For the Love of Physics: Sabbath Mood Homeschool High School Physics

For the Love of Physics
by Walter Lewin

First Son and I have been reading this book together over the last three years along with Sabbath Mood Homeschool's high school physics course (Physics Part I, Part 2, and Part 3). Part 3 requires astronomy as a prerequisite. My son completed the Astronomy course as part of his high school earth sciences credit. I think there's enough astronomy in Mater Amabilis's Level 3 and 4 science plans that a student would be adequately prepared without the Sabbath Mood Astronomy guide.

I scheduled an integrated science curriculum for him, so he did Part 1 freshman year, Part 2 sophomore year, and Part 3 junior year. By the end of junior year, he earned a full credit of physics. He also finished a full credit of chemistry and a full credit of earth science.

We don't need to understand why a rainbow or fogbow or glassbow is formed in order to appreciate its beauty, of course, but understanding the physics of rainbows does give us a new set of eyes (I call this the beauty of knowledge). We become more alert to the little wonders we might just be able to spot on a foggy morning, or in the shower, or when walking by a fountain, or peeking out of an airplane window when everyone else is watching movies. (p. 102)

Dr. Lewin's book overflows with his infectious love of science, especially physics. He marvels at the wonders of the natural world, including parts that are only discernable with delicate instruments.

Ballooning was very romantic in its way. To be up at four o'clock in the morning, drive out to the airport, and see the sunrise and see the spectacular inflation of the balloon--this beautiful desert, under the sky, just stars at first, and then slowly seeing the Sun come up. Then, as the balloon was released and pulled itself into the sky, it shimmered silver and gold in the dawn. (p. 212)

The book covers a lot of basic physics in its pages, with a focus on the kinds of phenomena a reader is likely to notice in every day life, if he or she is paying attention. For the most part, I was able to understand the broader concepts fairly well just from the text. Sometimes the explanations were difficult to follow, but a student could always look up more detailed information online.

The experiments for the first two sections seemed about perfect to me. Some were relatively straight-forward. Others were more ambitious, probably more than I would have been on my own, and that meant they were a good challenge for First Son. We were never able to get our electromagnet working, but there is a benefit in making the attempt, even if it doesn't work. I think there might have been one other experiment that didn't work as well. We also skipped at least one that would have required a significant financial investment.

Part 3 has only a few real experiments or lab activities. Most of the time, the student was encouraging to conduct some reading research on a topic of astrophysics that had appeared in the text. It's hard to know if that truly counts as a lab (but I'm counting it for First Son), but it definitely made planning labs for that term a lot easier for me!

There are references in a couple of lessons in the Sabbath Mood Plans to creationist websites and articles, presumably to counter the long timeline of the universe's history presented in the text. We don't have any problems with the theory of the big bang or long timelines, so we just skipped those lessons. 

I am fairly certain I am not going to use these plans for First Daughter. She has ambitious ideas about possibly attending an elite college and I'm not entirely sure these are rigorous enough. I'm not opposed to conceptual physics courses, but this one seems lighter than a conceptual without upper level math problems. I think it might work for my younger daughter, though, who could benefit from a lighter load. 

I've also found the integrated approach using terms to be a little unwieldy for our transcript. It's not that you can't make a transcript based on three terms a year, but that science is the only course that is really in thirds. I think for the future, I'm going to figure out a way to use an integrated approach in semesters. I think you could do that with this course - just use Part 1 and about half of Part 2 for the first semester, then the rest of Part 2 and Part 3 for the second semester.

As in other Sabbath Mood Homeschool courses, the lessons are only three days a week. The student should be reading from a supplemental science book once a week and following a news source once a week for current events articles in science as well in order to ensure you have enough hours to justify a full credit by the end.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. Links to Sabbath Mood Homeschool are not affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Pondering the Marvels of Creation: Great Catholic Scientists

Great Catholic Scientists: Discoveries and Lives of Faith

Dr. Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Dr. Michelle Francl-Donnay

This is a wonderful little audiobook, almost like a collection of podcasts. Dr. Consolmagno and Dr. Francl-Donnay chat together about science and religion through the stories of Catholic scientists from all over the world and throughout history. They are collected in twelve chapters of 20-25 minutes each, focused on areas like medicine or mathematics, but freely wandering in the discussions.

Some of the featured scientists are saints. Some are famous. All of them are examples of real people doing science - showing up at work and persevering through mundane day-to-day activities.

Dr. Consolmango and Dr. Francl-Donnay talk often of the characteristics that make a good Catholic scientist (spoiler alert - they are the same ones that make a good scientist), but they also talk about some of the characteristics of a Catholic that provide a foundation of education, learning, and curiosity which allows a scientist to explore God's creation with joy. There are instances where their faith allowed a scientist to ask questions and be comfortable in areas of uncertainty.

I have assigned these lectures to my daughter, currently in eighth grade, at the beginning of her year, as a kind of introduction to science and how to think like a scientist. It's a lovely sweep through the history of science that touches on a wide variety of areas. So many secular books on science begin with an assumption that a person of faith cannot also be a person of science, an erroneous but pervasive assumption. This audiobook provides one more layer of protection for a student who can then more easily discard mistaken ideas like that as he or she is reading.

