Cornell Center for Materials Research
Cornell Center for Materials Research

Families Learning Science Together

Next FLST Program:

October 3, 2009 - Bridge Building

A hands-on science program for children and their parents or caregivers, Families Learning Science Together (FLST) is co-sponsored with the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) in downtown Ithaca, NY.

The FLST hands-on workshops encourage children and their parents to explore how materials interact with each other. Faculty, post doctoral associates, graduate and undergraduate students from Cornell University present hands-on science modules on a variety of materials science topics. The FLST programs are aimed at children ages 5-13, though all ages are welcome.

The program runs during the school year monthly on select Saturdays from 1pm - 2pm in the Thaler/Howell program room of the Tompkins County Public Library. All FLST programs are free to the public, but space is limited. Please reserve your spot by contacting Educational Programs Manager, Kevin Dilley, by email or by phone at (607) 254-8256. Drop-ins welcome if space allows.

Schedule of 2009 - 2010 workshops and topics:

  • October 3, 2009: Bridge Building: Families will learn about structural engineering and what engineers have to consider when designing bridges. They will see how stresses are concentrated in materials and then try to build a drinking straw bridge to certain specifications.

  • November 7, 2009: Rocks & Minerals: Families will learn about different types of rocks & minerals, their properties and techniques used to identify them.

  • December 5, 2009: Magnets: Families will explore how magnets interact with different materials, learn about the magnetic field and investigate the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

  • January 9, 2010: Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet. In this workshop families will determine the vitamin C concentration in assorted fruit drinks by using a scientific technique called titration.

  • February 6, 2010: MicroWorld: Families will investigate the world on a smaller scale and see how objects can look a lot different when you view them closer up.

  • March 6, 2010: Drop Tubes: Families will investigate the force materials have when they drop. They will also predict how strong that force will be with different weights.

  • April 3, 2010: Density: Investigate what causes things to float or sink in water, including other liquids. Also build your own Cartesian diver which works on the same principle as submarines.

 
Edited on: 30 September 2009 11:19 am