Hi, I'm Jodie. I'm eight years old. This is a review of Primary Physics. The purpose of the Primary Physics workbook set is to teach kids about simple forces and machines. It has step-by-step instructions that are easy for kids to follow. It is a fun way for kids learn about forces happening all around them.
My favorite page was Book 3, Project 2 on friction. The project was to make a meal or snack using friction, yum!
Some of the experiments didn't work, like the hovercraft experiment. Also, I felt sad that the "movable ears" project didn't work.
I liked the cartoon drawings of the person doing the experiments. You should check the teachers' notes in the back of the books. They tell you more about the experiments. If you want to learn about the world around us, this series is for you. Enjoy!
Hi, my name is Cristina and I'm 44 years old. I'm the mother who prodded Jodie throughout her overscheduled summer to make progress through most of the experiments in the four-volume Primary Physics series, written by Marti Ellen and illustrated by Andrew Davies. I earned a MS in Education from the University of New Haven this spring—which must be why Physics Today's online editor thought I had some special qualification to contribute towards this review. The editor must not know that I still suffer post traumatic stress disorder after taking my second and last physics class in college.
I aced my first college physics class because I had a prior introduction to mechanics in high school. Alas, I had no prior introduction to electromagnetism. As a consequence, I was overwhelmed with too much new information. Sadly, that experience discouraged me from applying to the University of Washington School of Engineering.
Educational theory says that we construct learning on a foundation of prior knowledge. If we want students to be able to succeed in pursuing STEM careers, we need to give them a good foundation of prior knowledge to succeed in college level science classes. Thanks to Marti Ellen's efforts, a foundation of physics knowledge can be built as early as primary school!
Primary Physics uses a highly readable typeface, black and white illustrations, and clear instructions that Jodie could read herself. Yet my daughter did not pick up and read the books or initiate any experiments without my encouragement. Maybe a comic book format or crude doodles that look like they were drawn by a child, similar to the illustration style in Diary of A Wimpy Kid series, which she loves, would have inspired her more. Perhaps a little color could be added to the layout, or perhaps some kid-friendly jokes. Jodie liked the smiling figures in the book best, because they "looked funny." More attempts at humor would probably appeal to her age level.
Be sure to read the teachers' notes in the rear of the book and perform the experiments in advance, because not all experiments are simple to execute. Moreover, some of the experiments require purchasing odd items at a dollar, hardware, or crafts store. For instance, a balancing toy used to illustrate the center of mass used a "dolly peg," which most customer service people I talked to hadn't heard of.
Fortunately, the Joann Fabrics store in the adjacent town had the dolly pegs, which I describe alternatively as "straight, wooden, old fashioned clothespins, that don't open or close." Jodie tried unsuccessfully to make the toy and balance it, and then watched with impatience as I had difficulty doing the same. If only I had read the teacher's notes and practiced the experiment in advance!
Hi, my name is Brett and I'm several months younger than Cristina. I am Jodie's father, and I occasionally assisted with experiments. I am also a mathematician who teaches computer engineering at the US Coast Guard Academy. Since I spend most of my day attempting to teach cadets difficult concepts, I followed Jodie's progress through these books with interest. The concepts covered are basic but fundamental. The book begins with basic forces, energy, and mass—turns to simple machines, and finally explores forces and motion in more depth.
There were many topics covered and while it's not clear to me that Jodie understood all of them, I think she did get some insights. For example, Jodie learned (to her surprise) that objects of different mass fall at the same rate, how friction impacts the sliding of a block, how many levers are in our house, and what a dolly peg is. She also learned how to run multiple trials of an experiment, and that actual results may not be as tidy you'd like, especially when you're improvising some of the materials.
Jodie, Cristina, and Brett Sovereign live in Niantic, Connecticut.
