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July 1, 2024 at 12:47 pm
#209680
Creating an inquiry-based activity on gravity for 7-year-olds can be both fun and educational. The key is to keep the concepts simple and engaging while encouraging curiosity and exploration.
Activity: Exploring gravity with falling objects.
Materials needed:
A variety of small toys
stopwatch or timer
ruler or measuring tape
a note book for recording
a large open space to test your objects
Introduction:
- Begin with a simple explanation of gravity: “Gravity is a force that pulls everything down towards the ground.”
- Ask the children if they have noticed how things fall to the ground when they drop them. Encourage them to share their observations.
Predictions:
- Show the children the different objects you have. Ask them to predict which objects they think will fall faster or slower and why.
- Write down these predictions in the notebook.
- Experiment – Dropping Objects:
- Stand on a chair or a small step to get some height.
- Hold two different objects at the same height.
- Count down and drop both objects at the same time while another child uses the stopwatch to measure the time it takes for each to hit the ground.
- Record the times in the notebook.
- Observation and Discussion:
- Repeat the experiment with different pairs of objects
- Ask the children to observe which objects fall faster or slower.
- Discuss the results: Did the objects fall at the same speed or different speeds? Were their predictions correct
- Conclusion and Reflection:
- Summarize the key points:
- Gravity pulls objects down, and all objects fall at the same rate if we ignore air resistance.
- Ask the children what they learned and if there were any surprises