Physical Science and Engineering

Chapter 16

“Matter and Motion”

This chapter talked about mass and matter. It talked about the states of matter, atoms, molecules, and chemical changes. It also talked about Newtons laws of motion and the laws about gravity-- and how we defy gravity with airplanes and rockets.

Chapter 17

“Energies and Machines”

This chapter is about energy. It opens by talking about how energy cannot be created or destroyed. Electricity is the result of stored electrons and we can use this energy to power our homes and buildings. Sound and light are wave particles that travel through the air and bounce off of surfaces. This chapter also discusses simple machines and how they work. Something I took away from that topic was how the location of the fulcrum in a lever can change the amount of effort needed to maneuver the machine. An example they gave was the effort needed for a wheelbarrow as opposed to the effort needed to reel a fishing line. They are both level based machines but the energy needed is offset by the fulcrum and level of resistance. 

Chapter 18

“Physical Science Lesson Ideas”

The two previous chapters are rich with content that can be taught in fun and engaging ways. This chapter suggests some ways to bring this information into the classroom. One suggestion that resonated with me was the properties of water unit plan. This would be a very concrete example of matter change even for young students because it is something they can observe in their own life, ice in their water, steam when their caretaker is boiling water on the stove. There are lots of opportunities to build hands-on activities in this unit. One such example is having children build a working circuit board. They could use this lesson to better understand electricity and conduction.