My daughter is listening to them straight through, but I think any individual lecture could be enjoyed without listening to all of them, and there's no real reason they must be in this particular order. Though I think the authors tried to follow a chronological order, there is a lot of overlap on the lectures. I've made a little list below in case someone wants to choose just one or two or wants to schedule them within a particular study.

Chapter 1 (4 min intro) and Chapter 2: What Makes a Scientist Catholic?
(Hildegard of Bingen, Georges Lemaître)
This is probably the lecture that most directly addresses the apparent disconnect between faith and reason. Instead, it suggests our faith leads directly to exploring the world and the universe, God's creation. Science as a discipline only makes sense if the universe is not random. Dr. Consolmango and Dr. Francl-Donnay find great joy and delight in their scientific studies.

Chapter 3: Overthrowing Aristotle
(Hildegard of Bingen, Albert the Great, José de Acosta, Athanasius Kircher)
In this chapter, they explain how changes in the world (stability, improvements in communications, large enough populations so some people can study just for the sake of knowledge, etc.) led to the sudden growth of "science." Catholic monasteries and universities were an integral part of this culture.

Chapter 4: Into the Depths of the Atom
(Henri Becquerel, George de Hevesy, Roger Boscovich, Amedeo Avogadro)
As Catholics, we already believe in the unseen and do not fear the mysterious. We also have faith that our experiences tell us something meaningful about the world. This chapter talks about mysteries, and how the most interesting answers and discoveries are the ones that lead to more questions.

Chapter 5: What Is Life?
(René Haüy, Louis Pasteur, Gregor Mendel, Marthe Gautier and Jérôme Lejeune)
This chapter begins with a discussion about a philosophical (and scientific) definition of life. It touches on the humanness of scientists. They have the same trials, controversies, and need to make a living as anyone else.

Chapter 6: Materia Medica
(Hildegard of Bingen, Georg Joseph Kamel, Pierre Joseph Pelletier, John Clark Sheehan, René Laennec, Ethelbert Blatter)
In this chapter, they discuss how a fallen world leads to illness but that God's creation and his gift to us of reason allow us to discover and develop methods of healing. Over the centuries, the Jesuits in particular have had the opportunities to explore the world, learning from other cultures, and regular communications with others to share that knowledge.

Chapter 7: Merciful Science
(Laudato Si', Mary Poonen Lukose, Bernardo Alberto Houssay, Carl Ferdinand Cori and Gerty Theresa Cori)
Pope St. John Paul II said that science and theology work together, like two wings that lift us to the contemplation of truth. We have obligations beyond just doing the science, always asking ourselves "What are the implications for the most vulnerable?"

Chapter 8: God’s Language
(Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Baron Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Pope Sylvester II)
This chapter focuses on mathematics and the question "how do you describe the world using mathematical equations?" For some, math is a kind of prayer, a focus on truth as the greatest earthly joy. “Mathematics forces you to confront the infinite.”

Chapter 9: Explorers of a New Space
(Sisters of the Holy Child Mary: Sisters Emilia Ponzoni, Regina Colombo, Concetta Finardi and Luigia Panceri; Mary Kenneth Keller, Mary Celine Fasenmyer, Francesco Faà di Bruno, Roberto Busa)
This chapter describes how an ambitious project to create a catalog of every known star begun in 1887 required the creation of new strategies and ways of thinking that, over time, evolved into digital humanities. Religious life and the support of the Church allow space and freedom for work to be done that doesn't fall into a three year grant cycle.

Chapter 10: Taking the Temperature of the World
(Jean Leurechon, Nicolas Steno, André-Marie Ampère, Alessandro Volta)
Communicating about science and what you've learned about the world depends on a system of measurement that is consistent from place to place and person to person. This chapter shares about some Catholics who devised reliable methods of quantification, thereby making more scientific discoveries possible.

Chapter 11: Not Where but What
(Angelo Secchi, James Macelwane, Eduard Heis, Agnes Mary Clerke)
This chapter looks at scientists who look beyond the earth's atmosphere or deep into the earth, beyond what we can measure directly. Many scientists never become famous, working in hidden lives at building a foundation of slow painstaking work for greater understanding. “Wherever your niche is, there’s something for you to do.”

Chapter 12: Our Place in the Universe
(Maximilian Hell, Johann Georg Hagen, Georges Lemaître)
This chapter shares the stories of three notable priest astronomers that gave us a sense of where we are in the universe: the scale of the solar system, the position of stars, the motions beneath our feet, and the origin of the universe itself.

Chapter 13: There is always more to know
(Marie Lavoisier, Blaise Pascal, René Descartes)
This final chapter summarizes many of the themes regarding faith and science that surface, submerge, and resurface in earlier chapters. Faith and science are not big books of facts that might agree or disagree with each other. Faith and science both allow us to "grapple with mysteries, the mysteries of how and why we came to be." It includes a litany of all the men and women of God (and science) included in the audiobook.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this audiobook from Audible. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Modern Materials Science: Stuff Matters

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-Made World

by Mark Miodownik

In ninth grade, First Son read Uncle Tungsten as supplemental chemistry reading. I liked having an additional book to read alongside his Sabbath Mood Homeschool chemistry work and Uncle Tungsten was an inspiring book (my post about it). The Sabbath Mood plans suggest finding a biography of a chemist to read, but I have struggled to find one I like; they tend to be too long or too short or too anti-religion. Stuff Matters showed up when I was browsing chemistry books online.

