Families Learning Science Together

Next FLST Program:

Magnets - December 13, 2008

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 2pm - 3pm 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 2008 - 2009 workshops and topics:

• October 11, 2008: Electricity: Families will discover ways in which batteries and wires connect to light a bulb, learn about scientific experiments that led to famous electrical inventions, and test different materials to see if they conduct electricity.
• November 1, 2008: 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.
• December 13, 2008: Magnets: Families will explore how magnets interact with different materials, learn about the magnetic field and investigate the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
• January 10, 2009: Classifications: In order to identify various objects or animals easily, scientists often divide them into categories based on their differences. In this workshop families will investigate what characteristics are used to identify things like rocks and bugs.
• February 14, 2009: 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 7, 2009: 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.
• April 11, 2009: 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.