Breaking Away from the Math and Science Book Physics and Other Projects for Grades 3-12

by Baggett, Patricia; Ehrenfeucht, Andrzej

• ISBN13: 9781578860852
• ISBN10: 1578860857
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-23
• Publisher: R&L Education

Summary

Provides materials that teachers can use directly in their classrooms without expensive or specialized equipment. The material is presented in a modular format that allows one to adapt it to different levels of students, from higher elementary through high school.

Table of Contents

Preface: An Old School Textbook in Physics	ix
Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	1	(2)
Chapter 1 Lava, Trees, and Ostrich Eggs	3	(30)
Unit 1 Lava	5	(3)
Unit 2 Maple Seeds	8	(4)
Unit 3 Tree Rings	12	(5)
Unit 4 Tree Rings in Early Grades	17	(2)
Unit 5 The Height of a Tree	19	(4)
Unit 6 Ostrich Eggs	23	(6)
Unit 7 Another Way to Find the Volume of an Ostrich Egg	29	(4)
Chapter 2 Some Basic Physics Concepts	33	(16)
Unit 1 Scientific Explanations	35	(2)
Unit 2 Mass and Weight	37	(2)
Unit 3 Direction of Forces	39	(1)
Unit 4 Decomposition of Forces	40	(1)
Unit 5 Properties and Interactions	41	(2)
Unit 6 What Is Gravity?	43	(6)
Chapter 3 Stability of a Structure	49	(28)
Unit 1 Designing an Experiment	51	(2)
Unit 2 A Conversation about Weight and Mass	53	(2)
Unit 3 Feeling Forces	55	(2)
Unit 4 Weight Is a Force	57	(4)
Unit 5 Distribution of Weights	61	(3)
Unit 6 Examples of Computations of the Stability of a Structure	64	(7)
Unit 7 More on the Distribution of Weights	71	(2)
Unit 8 Predicting the Location of the Center of Gravity	73	(4)
Chapter 4 Friction	77	(14)
Unit 1 What Is Friction?	79	(6)
Unit 2 A Simpler Experiment with Friction for Younger Students	85	(2)
Unit 3 Getting a Grip on Friction	87	(4)
Chapter 5 Pulleys and Ramps	91	(14)
Unit 1 Pulleys	93	(3)
Unit 2 Holding Objects on Ramps	96	(4)
Unit 3 Pulling and Holding Objects on Ramps and Lifting Objects Up	100	(3)
Unit 4 Spring-Powered Cars	103	(2)
Chapter 6 Moving Objects	105	(26)
Unit 1 Racing Cars	107	(2)
Unit 2 Instant Velocity	109	(1)
Unit 3 Measuring Average Speed	110	(3)
Unit 4 Rolling Balls	113	(3)
Unit 5 Sliding Balls	116	(2)
Unit 6 Questions and Answers about Colliding Balls	118	(4)
Unit 7 Components of Velocity and Momentum	122	(2)
Unit 8 Momentum and Forces	124	(2)
Unit 9 Preservation of Momentum	126	(2)
Unit 10 Momentum and Kinetic Energy	128	(3)
Chapter 7 Swinging Objects	131	(12)
Unit 1 Playing with Softballs Tied to a String	133	(2)
Unit 2 Swinging Weight	135	(8)
Chapter 8 Powered Flight	143	(20)
Unit 1 Playing with Units	145	(1)
Unit 2 Energy and Force	146	(3)
Unit 3 Potential Energy	149	(3)
Unit 4 Water Rockets	152	(4)
Unit 5 How High Does a Rocket Fly?	156	(3)
Unit 6 More about Rockets	159	(4)
Chapter 9 Magnetism and Electricity	163	(42)
Unit 1 Physical Units	165	(3)
Unit 2 Introduction to Magnetic Forces	168	(3)
Unit 3 The Structure of a Magnet	171	(2)
Unit 4 Magnetic Fields	173	(5)
Unit 5 Magnetic Sand and Patterns with Iron Filings	178	(3)
Unit 6 Simulation of Lines of a Magnetic Field	181	(3)
Unit 7 A Chaotic Pendulum	184	(2)
Unit 8 Making a Closed Circuit	186	(2)
Unit 9 Electromagnetic Forces	188	(5)
Unit 10 Electromagnets	193	(3)
Unit 11 General Information about Electricity	196	(2)
Unit 12 Photovoltaic Cells	198	(2)
Unit 13 Questions and Answers about Magnetism and Electricity	200	(5)
Chapter 10 Heat and Temperature	205	(16)
Unit 1 What Is Temperature?	207	(2)
Unit 2 The "Flow" of Heat	209	(3)
Unit 3 Basic Facts about Heat and Temperature	212	(3)
Unit 4 Experiments with Heat	215	(2)
Unit 5 Melting Ice	217	(2)
Unit 6 Energy Requirements for a Household and for a Human	219	(2)
Chapter 11 Hydrostatics and Hydrodynamics	221	(12)
Unit 1 Flow of Water	223	(3)
Unit 2 Inverted Glass of Water	226	(3)
Unit 3 An Explanation for the Inverted Glass of Water Phenomenon	229	(4)
Chapter 12 Light	233	(10)
Unit 1 Does Light Travel in a Straight Line?	235	(3)
Unit 2 Working with Mirrors	238	(5)
About the Authors	243