hope you will join other classrooms around the country and across the world in dedicating one class period to a quantum activity. The activities shared here are designed for K-12 learners and are a fun, easy way to introduce quantum information science. You can choose between online and hands-on activities, with no teacher expertise in quantum science required!
How can you do QuanTime?
1. Pick a quantum activity from the list below. There are print-outs, hands-on options, and online activities.
2. Fill out the registration form. No worries if you aren’t sure yet. Registration is especially needed if you want to receive one of the hands-on kits and information on QuanTime activities ahead of World Quantum Day.
3. Once you receive the activity guide, let us know if you have questions on how to use it. Otherwise, pick a class period that works for your schedule to hold QuanTime.
4. Share your experience with us so we can make improvements! We would love to hear how it goes!
Ready to get started?
Made to fit
QuanTime activities each take 45-60 minutes so that they can be completed within a single class period.
Engaging
Activities are designed to be a fun way for teachers and students to play around with quantum concepts. Teacher and student guides provided.
Hands-on Activity Kits
Limited Quantities Available (US only), Free of Charge
Art & Polarization
- Developed by UW–Madison’s Wonders of Quantum Physics program
- Funded by NSF QLCI HQAN
- Grades K-12
- Explore the properties of polarization by creating art using special materials.
- Link to Activity
- Link to Teacher Guide
- Link to K-5 Supplementary Guide
Electron Transitions
- Developed by UW–Madison’s Wonders of Quantum Physics program
- Funded by NSF QLCI HQAN
- Grades 7-12
- Explore how light and matter interact with each other through an experiment with glow-in-the-dark stars.
- Link to Activity
- Link to Teacher Guide
Photoelectric Effect
- Developed by Fermilab
- Grades 7-12
- Using commonly found household materials, create an electroscope and directly observe the particle nature of light through the photoelectric effect.
- Link to activity and teacher guide coming soon.
Online Activities
Quander Game 1 – Qupcakery
- Developed by Quander, a collaboration between UChicago, UCSB, and UIUC
- Funded by NSF Award #2115780
- Grades 6-12
- Explore the concepts behind quantum computing and the power of quantum operations by serving delicious qupcakes to hungry customers.
Quander Game 4 – TwinTanglement
- Developed by Quander, a collaboration between UChicago, UCSB, and UIUC
- Funded by NSF Award #2115780
- Grades 6-12
- Explore the concepts of correlation and entanglement by helping twin characters navigate through a maze to reach their goal.
Quander Game 2 – Queue Bits
- Developed by Quander, a collaboration between UChicago, UCSB, and UIUC
- Funded by NSF Award #2115780
- Grades 6-12
- Explore the relationship between superposition, probability, and quantum measurement in this fun, quantum version of Connect Four.
The Qubit Game
- Developed by Google Quantum AI
- Grades 5-12
- Build your own quantum computer one qubit at a time while solving challenges that quantum engineers face in their daily work.
Quander Game 3 – Tangle’s Lair
- Developed by Quander, a collaboration between UChicago, UCSB, and UIUC
- Funded by NSF Award #2115780
- Grades 6-12
- Explores quantum circuits and the gates that make them up by helping Tangle the cat open up rooms in the lair.
Quantum Chess Puzzles
- Developed by Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, Google Quantum AI, Quantum Realm Games, and Western Illinois University
- Funded in part by NSF
- Grades 9-12
- Explore concepts central to many quantum technologies through this engaging and challenging version of chess.
- Link to activity coming soon.
Printable Activities
Zeros & Ones
- Developed by Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, Google Quantum AI, Quantum Realm Games, and Western Illinois University
- Funded in part by NSF
- Grades 9-12
- Explore the limitations of classical physics and advantages of Quantum Information Science as an analytic tool with this quantum Magic Square game.
Quantum Code Crunchers
- Developed by NASA SCaN
- Grades 3-6
- NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) aims to use quantum communications to securely send and receive space data. Complete the Quantum Code Crunchers activity to help NASA SCaN crack the hidden code!
PhysicsQuest
- Developed by American Physical Society
- Grades 9-12
- Discover the wonderful world of Quantum Mechanics and learn about the incredible life and work of Dr. Deborah Jin, a quantum scientist who used lasers and magnets to cool down atoms and make new states of matter.
- Activities 1-3 are printable
- Link to Activity
More Quantum Resources for K-12
At home or in-the-classroom activities and guides. These are vetted by educators. Supplies are not provided through QuanTime.
Exploring Spectra
- Developed by UW–Madison’s Wonders of Quantum Physics program
- Funded by NSF QLCI HQAN
- Grades 7-12
- Explore the wave nature of light by observing the spectra of different light sources.
- Link to Activity
- Link to Teacher Guide
QuantumForAll Resources
- Partially funded by NSF
- Grades 4-6
- QuantumForAll provides teacher professional development, curricular resources for quantum concepts, and iterates on materials working with teacher cohorts.
- Link to QuantumForAll elementary school free resources
Intel Future Skills Quantum Activities
- Developed by Intel
- Grades 9-12
- Get hands-on with probability by building a device of chance that sorts round beads into a bell curve.
- Link to activity
About QuanTime
The organization of QuanTime is supported under the NSF-funded program Q2Work and was designed in response to an increase in requests for informal quantum educational activities packaged for K-12, such as the APS PhysicsQuest Kits. The inaugural QuanTime took place in celebration of World Quantum Day 2022.