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.

Roadtrip - Summer 2017

It is time for our annual summer roadtrip! We will be using some of the same items from one of my previous posts about traveling - like the Artist Studio To-Go (stocked with scissors, tape, and fresh markers) and Goodbyns. But I've also been stashing away some new things for my kids.

There are plenty of ways to pass the time in the car. We play the "We're Going on a Picnic" car game; we make up stories; we listen to music and audiobooks. Before handing over the iPads and other devices, I like to give them other options. Plus, we have to have ways of engaging them with interesting things when they transition away from screens. Enter this year's shopping list:

Everything on this list fits in a grocery bag and leaves room to spare! You'll find everything you need to keep small children from losing their minds in the car. In fact, you will stimulate their minds!

CRAFTS

Ribbon, Tape & Scissors

I learned a while back that Curling Ribbon, Tape, and Scissors can occupy my children for a nice long time in the car. So I stashed away a couple rolls of ribbon, a couple pairs of scissors, and bought some new tape (Scotch and Washi).

Markers & Paper

My kids also like to draw, write, and sketch. So we will need something with which to write. Pencils create shavings, crayons melt in hot cars, so markers are a sensible choice. Since my 5yo likes to tattoo herself, I was sure to get new Crayola Washable Markers (Broad and Fine Line). I'll throw in a pad of paper and we should be good to go.

Scratch Art

Scratch Art - It is that black paper that you scratch with a wooden stylus to reveal color beneath. It is still drawing but it sure makes for a great way to change things up. I grabbed some at the $3 bins at Target but you can usually find them at craft stores and, obviously, Amazon.

Wipe-Clean Books

Just so I have something that is reusable, I grabbed a couple Wipe-Clean Books by Usborne. My daughter is begging to learn to read so I got the Alphabet book for her. And I chose the Mazes because their a fun way to practice pen control, which my son desperately needs. Plus, the mazes can act as small worlds for imaginative play for small action figures.

     

MAGNETIC TOYS, ETC.

Boogie Board

Because my kids gravitate to these things when we're out on the town.

• Writing experience is comparable to pen on paper

• Ultra-bright LCD writing surface is 50% brighter than previous models, Replaceable coin-cell battery

• Integrated magnets allow for easy mounting to compatible surfaces

• Built-in stylus dock provides convenient storage for stylus when not in use, refer user manual below

• Stylus can be used as a kick-stand to display your written messages to family, friends and co-workers

Free Play Magnatab

A new sensory experience!

• The magnetic stylus is your pen, the bead board your paper, your finger the eraser as you use your imagination to draw, design and create
• Explore your creativity in engaging, sensory-reinforced play; the stylus brings the beads to the surface with an audible click revealing your creation
• Push the beads down with a finger to erase and start over; the beads are completely self-contained and do not come out of the board
• Made from the highest quality ABS, the new design (July 2015) improves performance and increases child satisfaction
• For ages 3+

Magnashapes

A new magnetic builder...one small enough that is can travel!

• 80 wooden magnetic pieces and colorful design guide

Coggy

Sold by Fat Brain Toys and Fulfilled by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.

• Folding, clicking puzzle of arranging gears to match challenge cards; one side features colors, other side features black and white; 16 gears each shift up to 255 degrees for exciting flexibility

• Fold and arrange gears to match images printed on 40 challenge cards; 4 levels of difficulty: easy, medium, hard, extra hard; feel the gears click as they fall into place – doubles as a great fidget toy

• Great for ages 6+; exceptionally strong, safe, high-quality materials; BPA free

• Strengthens visual-spatial skills, critical thinking, logic; detailed instructions, easy for anyone to learn and play; clicking gears soothe anxious nerves, helps kids focus

• Includes Coggy, 40 challenge cards; chain of gears measures 14 inches long; made in China

FIDGET TOYS

Fidget Spinners are all the rage these days but don't let them distract you from the oldies but goodies like these gems I snagged...

• Rubik's Cube (3x3 and 2x2)
• Koosh Balls
• Slinkies
• Small Creatures

BOOKS

I recently became an Usborne Books and More Independent Consultant. As part of my Welcome Kit, three books arrived that are perfect for our roadtrip because they are practically toys/crafts themselves!

