This spring, the School of Science launched a new outreach program for preschoolers
called Science Story Time.
In Spring 2017, the School of Science launched a new outreach program for preschoolers called Science Story Time.
Parents and other caregivers were invited to bring their 4- to 5-year-olds to Behrend for a one-hour session that included a current children’s story reading by Tracy Halmi, assistant teaching professor of chemistry, and science-related hands-on experimenting fun with the help of undergraduate student volunteers.
In one session, children listened to Diary of a Worm before rotating between activities that included exploring the lifecycle of mealworms and making “worms” from sodium alginate. In another session, they listened to Snowflake Bentley, then made their own synthesized “snow” and used magnifying glasses to examine crystals.
The story and experiments were followed by a planetarium show related to the theme, presented by Jim Gavio, Yahn Planetarium director. The series was a hit, with each session filling quickly.
For more information, visit behrend.psu.edu/storytime.