Secular physics for around 4th grade?

[Laura Corin]

I used RS4K with Calvin and I wasn't happy with the physics part - it seemed dry and quite a few experiments didn't work at all (after I'd bothered to buy and drag the equipment home to China).

Kits would be fine, or a text so long as it's engaging..... The experiments have to have a good chance of working and be well integrated into the theory that is being taught.

Thanks

Laura

[chelsea in TN]

Rainbow science?? It is for middle school but if you took it slow I think it would work. It comes with a kit and the experiements actually work!

Singapore Science would be another sugestion. But for Lab you may have to go outside the program as some of the equipment for the praticals are hard to find.

Or What about Physics Workshop??? That looks fun. It is costly though. But having all the stuff in one kit would be cool.

Kinex Physics kits - I think timberdoodle sells them.

At this age we did a lot of fun stuff. Like the kits. Some were duds but these above were pretty good.

Science with Toys also looks good. I just bought it for my 1st grader. But my 6th grader enjoys the experiements as well.

Usborne Encyclopedia of Science is pretty engaging with explanations of physics concepts. Or the Usborn Childrens encyclopedia.. I know the childrens encyclopedia has a few experiements using hosehold items.

HTH,

Chelsea

[Shari]

We are using the WTM suggestion: Reader's Digest How Science Works. I know this is placed in the Dialectic stage, but we've been using it as a 4th grade spine with no problems. The experiments are mostly do-able with household supplies, and we flesh out some topics with library books. The book is oop but widely available used and cheap. We also use Explorabook as a supplement.

[Laura Corin]

Thanks for the idea - I'm leaning towards a kit, because 'household supplies' are often unavailable here and I know that if they are not easy, the experiments just won't get done.

Thanks anyway

Laura

[Trivium Academy]

and it's an option even though it might not fit what you're looking for....

Terrific Science's Teaching Physical Science through Children's Literature
http://www.terrificscience.com/sciencestore/product.php?pid=4

Integrate science and language arts while emphasizing the process skills common to both areas.

Inspired by favorite stories
20 complete lessons
Connects science and language arts
Reproducible pages
National Science Education Standards
Easy-to-understand explanations
244 pages
Grades K–4I have also considered Noeo Science and Bite-size Physics. I'm pretty sure we're going to use Terrific Science though. Terrific Science meets National Science Education Standards but I found it very interesting because of the use of children's books.

Another book, Teaching Physics with Toys
http://www.terrificscience.com/sciencestore/product.php?pid=79

The completely revised Teaching Physics with TOYS, EASYGuide™ Edition with bonus CD-ROM provides new activities in collaboration with K’NEX® Education, along with many new features to guide and support science inquiry in your classroom. Students use common toys to explore inertia, kinetic energy, laws of motion, and many more physics principles.

22 hands-on investigations for grades 3-9
336 pages
Step-by-step teaching notes and accompanying CD-ROM with reproducible and customizable student pages
Student guides for experiment planning and graphing
K’NEX pieces are used to build levers and pulley systems, balances, crank fans, tops, cars, and more. (K’NEX sets and pieces (http://www.terrificscience.com/sciencestore/product.php?pid=129) are available separately.)
Grades 3–9If you follow the links, you can see inside the books.

Hope you find something Laura!

[Jenny in Atl]

Here are a few ideas...

Cool site but maybe more high school level, still with a look.
http://www.physlink.com/Education/Youth.cfm

I have heard great things about this bk, want it myself. Maybe Amazon UK has it too?
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Circus-Physics-Jearl-Walker/dp/0471762733/ref=pd_sim_b_img_1

I know a number of folks who like Neo and find it pretty much secular.
http://www.noeoscience.com/physI.html

My oldest did this one and loved it, Science in a nutshell.
http://www.delta-education.com/siangallery.aspx?subjectID=8&subID=5&menuID=68

[Laura Corin]

Thank you - I really like the look of teaching Physics through toys with the K'nex kit. It's not cheap, but I like the exploration aspect of it. I might do it with both boys, actually.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Thanks - I'm looking at the Physics With Toys idea.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Thanks - I'll look into those.

