What student—or teacher—can resist the chance to experiment with Rocket Launchers, Sound Pipes, Drinking Birds, Dropper Poppers, and more? The 35 experiments in
Using Physical Science Gadgets and Gizmos, Grades 6–8, cover topics including pressure and force, thermodynamics, energy, light and color, resonance, and buoyancy.
The authors say there are three good reasons to buy this book:
1. To improve your students’ thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
2. To get easy-to-perform experiments that engage students in the topic.
3. To make your physics lessons waaaaay more cool.
The phenomenon-based learning (PBL) approach used by the authors—two Finnish teachers and a U.S. professor—is as educational as the experiments are attention-grabbing. Instead of putting the theory before the application, PBL encourages students to first experience
how the gadgets work and then grow curious enough to find out
why. Students engage in the activities not as a task to be completed but as exploration and discovery.
The idea is to help your students go beyond simply memorizing physical science facts.
Using Physical Science Gadgets and Gizmos can help them learn broader concepts, useful thinking skills, and science and engineering practices (as defined by the
Next Generation Science Standards). And—thanks to those Sound Pipes and Dropper Poppers—both your students and you will have some serious fun.
For more information about hands-on materials for
Using Physical Science Gadgets and Gizmos, visit Arbor Scientific at
http://www.arborsci.com/nsta-kit-middle-school
Table of Contents
Available April 2014
About the Authors
An Introduction to Phenomenon-Based Learning
To the Student
To the Teacher
Learning Goals and Assessment
PBL in Finland
Authors’ Use of Gadgets and Gizmos
Safety Notes
Additional Resources
References
1 Wave Motion and Sound
Get in Tune
Standing Wave
Sound Pipe
Music Box
Doppler Ball
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
2 Visible Light and Colors
Prism Play
Spectroscope
Color Addition and Subtraction
Combining Colors
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
3 Thermodynamics
Radiation Cans
Meltdown
Ball and Ring
Drinking Bird
Fire Syringe
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
4 Air Pressure
It's a Hold-Up!
Pressure Power
Pressure Globe
Water Rocket
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
5 Density and Buoyancy
A Sinking Feeling
Rock the Boat
Solar Bag
Cartesian Diver
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
6 Force, Motion, and Energy
Excelling at Acceleration
Balancing Bird
It's a Snap!
Race to the Bottom
Energy Ingenuity
Happy / Unhappy Balls
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
7 It's Science, Not Magic
Wind Bag
Mirage
Dropper Popper
Magnetic Accelerator
Rattleback
Fun Fly Stick
Energy Ball
Levitron
Web Resources
Relevant Standards
Appendix
How to Order the Gizmos and Gadgets
Keyword Glossary
Credits
Index