In Stuff Matters, the author blends history, chemistry, physics, and the experiences of his own senses to share how common materials developed and shape our modern world. These materials include steel, paper, concrete, dark chocolate, foam, plastic, glass, graphite, porcelain, and implants.

A wide variety of chemical and physical properties are encountered with a handful of useful sketches of molecular structures to aid understanding the relationship between structure and material properties. When discussing the transparency of glass, he explains the structure of atoms and the amount of empty space within it.

This suggests that there should be plenty of room for light to travel through an atom without bumping into either an electron or the nucleus. Which indeed there is. So the real question is not "Why is glass transparent?," but "Why aren't all materials transparent?"

While many of the materials featured are common ones, the conversation the author presents around them introduces a wide variety of topics. Readers will learn about a material harder than diamond (lonsdaleite) and a material that is two-dimensional (graphene). Miodownik also shares the story of Bottger, who served his prison time systematically experimenting to discover the method to make porcelain for the king of Saxony. The descriptions of this process fascinate and delight.

Then, as the temperature increased further still to 1300 [degrees] C and the whole kiln became white hot, the magic would have started to happen: some of the atoms flowing between their crystals would have turned into a river of glass. Now they were mostly solid, but also part liquid. It would have been as if the cups had blood running through their veins in the form of liquid glass. This liquid would have flowed into all the small pores between the crystals and coated all the surfaces. Now, unlike almost all other types of ceramic, the cups would have felt what it was like to be free of defects.

In the last chapter of the book, the author provides a kind of overview of materials science, bringing together the concepts from each of the earlier chapters.

This book is a probably choice for First Son to read as a supplemental chemistry book in tenth grade. It provides a glimpse into both the materials of the modern world and the scientific research and struggles of their development. (The new book, Liquid Rules, is already on my list to consider for eleventh grade.)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. I checked this book out from our library. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

The Thrill of Illumination: The Electric Life of Michael Faraday

The Electric Life of Michael Faraday

by Alan Hirshfeld

This year, in ninth grade, I decided to use Sabbath Mood Homeschool's study guides for our science courses. First Son is spending one term studying Chemistry, one term studying Physics, one term studying Weather, and a whole year studying Biology (but only the equivalent of a term as it's only once a week). The study guides suggest students may enjoy reading a biography each term of a prominent scientist of the field. I had trouble finding many of the ones recommended in the guide, but this one was available at PaperBackSwap, so I decided we'd give it a try. I finished it ahead of him as he's been focused on his history independent reading. (I think he's just going in order of his list, rather than trying to match them up to his course-work.) It's a wonderful book on Faraday, covering his personal and professional life in a way that presents the science without overwhelming the non-scientist (or student) reader.

The wonderful aspect of reading biographies like this is how they reveal to the reader the vast intellectual leaps (through often brain-numbing repetition of experiments) by placing scientists within their own time. It also emphasizes the kinds of characteristics that provide a foundation for strong scientific practices.

If there was one overriding element to Faraday's character, it was humility....Faraday approached both his science and his everyday conduct unhampered by ego, envy, or negative emotion. In his work, he assumed the inevitability of error and failure; whenever possible, he harness these as guides toward further investigation.

I was pleased to find one of First Son's first experiments of the year described in the text: splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. (This experiment was relatively easy to do at home and yet one I would never have considered or attempted without it being listed right there in the study guide. It helped to have Kansas Dad home to supervise, too.)

Faraday's humility and dedication to unimpeachable laboratory experiments are an inspiration. When searching for an effect of magnetism on light, he adjusted polarity, magnetic strength, and pole positions, without any indication he would ever find a change.

Paragraph after paragraph, page after page, nothing but mind-numbing particulars, penned with drab uniformity in his own hand. Until September 13, 1845, paragraph 7,504. Here appears, in stout capital letters and underlined three times, a large exclamatory "BUT." That single word, an island rising above a tedious sea of ink, illuminated Faraday's joy as surely as the lamplight that suddenly illuminated his eye.

There are points where the scientific accounts are more difficult to follow. A student may need to read some chapters more slowly than others. Many of the descriptions are beneficial, though; I still often confuse current and voltage, but there is an excellent explanation of the difference in the book.

Near the end of his career, Faraday devoted some of his time to campaigning for better and extended science education in schools. He wanted students to learn real science not just to draw them into the field, but also to equip them with the knowledge and skills to assess assertions and ideas they would encounter throughout their lives.

During a career that spanned more than four decades, Faraday laid the experimental foundations of our technological society; made important discoveries in chemistry, optics, geology, and metallurgy; developed prescient theories about space, force, and light; pressed for a scientifically literate populace years before science had been deemed worthy of common study; and manned the barricades against superstition and pseudoscience. He sought no financial gain or honorifics from any of his discoveries.

This is an excellent biography for our science studies and complements well the work First Son did in the Physics part 1 guide.

I received nothing in exchange for this review which is only my honest opinion. I found this book recommended in the Sabbath Mood Homeschool study guide above (not an affiliate link). The link to Amazon is an affiliate link. I purchased this book used.