Shine-a-Light-On the Rainforest

Discover the animals and plants that live in and around a kapok tree, from the colorful parrots in the canopy to the sleek jaguar on the forest floor. This engaging non-fiction title will stimulate a love of the natural world as the vivacity of the rain forest is revealed through the bold and colorful artwork, and clever “see-through” pages.

The Wild Garden

Decorate the scenes with beautiful wild flowers rub-downs in this lovely keep-sake book! There will be a card pocket in the inside back cover where the 7 sheets of rub-down will be kept. Half of the spread is colored, and one can add the rub downs, the other half is line drawings that one can color, and add rub-downs to as well. The names of the flowers will also be there, so that one can learn them. Perfect for a mother's day gift, for example.

This is Not a Math Book

Math and art, as different as night and day, right? Wrong! This is Not a Math Book shows how math can be beautiful and art can be numerical. Amazing patterns with a mathematical basis will be revealed as you follow the simple activity instructions. And you’ll learn incredible math facts as you draw the beautiful designs. A real eye-opener for kids of all ages with an artistic bent who think that math is dry and boring, while math enthusiasts will discover new ways to be creative.

Minecraft Handbooks

My eldest is becoming a Minecraft junkie. So I picked up a trilogy of handbooks.

You can make theme parks with incredible waterslide rides, or entire pirate coves complete with galleons! Is there nothing that can't be achieved in Minecraft? Here the experts talk you through amazing constructs which range from awe-inspiring cathedrals to wacky inventions--like the hilarious animal cannon that catapults cows out to sea! Find out which are Notch's personal favorites and get step-by-step instructions to fuel your own creative genius. Be ORE-some!

       

Since we're readers and always excited about time together for enjoying books read aloud, I picked up a couple new chapter books...they're classics.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

In 1865, Charles Lutwidge Dodson composed a fantasy tale for a trio of young sisters. His creative genius and childlike ability to imagine a universe like no other took form in one of the most treasured children’s books of all time. Under the pen-name of Lewis Carroll, Dodson’s tale of an intrepid little girl who discovers a surreal, beautiful, and dangerous land would has shared its magic with generations of readers. His Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts have become cultural icons, to say nothing of the heroic young Alice herself.

Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

Full of magic and appealing characters, this classic novel takes readers on a remarkable adventure. 

It's Omri's birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic Indian brave. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts the Indian in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his great-grandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic Indian into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! Omri and the tiny warrior called Little Bear could hardly be more different, yet soon the two forge a very special friendship. Will Omri be able to keep Little Bear without anyone finding out and taking his precious Indian from him?

AUDIOBOOKS

We will have a six audiobooks downloaded from the library and ready to go. Some of them are oldies but goodies from my list of 66 Audio Stories for Little Kids (like Ralph S. Mouse, the Disney Fairies, and The Magic Treehouse). We're adding a couple to that list and since we are newly Beyond Preschool, the audience for whom these books were written are decidedly also Beyond Preschool...

By William Joyce

We've read Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King aloud and enjoyed it immensely but we haven't heard the audiobook version. So we're going to give it a try.

Before SANTA was SANTA, he was North, Nicholas St. North—a daredevil swordsman whose prowess with double scimitars was legendary. Like any swashbuckling young warrior, North seeks treasure and adventure, leading him to the fiercely guarded village of Santoff Claussen, said to be home to the greatest treasure in all the East, and to an even greater wizard, Ombric Shalazar. But when North arrives, legends of riches have given way to terrors of epic proportions! North must decide whether to seek his fortune…or save the village. 

When our rebellious hero gets sucked into the chaos (literally), the fight becomes very personal. The Nightmare King and his evil Fearlings are ruling the night, owning the shadows, and sending waves of fear through all of Santoff Clausen. For North, this is a battle worth fighting...and, he’s not alone. There are five other Guardians out there. He only has to find them in time.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

This is new territory for us. I'm not sure if it will be too scary for my youngest (5yo) but we've listened to the author's treasury of fairy tales when we studied The Frog Prince and, I think, we are ready to venture forth in the Land of Stories through the Wishing Spell.

