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Mary G
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| Posted: May 10 2010 at 6:27pm | IP Logged
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I know Jen was doing a unit study using David Macaulay's New Way Things Work and it must have been perking in my mind because as I plan for next year, I'm thinking to use this for all 3 of mine (7, 10, 11) for physical science. Dh has offered to help me write a study guide/lesson plan for using this book thru the whole year, including experiments, etc (helps to have a science PhD in the family!  ) ...
Has anyone done this? Jen did you ever go anywhere with this? I don't want to recreate the wheel if something's out there but I did a google using various terms and didn't find a full year curriculum using this fantastic book.
Any resources, suggestions and advice will be VERY MUCH appreciated!
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MaryG
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guitarnan
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Oh, doesn't this sound fun!
You're giving me co-op ideas for next fall...
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Angie Mc
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Oh Mary, this is perfect timing! My 11yo is to date, my most curious and talented in the area of "how things work" to include his latest interest in How It's Made. I'm all ears and am willing to brainstorm  .
Love,
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AtHomeScience
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Check your library for the DVDs that go with the book--my kids love them! They are animated stories with the mammoths and other characters illustrated in the book. I don't know if they are available through Netflixs.
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Mackfam
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Here you go, Mary...The Way Things Work - Boy Meets Machine.
We just finished up our physics intensive part of the course and had so much fun!!!
We'll be continuing with this course next year and I'll be incorporating some ideas and plans from The New Way Things Work since I found a nice used copy.
I pulled copywork and dictation from this study a lot and it really inspired my little guy! Nothing is more exciting than copying Newton's laws of physics and illustrating in your own Engineer's notebook!
I loved so many of the books from this study, but a favorite was Can You Feel the Force? by Richard Hammond. This book makes a great elementary physics course. It's so engaging! We had the greatest time with bike physics on a beautiful spring day!
Hope this helps or is at least a start, Mary! Ask away if you have any questions!
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Mackfam
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| Posted: May 11 2010 at 7:47am | IP Logged
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AtHomeScience wrote:
| Check your library for the DVDs that go with the book--my kids love them! They are animated stories with the mammoths and other characters illustrated in the book. I don't know if they are available through Netflixs. |
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They're not available at Netflix.  I've been watching for them. The DVD's are no longer being offered through the manufacturer so if your library has a set - definitely add these to your list!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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Adding some other resources, Mary:
Home Science Tools offers amazing and detailed, meaty resources for home science on their website! If you're in need of experiments, labs, projects...look no further --
:: Physical Science projects at Home Science Tools
:: Physical Science Archives from the Science Explorations Newsletter Archive - these are geared towards 5th - 9th grade. Each are so full of information, background, science, vocabulary and experiments! It's an amazing and helpful resource...and FREE!
:: Young Science Explorers Newsletter Archive - these are geared toward PreK - 4th grade. Again...amazing free resource to supplement science studies.
:: Physical Science and Physics section of the store - many kits offered here to supplement a study.
:: Science coloring pages - there are a few here that work nicely with a study in Physical Science/machines/physics
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Jen Mackintosh
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margot helene
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You might also check out the booklists at the NOEO science website. You can also see what experiments they used from the Young Explorers Experiment series. We used them when we did physics a few years ago. The Usborne Science Encyclopedia Internet-linked was very helpful. We did go ahead and buy some of those Way Things Work videos used online (have to have a VCR though) because our library only had one or two of them.
WE also bought some of the KNEX physics kits - the kids LOVED those. I've saved them for the next time when younger kids are older and we can redo the whole thing. (As in, they are put away and not added to the everyday use and lose it stash.)
ETA: OH! I see those Knex things in Jen's post!! Glad you can get a look at them!!
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Erin
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Jen
I've just been through your booklist and would you believe the library only has one book and I only have 2 others. If you had to buy some, (aiming at 8 and 11yr olds) which few would you recommend.
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Tell me which books you and the library have and we'll whittle from there, Erin!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Erin
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| Posted: July 13 2010 at 10:18pm | IP Logged
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Can you tell I've been at this planning all day? Brain is getting sluggish.