A History of Inventions for Simple Machines: The Story of Inventions

The Story of Inventions

by Michael J. McHugh and Frank P. Bachman

This book is listed as optional further reading for Mater Amabilis™  Level 3 Year 2 Science. First Son didn't read it, but I had found it at a library sale and picked it up. This year, I assigned it to First Daughter as she completed Simple Machines with Fantastic Physics at Wildflowers and Marbles. I thought it would be a good complement, adding some historical context and personal stories. I did not read it ahead of time, instead reading each chapter the weekend before she did.

In the chapter covering the invention of spinning machines, the authors showed remarkably little compassion for all the skilled workers employed in handwork who lost their livelihood when the spinning machine became more common.

In time, the spinners learned that he had a wonderful spinning machine with which one person could do as much work as a dozen people with spinning wheels. People at that time were not used to machines. It was the age of handwork; they had not yet learned that machines in the end create more employment and better wages. They only saw that the invention would lessen the number of spinners needed, and would deprive them of work.

Of course, it did! Those people either developed new skills or lost their income. I would have preferred a more nuanced discussion of how new technologies change the employment landscape and how inventors and employers should attempt to consider how to provide people with meaningful work that will enable people to care for their families.

The chapter on Eli Whitney was also a little disconcerting. He is criticized in the text for making his invention so expensive (which was perhaps not a good business decision) but it makes it seem like those who were breaking the law were justified in copying his invention. Sometimes that's true, but these are not people starving; they are generally plantation owners who used slaves to grow and harvest their cotton. From Sea to Shining Sea even suggests it was this invention that "saved" slavery from dying out, making it profitable. The whole chapter seemed to justify the kinds of actions we see many large agricultural companies making today which often harm the environment and the people who depend on it.

At the end of chapter eight, the authors again expounds on the economic benefits of enormous agricultural implements.

Chiefly because of the reaper, the amount of wheat produced in the world has increased by leaps and bounds. It now amounts to several billions of bushels a year. To handle this enormous crop, great elevators are built along railroads, at railroad centers, and at seaports. To grind this wheat, thousands of flour mills have been built, some of which are so large that a single mill grinds seventeen thousand barrels of flour in twenty-four hours. Even the making of reapers became a great industry. One harvester company alone gives regular employment to an army of twenty-five thousand men and women.

I think I've read too much Wendell Berry to feel comfortable with the authors' assessment. Vast debts and the collapse of the family farm don't seem to compensate for the benefits described. Of course, the industry continues to evolve; my cousin who runs a grain elevator knows it will simply close when he wants to retire because they don't fulfill the same purpose today.

Thank God that Cyrus McCormick had the freedom to "do the impossible!" The United States will remain strong as long as people have the opportunity to freely produce new goods and services.

There wasn't anything earlier in the chapter about previous would-be inventors of the reaper being prevented by a lack of freedom. It did say in England there wasn't as much demand for one because the fields were smaller and rougher (so a mechanical reaper wouldn't work as well) and labor was cheap and plentiful.

My daughter thought the Gutenberg chapter and those that followed, until closer to modern times, were more interesting. I agree, and thought they were more palatable to my personal taste.

The chapter on computers, of course, was woefully meager, as expected with a 1992 copyright. Computers are "so small that they can fit into a briefcase." As I read, there was a paragraph that warned that "ungodly men have been using the computer for evil purposes." I mentally prepared myself for a warning against pornography, but instead found grocery stores encouraging the use of credit cards and using UPC codes to track all our purchases. Privacy is certainly a concern, but I could name a few dangers more worrisome.

Overall, I was not impressed with this particular book. I do think a book on inventions would be a good complement for the fifth grade physics study and doubt there's another book that covers the history of inventions in a pleasant story. I know of a few biographies of inventors I might assign instead.

• The Story of Thomas Alva Edison by Margaret Cousins - We have this and First Daughter has read it because it was on our schedule for Connecting with History, but I haven't read it myself.
• The Wright Brothers: Pioneers of American Aviation by Quentin Reynolds - This one I've read and enjoyed it myself. First Daughter has already read it as well.
• RC History recommends The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman, which I haven't read yet.
• I'm also considering Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmeah. I haven't read it yet myself. In theory it seems appropriate, but I find the illustrations and design of the book a little overwhelming.
• I also found The First Book of Machines by Walter Buehr. It's a reprint of a 1962 text, but might be worth trying.

I'm open to other ideas, so share any books you've read that might work!

Links to Amazon and RC History are affiliate links.

Science in Real Lives: Chain Reaction

The Chain Reaction: Pioneers of Nuclear Science

by Karen Fox

This is one of the main textbooks for First Son's eighth grade science course, designed mostly based on the Mater Amabilis™ ™ Level 4 recommendations, one of which is this book. For those who are members of the Mater Amabilis™ facebook group (and you should be!), you can find our plans in the files, called "Level 4 Science."

The chapters cover:

1. Marie Curie, radioactivity
2. Ernest Rutherford, the nucleus
3. Enrico Fermi, chain reactions
4. Ernest O. Lawrence and J. Robert Oppenheimer, "big science" - enormous machines, bombs, and the budgets that made them
5. Maria Goeppert-Mayer, why some elements are radioactive
6. Andrei Sakharov, hydrogen bomb

I appreciated the inclusion of two female scientists in a field that is heavily male. I want my children to know that God has given both men and women talents and interests that range from physics to music to baking, and that the important decision we must all make is how to direct those talents for his work on earth. Being a woman in a male-dominated field is difficult, sometimes in the ways Maria Goeppert-Mayer experienced it, but God didn't make women less intelligent than men.

