Experimenting with Gravity

Our morning started with a discussion about gravity, what it is, how it works, and what would happen if there was no gravity on Earth. We then conducted an experiment to see how items fall. We concluded that items falling from the same height land at the same time, regardless of size or weight. We then explored parachute toys and figured out how they work (and how they didn't work).

During snack, we began to brainstorm how to build our own parachutes. The challenge was to create a parachute that could be dropped from a 7-ft height without cracking the egg attached to it. After trying out the parachutes and troubleshooting as needed, all our young scientists successfully created a parachute that (a) slowed down the descent of the egg, (b) kept the egg inside the cup, and (c) kept the egg completely intact. Our young scientists were provided with the tools and support necessary to apply innovation, engineering, and critical thinking skills to their unique creation.