Laura

[Capt_Uhura]

Have you checked out what LEGO education.com/store/?global=usa (http://www.legoeducation.com/store/?global=usa) has to offer? If you look on the left side there is a homeschool link. The website is horrible to navigate. I'd suggest having them send you a catalogue. The topics are similar to K'nex - simple machines (pully's, ramps, gears, etc), motion, how does wheel size affect speed, gears affect torque etc. They have kits to study bridges and structures and you make a device to measure the force applied to a structure to see how stable it is etc.

[WABeth]

I like the look of bite-size physics (http://www.bitesizephysics.com/) for 4th grade. You can see samples of the hard copy at Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/content/658644). I haven't purchased it yet but the samples look good. The first go around I used Hands-On Science (http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Science-Sarah-Angliss/dp/0753454408/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203264561&sr=8-1)and supplemented with lots of library books. Next time I would like something more complete. Let us know what you choose, I will have to make this decision again in a few years.

[Jan in SC]

Check out the Delta Education science kits. I think you could put a couple together to get what you wanted.
Good luck!

[KAR120C]

I like the look of bite-size physics (http://www.bitesizephysics.com/) for 4th grade. You can see samples of the hard copy at Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/content/658644). I haven't purchased it yet but the samples look good. The first go around I used Hands-On Science (http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Science-Sarah-Angliss/dp/0753454408/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203264561&sr=8-1)and supplemented with lots of library books. Next time I would like something more complete. Let us know what you choose, I will have to make this decision again in a few years.
We've used Bite-Size Physics and really like it!

[KarenC]

We used a couple of the Delta nutshell kits, a KNEX bridges kit, Snap Circuits, and (I think) a kit from Stratton (or something like that) on light and optics. It was a fun science year.

Karen

[Tami]

the Adventures in Science kits (http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1203275487-1070677&subject=11&category=2997) from Rainbow Resources. I really like them. I have used "Color and Light" and "How Things Work," and they would tie in the your physics plans. The kits are around $10, and challenging. I see they also have a "Magnetism" kit.

[KAR120C]

Various things I've used:

Bite-size Physics (http://www.bitesizephysics.com/) (caveat: I've not been doing the teaching on this one because DS is in a group using it, but from a parent's perspective it has looked truly excellent, appears to be very easy to teach, and the experiments have all used very "normal" stuff - legos, paper, string, toy cars, balloons)

Snap Circuits for electronics, and I've heard excellent things about Quick Study Labs (http://www.quickstudylabs.com/) to beef up the "theory" end of it. A friend of mine uses it, but I've not myself (yet!) She says it's hard. :)

Elementary Engineering (http://www.legoeducation.com/store/detail.aspx?CategoryID=160&by=9&ID=1257&c=1&t=0&l=0) with Legos -- pretty good, but I like using it in a group if you can because there are challenges that make good competitions for kids that find that inspring.

Simple Machines (http://www.knex.com/educational_toys/exploring_machines.php) with K'Nex -- fairly straightforward, but just simple machines, nothing else, and even though it says middle school I think it would be pretty light for that level... I taught it as a co-op class for 8-10 year olds and it fit pretty well.

I think that's everything... We use Singapore for a spine and I do like what it does with physics, but no one year is all physics, so that isn't quite what you're asking for....

Hope this helps!

[Karen in CO]

I have this bookmarked as something to examine more when we are ready for physics. http://www.explorationeducation.com/index.htm (http://www.explorationeducation.com/index.htm)

The kinex education is also at the top of my physics short list. I was planning to try one of the smaller kits like levers or pulleys before buying the whole big set. My ds loved kinex and my girls are enjoying his old sets so I think adding the educational parts would be great. They also have special pieces now so that you can add legos to the kinex that will expand their usefulness after the physics class is done.

[Book Crazy]

Have you seen the Physics Workshop?

Physics Workshop (http://www.discoverthis.com/physics-kit.html)

Also the Physics Solar Workshop

Physics Solar Workshop (http://www.discoverthis.com/physics-solar-workshop.html)

Hope these help

Sarah