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. 

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.  

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Magna-Tiles: They Aren't Just for Building Houses

Three years ago, I wrote this about great toys:

              A well-designed toy is the right toy time and time again. It scaffolds different lessons at different times.

              A well-designed toy has lasting and evolving value in the eyes of a child (and his or her parent, too).

At the time I was writing about wooden blocks. I marveled at all the ways my children used them and how their play with wooden blocks evolved over time.

Well, in our family, Magna-Tiles have had even more staying power than wooden blocks! Here are six surprising ways Magna-Tiles get used in my house.

One: First Exploration of Volume and Shape
This exercise never ceases to amaze me. A child has two Magna-Tiles, puts them together, and takes them apart. Two squares placed side-by-side become a rectangle and then squares again. Two squares placed on top of one another make a small stack, reminiscent of maths lessons in volume and space.

Read the rest at Fat Brain Toys...

Post-Christmas: It is ALL ABOUT BOWS

It is the day after Christmas and I am struck by the attention all the bows and leftover tissue are getting. I suppose the adornments of gifts are the sparkly counterpart to the empty box from which the toys came. And I'm here to tell you that is OK to stop cleaning up. Let your children play with the day-after debris.

Perhaps they will decorate their pet snake...

...Build a home for a frog, complete with lake, bed, and sparkling lilypads...

...or any other number of ways.

Kick back. Relax. And let the children play.

Merry merry.

Cool Toy Alert: Toroflux

My kid came home from school raving about a toy he discovered in the principal's office. By the miracle of Google, I was able to find it my first try by typing "rings twirl connected toy" and what I found was something worthy of sharing here. It is called "Toroflux" by Flow Toys. One look at a still photo of this toy and it is no wonder that my kid picked it up...

...and after watching a video of Toroflux in action I understand why he fell in love.

A mesmerizing kinetic sculpture and an interactive "flow toy" that's like a 4th dimensional "slinky". It folds down in a spiral direction to form a ring of rings and with a subtle movement, it pops open into a full torus of interconnected rings, surprising everyone. Comes with a mini-biner, so you can easily clip it to your bag or belt loop and bring it everywhere to share and spread the fun :)

We managed to locate a knock-off one made by GeoFlux at our local awesome toystore. So we're heading out for my son to spend his allowance on it. 

For you, dear Preschool Engineering fans, I invite you to find it at your favorite local toy store or stash the idea away for a rainy day Amazon shopping spree. 

A Must-Have Tool for Autumn

Always on the Lookout for Claws

We are always on the lookout for mechanically interesting toys. The search includes everything from cool trucks to clever uses for simple machines and includes toy stores, kitchen stores, and hardware store.

Using Rakes as Shovels

I have a distinct memory of using a rake as a shovel every autumn. I would rake leaves into a giant pile, maybe play in it or let me little sister play in it, and then begin the laborious work of scooping leaves into a bag or wheelbarrow to transport to compost. I would flip the rake upsidedown and use my hand to fill it with leaves.

Leaf Scoops Solve Two Preschool Engineering Problems at Once

Enter "Leaf Scoops."

They are claws.

They are a simple solution to the precarious balancing act of scooping and hauling leaves at the end of a rake.

They are an invitation for preschool engineers to help with the work of life during autumn.

Find a Set for Your Family
You can order a set for yourself at Amazon but I have also seen them at local megastores. Now that you know they exist, I'm sure you can find a pair (or two)for your family.

Happy Autumn!

Terrifying Tools: A Preschool Engineer's Halloween

Squash season brings with it a unique opportunity to let our children wield tools. I have to admit that my blood pressure goes up any time hammers and nails are around but that doesn't mean I don't find times and places for my kids to try them out. Finding the right combination of materials is key...

Wood is "Too Hard"
Both of my children have had plenty of opportunities to hammer nails into wood. But oftentimes I find myself starting all the nails and then letting them pound them in. And the removing nails from wood is pretty hard to do, too.

(Not to say that it isn't worth trying.)

