A September STEAM project YOU can do at home!
Fall is upon us – that means cooler weather, fun times outdoors, and APPLES! As part of their week of apple activities, the 4-year-olds at our Easton Preschool Site did an experiment to find out how many pennies it would take to move an apple up an inclined plane.
This simple activity from KidMinds.org can be done at home with your little scientist! To do this fun experiment, you’ll need the following:
- Books (to create an incline)
- A board (such as a closet shelf)
- A yogurt container or a plastic cup for pennies
- String
- An apple (or several apples of different sizes)
- Lots of pennies
- A rubber band (to fit around the apple)
- Hole puncher or scissors to make holes in the containers
- Paper and pen to record observations
First, poke holes on opposite sides of your container or cup and tie a string securely through the holes. It should look like a bucket with a handle. Next, put a rubber band around your apple and tie a piece of string to the rubber band on one end and your “bucket” on the other.
Stack up to five books underneath one end of your board to lift the end up, and place your apple at the low end. Let your bucket hang off the high end. Before you start adding pennies to your bucket, ask your child to predict how many it will take to pull the apple to the top of the incline. Then, counting out loud, begin adding pennies. How many pennies does it take for the apple to start moving? How many for it to reach the top? Does the number change when you add or take away books to make your incline more steep or shallow? How about if you use a different apple?
Access the full experiment from KidMinds.org by clicking HERE.
As always, get as creative as you want, and above all else, have lots of fun learning together!