Along with an explanation of their scientific studies and achievements are anecdotes and personal information that illustrate the human foibles and virtues you would find in any field.  For example, the chapter on Enrico Fermi tells how when he couldn't afford to heat his home adequately, he would sit on his hands and turn the pages of his book with his tongue. Once, he and his friends set off a stink bomb during a lecture and narrowly avoided being expelled.

The chapter on Maria Goeppert-Mayer includes her experience as an immigrant to the United States (after marrying an American) and hosting fleeing countrymen from the war in Europe as well as the sexism she faced as a female scientist in quantum mechanics. Andrei Sakharov lived in the oppressive Soviet Union, struggled openly for human rights, and was even exiled to Siberia for his views.

First Son read one chapter a week, spread over two separate days. I asked for a written narration each day and received his usual singe paragraph. While he wasn't verbose, I think the chapters lend themselves well to a narration. A more interested student, or one who tends to read faster, could probably easily read a chapter in a single session and finish the book in just three weeks. If you would like a biographical essay for a composition or English paper, any of the scientists introduced in this book would make an excellent choice.

Throughout the book, the scientific questions asked and the steady progress in finding answers (and more questions) are part of the story, woven into the lives so that a reader will encounter them almost like a mystery. It makes an excellent introduction to quantum mechanics.

January 2018 Book Reports

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - I read this book many years ago, while in high school, and decided I didn't like Charles Dickens. Now I know better, having rediscovered Dickens and enjoying his books immensely. I thought it appropriate to return to this book to see if maturity improved it. It did, though it is not my favorite Dickens novel. It's quite long with most of the "action" taking place in just a few chapters near the end. It did give me a chance to ponder how education separates us from those we love, though Pip's separation begins not with education but with embarrassment and covetousness. One thing I don't like about the Audible books is how much more difficult it is than in print or even an e-book to mark passages. I tried with the bookmarking, but it's just not the same. So I don't have nice passages for a post or for my commonplace book. I did, however, get to listen to the book when I didn't have time to read it. (purchased Audible audiobook, though I think it's quite inexpensive if you have the Kindle version)

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by H. T. Willetts - link to my post (purchased used copy)

The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries (The Great Courses) by Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson - I'm sure I picked this out during one of the many Great Courses sales Audible has. I listened to it recently when I wanted something short between novels. This course is six lectures of about thirty minutes each, during which the professor chats about mysteries of the universe particularly focused on quantum physics and astronomy. Though he wasn't always entirely respectful of a belief in God (or any higher power), the lectures themselves were interesting. I haven't had any real physics since high school, so much of the material was new to me. I learned more about quarks, anti-matter, and black holes than I knew before and was pleased. (purchased during an Audible sale)

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells - The actual science of Dr. Moreau is impossible, but the prospects for blending the human and the animal are more possible than ever with modern science. The tendency of scientists to continue along a line of inquiry without contemplating the consequences in a moral sense is also present. While the book is a kind of horror adventure story, the depictions of animals a little like humans and humans a little like animals hover in the thoughts much longer. (found on my shelves, maybe from a book sale?)

Hide the Children: A Story of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux by Brother Roberto, C.S.C. - link to my post (purchased new)

Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner - link to my post (received from a member at PaperBackSwap.com)

The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski - This is a fantasy book of short stories by a Polish author. It's for mature audiences and involves plenty of magic, but I thought it was fun. (library copy)

Report from Calabria by A Priest - link to my post (library copy)



Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• A Century of Sonnets edited by Feldman and Robinson (May 2017)
• The Complete Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (July 2017), listening with the kids
• The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah (December 2017)
• Tremendous Trifles by G.K. Chesterton (December 2017)
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (January 2018), listening on my own
• To Light a Fire on the Earth by Robert Barron with John L. Allen Jr. (January 2018)
• The White Stag by Kate Seredy (January 2018)
• Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (January 2018)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). Links to RC History and PaperBackSwap.com are also affiliate links to their respective stores. Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

School Week Highlights: Week 4

What a week for non-book learning!!

1. First Daughter was up and building early one morning with her K'nex sets (Marbles and Wildflowers plans). Apparently she wanted proof she had completed them because she took some pictures on my camera.

2. We went to children's adoration.

3. Second Son had his very first soccer practice! He forgot his glasses but managed pretty well.

4. Kansas Dad had a conference in St. Louis last week. A few days before he went, we decided to take the whole family. (Pure craziness!) So we drove to St. Louis on Wednesday. Usually Kansas Dad prefers to drive, but he downloaded a bunch of papers and midterms to grade and I drove. I missed our exit off the turnpike so we went a longer route and almost missed our exit in Kansas City, but we made it!

5. My parents came down from their home in Illinois to spend less than two full days with us. That was really a treat for our kids - a hotel and grandparents!!

6. On Thursday, my dad drove us all to Illinois to visit the Cahokia Mounts State Historic Site. My brother-in-law (who has a PhD in early American history) recommended it for learning about pre-Columbian Native American culture and people. The interpretive center there is exceptionally well-done. They have recreations of Cahokia homes in a little village you can wander through, to Second Daughter's especial enjoyment.

