Invitation to Learn Physics - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN PHYSICS - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law

I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon when available.

For the full list click here: Amazon Wishlist "Invitation to Learn Physics - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law."

This whole lesson grew out of reading "Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears." It is a delightful and surprising book that I highly recommend.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Pick the Pearsby Cynthia Rylant  (Author), Arthur Howard (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years

• Grade Level: 1 - 4

• Lexile Measure: 500L (What's this?)

• Series: Mr. Putter & Tabby

• Paperback: 44 pages

It is fall and juicy things are growing in Mr. Putter’s backyard--apples, tomatoes, and pears. Mr. Putter dreams of all the juicy things he loves to eat, but most of all, he dreams of pear jelly. There’s only one problem--cranky legs keep him from climbing up to pick the pears. His ingenious solution will have young readers cheering him on.

It brought to mind Angry Birds and we were delighted to find this book about the Physics of Angry Birds!

National Geographic Angry Birds Furious Forces: The Physics at Play in the World's Most Popular Game 
by Rhett Allain  (Author)

Another Angry Birds National Geographic mash-up! This fun, engaging paperback uses Angry Birds to explain the physics at work in the world--and behind the popular game. 
National Geographic's trademark science blends with Angry Birds' beloved entertainment to take readers into the world of physics. Rhett Allain, physics professor and Wired blogger explains basic scientific principles in fun, accessible ways; the Angry Birds come along for the ride to illustrate concepts we see in the real world--as well as in the Angry Birds games. Packed with science and a sense of humor, this book will improve readers' understanding of the world and how it works--and it may just improve their Angry Birds scores as well. 
Rovio Learning is known for collaborating with several scientific and educational institutions, such as the National Geographic Society and NASA. The recent collaboration with CERN brings quantum physics to the reach of children. There is no subject that young children can not learn - when the medium is age-appropriate, fun and engaging!

Rubber Band Engineer: Build Slingshot Powered Rockets, Rubber Band Rifles, Unconventional Catapults, and More Guerrilla Gadgets from Household Hardware 
by Lance Akiyama  (Author)

"Whoa, that shot a lot farther than I thought it would!"

Shooting far, flying high, and delivering way more exciting results than expected are the goals of the gadgets in this book.

Discover unexpected ways to turn common materials into crafty contraptions that range from surprisingly simple to curiously complex. In vivid color photos, you'll be guided to create slingshot rockets, unique catapults, and even hydraulic-powered machines. Whether you build one or all 19 of these designs, you'll feel like an ingenious engineer when you're through.

Best of all, you don't need to be an experienced tinkerer to make any of the projects within. All you need are household tools and materials, such as paper clips, pencils, paint stirrers, and ice pop sticks.

Oh, and rubber bands. Lots of rubber bands.

So grab your glue gun, pull out your pliers, track down your tape, and get started on the challenging, fun, and rewarding journey toward becoming a rubber band engineer.

PhET Simulation Games

From https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion

Description

Blast a car out of a cannon, and challenge yourself to hit a target! Learn about projectile motion by firing various objects. Set parameters such as angle, initial speed, and mass. Explore vector representations, and add air resistance to investigate the factors that influence drag.

Sample Learning Goals

• Determine how each parameter (initial height, initial angle, initial speed, mass, diameter, and altitude) affects the trajectory of an object, with and without air resistance.
• Predict how varying the initial conditions will affect a projectile’s path, and provide an explanation for the prediction.
• Estimate where an object will land, given its initial conditions.
• Determine that the x and y motion of a projectile are independent.
• Investigate the variables that affect the drag force.
• Describe the the effect that the drag force has on the velocity and acceleration.
• Discuss projectile motion using common vocabulary (such as: launch angle, initial speed, initial height, range, time).

From https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/hookes-law

Description

Stretch and compress springs to explore the relationships between force, spring constant, displacement, and potential energy! Investigate what happens when two springs are connected in series and parallel.

Sample Learning Goals

• Explain the relationships between applied force, spring force, spring constant, displacement, and potential energy.
• Describe how connecting two springs in series or parallel affects the effective spring constant and the spring forces.
• Predict how the potential energy stored in the spring changes as the spring constant and displacement change.