Gravity - A Family STEAM & Stories event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.    

Intro song #1:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, science, fun, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.  

 

Demonstration and Storytime:

·       Have the children jump into the air.

·       Question: Why did you fall back to the ground?  Why didn’t you stay in the air? 

·       Answer: Because gravity pulled you back down. Gravity is what keeps your feet on the ground.  It’s why objects fall to the ground. 

·       Show gravity word card.  Talk about the definition of gravity.

·       Hand out beans bags.

·       Question: Do bean bags fall back to the ground?

·       Throw beans bags into the air and let them drop to the ground.

·       Question: Do a penny and a bean bag fall as the same speed?

·       Demonstrate a speed test of a penny and a bean bag falling from the same height. 

·       Question: What about ramps? What causes a ball to roll down a ramp? 

·       Demonstrate a ball rolling down the ramp. 

Intro song #2: If You Are Ready for Stories... (my adaptation of a Rob Reid storytime rhyme)

If you are ready for stories...
...Count to three.
...Stretch your wings.
...Touch your toes.
...Touch your nose.
...Bark like a dog.
...Snore like a log.
...Sit like a kid at storytime.

 

·       Read:

Ouch! Tales of Gravity by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Andy Hardiman or Baby Loves Gravity by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan (board book)

·       Instruct children on how to use the stations. 

 

Stations: 

 

Station #1- What types of objects roll down ramps?

The children experiment with a variety of objects to which will and will not roll down a simple ramp.   

 

Station #2 – Gravity painting

Children tape a sheet of paper to a table.  Then use pipettes with paint in them to squeeze paint onto the paper and let gravity direct the paint downwards. 

 

Station #3 – Marble maze

The children use a marble maze toy set to create mazes that use gravity to pull the marble. 

Station #4 – Keepy uppy game

Encourage the children to use energy from their body to stop the balloon from falling back to earth.