7. We climbed Monks Mound, the highest one, and admired the arduousness of digging the soil, carrying it up steps, and layering it carefully to build the mound. It was hot and I forgot the water, so the kids were not too happy even once we reached the top. But they survived.

It's hard to tell, but the Arch is in the background. We debated going up in it, but decided to wait until the museum at the base reopens.

8. The kids swam in the hotel pool for about two hours. Hotel pools are magical places to them. This one was shallow enough I didn't have to get in to make sure Second Son didn't drown. Dad and I sat under the umbrella and talked. Kansas Dad got back from his conference early enough to join them, which they loved.

9. We played games with my parents in the evenings and didn't always have the TV on. (There were three televisions in our suite. How crazy is that?)

10. On Friday, we only had a few hours in the morning before Kansas Dad's conference ended. My dad drove us to the St. Louis Science Center. It was easy to drive there and park and our local science museum membership gave us free parking (avoiding the $10 fee, though the museum itself is always free). We couldn't see a planetarium show as it was closed for cleaning, but the rest of the museum was entertainment enough. The kids spent a long time building sails and testing them at one of the better types of "build and test" exhibits I've seen. The materials are durable so they weren't all broken and the test is quick and easy to adjust. All the kids redesigned their sails for great improvement in the time we were there.

They also had kiosks for programming Mars rovers, a bridge that crossed over a six lane highway with radar guns (and lots of neat bridge building and engineering activities), a flight simulator on which all the kids were able successfully land their planes, exhibits on water for Second Son's Rivers and Oceans, and exhibits on mountains and earthquakes that matched Second Daughter's studies.

We usually skip driving through St. Louis between Kansas and my parents in Illinois, but it would be very easy to get off the road, visit this museum for a few hours, then hope back in the van to drive the rest of the way and it would certainly be worth it.

11. We drove home on Friday after Kansas Dad's conference (which also went well). It was a long drive with multiple traffic snarls around accidents and, again, I drove quite a bit including around Kansas City with the sun in my eyes. We got home really late but stopping wasn't an option because...

12. Second Son had his very first soccer game! They were adorable on the field. (I remember when I though the U8 kids were so big when First Son played but now the 8U kids seem so tiny with my youngest on the field!)

Second Son is in orange.

1t3. And...First Son, First Daughter, and Kansas Dad went to a taekwondo tournament. First Daughter received firsts in her form and her sparring. Kansas Dad also won first for sparring. First Son received silver but only after the judges had to decide because he and his opponent were evenly matched even in the sudden death round.

14. Then Kansas Dad and I made it to a fundraising dinner for his university, a lovely dinner outside with some of our favorite people at our table.

We also celebrated First Daughter's birthday, but that will be another post...in about four months at the rate I'm going.

School Week Highlights: Week 3

We started the week with another break, of course!

The kids all stayed overnight with their grandparents while Kansas Dad and I celebrated our anniversary with a quiet dinner and some games in our quiet peaceful house. Did I mention it was quiet?

So we started bookwork late on Monday but...we're here to focus on the positive, the learning that's happening instead of the book-reading that might not be happening!

1. Everyone came home and worked on Monday. We didn't finish everything, of course, but I appreciated the effort.

2. We spent an hour at children's adoration.

3. We took Tuesday afternoon off to celebrate our anniversary (because it's our family's birthday) and treated the kids to a movie at the theater.

4. First Daughter made 2 layers of apple cake. We ate one (yum!) and she shared the other on her first visit to her mother's helper family. She had a lovely time and was kept very busy.

5. We had our first piano lessons this week for First Son, First Daughter, and Second Daughter. Their teacher didn't seem too dismayed at the effects of a lack of regular practice over the summer.

6. First Daughter has been using her K'nex simple machines sets with these Marbles and Wildflowers plans. Sometimes the building takes a bit long and we spread it over multiple days. This week, she brought out her small stuffed animals to enjoy the seesaw.

7. We met my aunt, uncle, and cousin in town for lunch on Thursday, followed by a visit to the Keeper of the Plains and a science museum. More skipping lessons, but we were able to hear how my uncle hiked from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Very important lessons there, I'm sure.

8. Thursday was the Feast of the Triumphant Cross, one of my favorites, and we always make hot cross buns (always since 2010 when I discovered this recipe; we also make them on Easter Sunday). First Daughter made them this year and they were delicious!

9. On Friday...we had school! Real school, with books and everything! First Daughter also made dinner for us - grilled cheese and tomato soup. It sure seems like I depend on that girl a lot! But while she's in the kitchen baking for us, First Son is outside taking care of the chickens for us. The division of labor has more to do with their personal desires and interests than strict gender-typing. First Son can bake; he just doesn't like it. And he did more lessons on Friday while she made dinner.

10. On Saturday, I took the kids on a bit of a drive for a monarch butterfly festival at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. This is a great little place and the festival was huge!

Painted lady butterflies

There were millions of painted lady butterflies, so all the kids caught some of them, just for practice. The monarchs were few and far between. We saw two, one of which First Son caught!

Sadly, he suffered a mishap and the butterfly escaped before it could be tagged.

