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Inquire and Investigate
Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature
Have you ever noticed that the physical world works in certain ways? Skateboarders use force and motion to perform tricks. If you jump up as high as you can, you'll quickly fall back to the ground. Baseball players use gravity to bring the ball back down when they throw it. When you flip a switch, electricity powers your toaster. Rock bands use electricity to put on a show. The fascinating science of physics helps you understand why forces, motion, gravity, electricity, light, and sound work in predictable ways.
Combining inquiry-based activities with physics topics, Investigate the Forces of Nature features graphic novel illustrations, fascinating sidebars, youtube links, and a glossary of important vocabulary to illuminate the complex world of physics and bring it to life. Projects include designing a skateboard park that maps the forces at work on the skateboarder and the skateboard, and creating a stage design for a rock band that places electric current where it is needed. Additional materials include a timeline, a list of current reference works, and Internet resources.
This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technology; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.
Combining inquiry-based activities with physics topics, Investigate the Forces of Nature features graphic novel illustrations, fascinating sidebars, youtube links, and a glossary of important vocabulary to illuminate the complex world of physics and bring it to life. Projects include designing a skateboard park that maps the forces at work on the skateboarder and the skateboard, and creating a stage design for a rock band that places electric current where it is needed. Additional materials include a timeline, a list of current reference works, and Internet resources.
This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technology; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2014
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Jane P. Gardner
48Ìýbooks2ÌýfollowersJane P. Gardner (North Chelmsford, MA) is a freelance writer and editor with more than six years of experience writing for school-aged children. She has a master's degree in geology from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Ms. Gardner has also worked as a classroom teacher, predominantly with middle-school and high-school students. She left the classroom to enter the world of educational publishing. As an educational writer and editor, Ms. Gardner has worked on projects for students in kindergarten through the college level.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Shelved as 'notes-on-unfinished-books'
November 26, 2024Gardner does a better job than most of making physics concepts approachable for children. She does a good job of combining comic strips and narratives of everyday occurrences as a way of setting up the concepts. She also goes harder on the math aspect of phycics than most children's writers do. No activities.
December 19, 2014
This title from the Inquire and Investigate series covers the basic principles of physics with easy to follow explanations using examples that young scientists can understand and apply to things that they know about like skateboarding, toys, and music.
Each chapter examines a different principle of physics like Forces, Motion, Newton's Laws, Gravity, Electricity, Magnetism, Light and Optics, and Sound. Each topic inlcudes the science with ideas for investigation. The investigations use common supplies that most childern could easily find at home or in the classroom.
Supplemental material includes a table of contents, a timeline, a thorough glossary, a list of other resources that includes books and websites, and an index.
The followable explanations of the science of physics, the ease of replicating the suggested investigations, and the thorough supplemental materials make this an excellent choice for students interested in or studying physics in middle grade science.
I would recommend this book for purchses for any school or public library.
This book provided by the publisher for review by SWON Libraries.
Each chapter examines a different principle of physics like Forces, Motion, Newton's Laws, Gravity, Electricity, Magnetism, Light and Optics, and Sound. Each topic inlcudes the science with ideas for investigation. The investigations use common supplies that most childern could easily find at home or in the classroom.
Supplemental material includes a table of contents, a timeline, a thorough glossary, a list of other resources that includes books and websites, and an index.
The followable explanations of the science of physics, the ease of replicating the suggested investigations, and the thorough supplemental materials make this an excellent choice for students interested in or studying physics in middle grade science.
I would recommend this book for purchses for any school or public library.
This book provided by the publisher for review by SWON Libraries.
December 6, 2016
Oddly my copy has the subtitle "Investigate the Mechanics of Nature", but has the same ISBN. At any rate, I assume this is the same book. This is a unique approach to physics. It defines the field, then in individual chapters investigates forces, motion, Newton's Laws, gravity, electricity, magnetism, light and optics, and sound. Each unit gives a clear explanation and provides the stuff you'd expect to see in a science textbook as an overview, but then each explores the principle more deeply using real-world examples, QR codes, fact boxes, experiments, and subjects that will intrigue today's students--skateboards, toys in space, investigating a train wreck and more. This is an interesting approach, making this a valuable resource for science teachers in middle schools, or for students who have an interest in the subject.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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