Play-doh is "Too Soft"
Play-doh is so soft that the children don't need a hammer to push pegs, nails, or golf tees into it. They can just push them in.

(Not to say that is isn't worth trying.)

Pumpkins are Just Right
Pumpkin flesh is a unique material for taking nails.  It is not as hard as wood; it isn't as soft as Play-doh.

Here are a few ideas to get you started...

JUST POUND AWAY

You can start by just letting your child pound nails or golf tees into a pumpkin. A pumpkin riddled with nails is an oddly satisfying thing to see.

Just Pounding Nails at I Can Teach My Child

MAKE HAIR

If you offer a face already drawn on the pumpkin, then the nails or golf tees might become hair.

Hair at Choices for Children

STRING & RUBBERBAND BLING

Add string or rubberbands to kick it up a notch.

Nails and String at the Magic Onions

Nails and Geobands and Little Bins for Little Hands

PLIER PATROL

Hand your child a pair of pliers and let them try pulling the nails or golf tees out of the pumpkin. Then hollow it out to create a starry-night pumpkin.

Remove Golf Tees with Pliers at Time for Play

And more.... 20+ Pumpkin Hammering Activities at Living Montessori

Saws+Chalk

Let's Call It "An Inclined Plane," Not "A Slide"

For years I have felt like a renegade mom at the playground and it all comes down to what most people see as a "slide." In fact, I think of it as an inclined plane. It is something that offers so much physics learning that I can barely contain my excitement when I see kids playing with it.

Here are the three most common experiments I have seen on the inclined planes:

Sliding down. 
This is what most parents expect from children and it is awesome. However, I also have seen some creative thinking squandered in the name of "safety" - the common rules I see enforced are: 1) slide are for one human at a time and 2) slide on your bottom. Unfortunately for those parents I advocate that there is so much science to learn if we break those rules! I think the kids can and should experiment with:
- sliding on their bottoms, their bellies, their feet, and their backs.
- sliding alone and in a big messy pile.
- sending objects down the slide like balls, cars, trucks, sand, rocks, dolls, or playground floor-stuff (pebbles, woodchips, sand), etc...

Going up
This is a controversial subject on the inclined plane at the playground. So many people think that going up the ramp is bad. From my observations, the children figure out when there is a good time and when there is a bad time to try and go up the slide. And while they figure it out there is so much joy and learning that it just tickles me. Here are some of the experiments I've seen that involve going up the ramp:
- walking, crawling up the ramp in various amounts and types of dress. On their feet children learn the difference between walking barefoot, in socks, or in shoes. They figure out whether walking or crawling is more effective. And if crawling with atheltic pants is different from crawling with bare knees.
- sending objects up the ramp like rolling balls, trucks, or sliding dolls up.

Whether sliding down or going up an inclined plane children are learning all about force and motion...preschool playground physics.

Making music
I remember a parent telling me that she condoned her 10 year old son pushing my 4 year old down the stairs to "protect" himself and his sisters. What was my son doing? He was carrying woodchips up the stairs to put them down the slide, which the other children protested (despite not wanting to use the slide themselves). My son explained to me that he thought it would be beautiful to watch and listen as the woodchips went down the twirling slide. This is the story I recall every time my son puts the playground floor-stuff down a slide, and I feel grateful when I see other children experimenting the same way.

These are the ways I have watched children make music using slides:
- Sending handfuls of pebbles down a tunnel slide
- Sending sand down a metal slide
- banging on the sides of a tunnel slide
- shouting/singing/oooh-ing down a tunnel slide

I'm sure I'm missing a few noisy ways prechoolers study acoustics with the inclined plane but I think you get the gist.

The point is that the "slide" is not just a slide. It is an inclined plane, which makes it a versatile tool for doing playground physics, from studying force and motion to sound. It only takes a slight re-framing to see it for all it is worth.

--

Some words about safety. Don't get me wrong. I take safety seriously but I also take playful childhood development seriously, too. And so I continue the parental dance on the playground to let the children make decisions as much as possible and without too much intervention. Because I agree with Alfie Kohn: "Children learn how to make good decisions by making decisions, not by following directions."