Apparently most of the monarchs would be arriving in the days after the festival, but you have to plan festivals in advance and monarchs come when they come. I think we'll give it another try next year and hopefully we'll have our own nets. And long pants. The kids know how to dress for nature study; they just chose to ignore me.

We also visited the Ord's kangaroo rat at the education center. Second Son has been fascinated by them ever since our trip to the Great Sand Dunes years ago. Usually he's sleeping because they're nocturnal but this time he was digging and nibbling, so that was fun.

Physics with Fred

Life of Fred: Elementary Physics

It is now called Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics but the content has remained the same. I believe I purchased my copy from CBD. You can find a placement test there.

I wrote last year about how we started using Life of Fred and how First Son managed with Fractions and Decimals and Percents. He finished Decimals and Percents at the beginning of this year without problems, working steadily.

The Physics book contains forty chapters. At the end of each chapter are a few questions under Your Turn to Play. The answers appear on the following page (unlike the previous and ensuing books in which the answers appear immediately after the questions. While a student could avoid looking at the answers, I find it difficult myself to avoid accidentally seeing them.) Every six chapters or so, there's a "Bridge" of ten questions including recent and review material. The Bridge answers are in the back of the book. It's recommended students can answer at least nine questions correctly before moving on to the next chapter. With that in mind, there are five Bridges provided each time so the student has multiple chances to pass. In the beginning of the book, the author writes that some students complete multiple Bridges merely for additional practice and we did that a few times as well. If First Son seemed just a little shaky on something even if he had passed, I encouraged him to do a second Bridge and he usually did.

This is the last book for which the student is not supposed to use a calculator, and there's plenty of multiplication and division to practice those skills.

Because I didn't remember much of my high school physics, I read the chapters and answered the questions as well. I included it with my other preparation over the weekend for the upcoming week. He rarely needed help, but I was glad I was ready the few times he did. 

First Son loved placing mathematical problems and concepts within the framework of physics. Rather than replacing the physics he was doing for science, I found this book a nice complement, bringing in additional information and providing greater practice with the concepts introduced in his other books. (The physics books he read this year focused much more on the development of thought in physics and the theorems than practice problems with actual numbers.) Some of the topics covered include: friction, the meter, Mu, measuring force, Hooke's law, energy, work, transfer and storage of energy, the metric system, measuring mass, pressure, density, buoyancy, vacuums, volts, amperes, ohms, Ohm's Law, parallel circuits, and the history of physics.
 
Along the way, there's plenty of math, including review from Fractions and Decimals and Percents.

The Life of Fred books excel at revealing a greater world of mathematics and all of creation:

Fred asked a question that stopped Kitty: "What makes you think that human beings with their three-pound brains should be able to understand everything? There are mysteries in physics. There are mysteries in mathematics. There are mysteries in religion. Only lunatics and God say that they know all the secrets of the universe."

The last few chapters of this book are a condensed history of physics without any math problems to work.

The more we discover, the less we pretend to understand.

First Son spent fifteen weeks, four days a week, working through this book, including repeating a few of the Bridges. He continued with xtramath until he mastered division again and is also completing the sixth grade module on Khan Academy. He's nearly finished with that and then we'll set it aside until next year as well. (I didn't do as well keeping up with him on Khan Academy as I did with the physics!)

He has already eagerly started Pre-Algebra 1 With Biology, though he'll need to set it aside at the end of the year and finish it next school year. We continue to be pleased and encouraged by Fred here on the Range.

Physics in Sixth Grade: Objects in Motion and Liquids and Gases

Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics and Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics by Paul Fleisher, part of a series called Secrets of the Universe

These two books are recommended by Mater Amabilis for sixth grade, Level 3 Year 1. (Two of Fleisher's other Secrets of the Universe books are recommended for seventh grade.)

First Son read and narrated these books to me. Concepts of physics are clearly explained and illustrated by the author. The prevalence of inverse square laws, for example, is discussed in Objects in Motion. Using intensity of light as an example, the author shows clearly why so many intensive of force laws are inverse square laws. As the radius of a sphere of area covered by the same light is doubled, the amount of equal light is distributed across an area four times as large.

Picture each force spreading outward from its source like an ever-expanding bubble. Inverse square relationships hold true for all these forces because they all spread out evenly in all directions from the center point at which they are generated.

Many thought experiments and suggestions for demonstrations at home are included. Nearly all of the demonstrations are simple to put together with items you are likely to have on hand. Some of the demonstrations take longer than others. First Son, with First Daughter's assistance, spent the better part of an afternoon taking measurements of pendulums of different weights and different lengths.

The books end with an invitation to students to appreciate the complexity and beauty of the universe, and to keep learning.

Scientists believe that our universe was first created billions of years ago in a huge explosion they call the big bang. The same motion first created in the big bang is still with us today, spread among the vast number of stars, planets, atoms, and atomic particles moving and spinning through the cosmos.

We don't know all there is to know about the universe. Scientists still have much to learn about the stars and planets, the atom, and the miracles of life. There are still more laws to discover and more mysteries to solve. Perhaps you may one day add your name to that distinguished list of scientists who have helped to discover the secrets of the universe.

Each book contains a timeline of scientific discoveries (some general and some specific to the book's topic), biographies of scientists mentioned in the text, books for further reading, a bibliography, and a glossary.