I have The Way Things Work and Michael Faraday: Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig. The library has Usborne Book of Science: An Introduction to Biology, Physics and Chemistry
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Mackfam
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Erin wrote:
| I have The Way Things Work and Michael Faraday: Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig. The library has Usborne Book of Science: An Introduction to Biology, Physics and Chemistry |
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Ah! Ok! Well, I know what to suggest then!
** We REALLY enjoyed Can You Feel the Force by Richard Hammond! GREAT book for Physics! If you can only get one other book, this would be the one I'd hunt for! It shouldn't be too hard for you to find...I actually bought mine used and it was only available in the UK. Hoping you can find it near you!
** It doesn't have to be the book I recommended on Rube Goldberg, but if you can find something local at the library on the topic, or perhaps a neat online resource, on Rube Goldberg projects that is super fun! The kids loved building one of these! Here's the Rube Goldberg site.
** Maybe one of the Janice Van Cleave books if you still have some wiggle room...I like her books a lot any of these would be great, so maybe just consider your kids primary interests:
:: Physics For Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave *this would be my pref.
:: Engineering for Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave
:: Machines: Mind Boggling Experiments You Can Turn Into Science Fair Projects by Janice Van Cleave
And...those K'Nex kits have been absolutely FANTASTIC!!!! They probably make up half this course because they offer an amazing way to build and explore mechanically, and the kits relate perfectly to the book, The Way Things Work. I don't suppose you already have those do you? Check used on your ebay!
Truthfully, Erin, if you have to run with what you've got, you'll have a great year! While we enjoyed reading from other books, we primarily read from The Way Things Work and Can You Feel the Force? and worked in the K'Nex kits building what we were reading about!
Hope this helps!!!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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MarilynW
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We LOVE the Can you Feel the Force book - one of the favorites of all my boys aged 2 and up. Friends in England brought it over as a gift for the boys last year
My older boys also got the Physics Workshop for Christmas last year - and are enjoying that.
There may be some fun physics stuff in the Dangerous Book for boys.
My dh is actually helping me formalize our physics plan for next year - I will share resources when we have a plan.
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Erin
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Would you believe it turns out my library does have Feel the Force? It was just that they have a / in it and it wasn't coming up. Arghh.
Well I've combed my shelves and I have lots of DK books and some Childcraft that will work too. And we have loads of K'nex, (We bought a bulk lot off ebay a few years back) and a couple of snap circuits.
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Mackfam
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Oh wonderful!!!! It sounds like you're all set then!!!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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SylviaB
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I know this an old thread, but wondering if Mary G, MackFam or anyone else put together plans to use David Macaulay book that they were willing to share?
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CrunchyMom
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Jenn has the curriculum on the blog post she linked above as well as here from her Paper Stuff extension to her blog.
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mooreboyz
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Has anyone seen or used the ebook lesson plans "the way things work" Sold on amazon? It is $20 for lessons, activities, and quizzes. I'm considering trying it for two of mine for next year who will be doing a year of this type of stuff. I'm also looking at the knex simple machines kits which look like they come with lesson ideas also. If I throw that together with some of the book and video mentioned above i think we'll be doing good. Do you all like the erector sets? I never used them.
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SylviaB
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mooreboyz, I'm planning physics with a friend and she had a sample sent to my kindle. It's geared toward grades 7-12 and their idea of "fun activities" is writing poems, acrostic & writing assignments. Mainly though it's quizzes & tests.
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CrunchyMom
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Here is another thread with some brainstorming about using this book for a science course.
Within it Melinda shares about finding the accompanying dvds based on the book and the lesson plans available to accompany those.
SeaStar wrote:
OK- I found out there are 26 dvds in the series.
I just watched the one about sinking with my dc. They liked it and are watching it again. It is animated and presents the information in a very kid-friendly way. My kids especially liked seeing the mammoths helping out.
On the dvd menu there is a section for questions/follow up activities. This dvd had three questions for discussion and I think some websites to look at.
BUT- my big find was that at Library Video Company there are teacher's guides available for each dvd.
This guide gives suggestions for experiments as well as books, It reviews vocabulary terms and tells you what to discuss before viewing the dvd.
It also gives suggested websites for further study.
I believe you could use this as a science program without even owning the book... just view the dvds and go from there.
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Topic: Physics and the New Way Things Work