I enjoyed these books and look forward to reading two more of them next year. (Hopefully First Son is as well.)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (so they'll really be from me because the kids say I don’t have any money). I purchased these books used.

My Favorite Picture Books: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition 

by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, pitures by Elizabeth Zunon

I selected this book as one of our picture books to read as we study inventions in our physics this year. It's the inspiring story of a young man who built a windmill from scrapped parts and a donated generator to provide electricity to his home in Malawi after he had to drop out of school. It's wonderful in so many ways: perseverance, optimism, dedication, independent thinking and learning. William's curiosity shines throughout the book. His friends and family support him even with others in his village call him crazy. I love how we see his sorrow at dropping out of school lifted when he remembers the library; there's nothing wrong with being disappointed, but see what great things we can do when we take a deep breath and set ourselves a task.

There's an informative section at the end of the picture book that includes more detailed biographical information. From what I've read online, young William continues to be modest and hard-working even as international fame (following the release of his book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope in 2009). He is now studying at a college here in the United States and plans to return to Malawi with an engineering degree. I haven't read the non-picture-book version of his story, but it is on my list.

The illustrations are created by someone who actually grew up in Africa and are a combination of paintings and cut paper. I especially love the one that shows William's windmill working for the first time, with the wind depicted as brilliant blue and green paper swirling around in the sky. The text on that page flows around the currents. It's perfect.

My children (8, 6, and 4) loved listening to this story. They even sat quietly at the end to hear more details and see an actual picture of William with his windmill.

Science Plans for Third Grade: Physics

Quote from Charlotte Mason in Towards a Philosophy of Education:

Where science does not teach a child to wonder and admire it has perhaps no educative value.

For the past couple of years, we've used Noeo Chemistry I and Noeo Biology I for our science curriculum. You can click the links for full reviews, but for the most part I was satisfied. In particular, we enjoyed the chemistry program. When I started thinking about the upcoming year, though, I was uncertain about using the Noeo Physics I course.

First, it uses the Young Scientists Club experiment kits. I know these have received awards for organizations, but I was not impressed with them. I think for a little more money, you can find much more robust experiment sets.

Second, I found using Noeo two days a week to lead to very long lessons. For both biology and chemistry, I would use the four day schedule to avoid long readings. In third grade, I was hoping to cut science back to two days a week in part to increase our nature study time. It would be even better if I could finish the course early in the spring to allow for additional outside time as the flowers are awakening. The only way to finish early, maintain short lessons, and have science two days a week was to cut half or more of the lessons. It seems like a big investment to use less than half of the materials.

Third, Noeo Physics I includes the book Starry Messenger. Personally I don't think this book gives a good historical view of Galileo's relationship with the Catholic church, which was complicated and political. I don't think anyone in the Church claims the case was handled well on either side, but this book seems extremist. Moreover, the illustrations are a little disturbing. With picture books, the illustrations will remain with the children longer than the words and I am not anxious to share this book with my kids.

Fourth, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. Or, more precisely, if I was going to spend money I wanted it to be for experiments, not books. (Shock! Gasp! We have a great library and I intend to use it.)

The most important reason I opted against Noeo Physics I, though, is the Mater Amabilis schedule for fourth grade. If I follow it, we'll cover magnetism and light along with some wonderful reading the following year. I felt like I could skip it in third grade and still have a great year of science.

I could, of course, skip science altogether in third grade. Nature study alone is more than sufficient in the younger grades...but, I love science, and so do the kids. I didn't want to cut it completely.

So, in third grade, we're going to cover Physics Part I as developed by Kansas Mom with inspiration from Noeo Physics I, At Home Science, and library searches. I also intend to read a picture book that corresponds to our week's topic for the girls (kindergarten and preschool). I wouldn't be surprised if First Son listens in to that as well, as I expect them to listen a bit to the physics lessons and participate in the experiments (because everyone loves experiments).

Force and Gravity

Readings
Forces in the Earth: A Book About Gravity and Magnetism by R. J. Lefkowtiz (gravity chapters only)
Newton and Three Laws of Motion by Nicholas Croce (chapter 5 only)

Experiments and Demonstrations
Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid

Picture Books
Gravity Is a Mystery (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science) by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Up, Down, All Around: A Story of Gravity (Science Works) by Jacqui Bailey
Energy Makes Things Happen (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Forces Make Things Move (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown

Inventions

Readings
Eye Wonder: Invention by Caroline Bingham

Picture Books
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition by William Kamkwamba

Flight

Readings
The Paper Airplane Book by Seymour Simon (including making and flying airplanes)

Picture Books
To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers by Wendie C. Old (read over a few weeks)
Animals in Flight by Robin Page and Steve Jenkins

Book Basket Books
The Wright Brothers: Inventors Whose Ideas Really Took Flight by Mike Venezia
DK Eyewitness Books: Flying Machine by Andrew Nahum
Super Wings: The Step-By-Step Paper Airplane Book by Peter Clemens

Electricity

Readings
How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer
Great Inventors and Inventions (Dover History Coloring Book) by Bruce LaFontaine (Thomas Edison, The Electric Battery, Alternating Current and the Tesla Coil)
Wired by Anastasia Suen

Experiments and Demonstrations
Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100

Picture Books
Young Thomas Edison by Michael Dooling
Charged Up: The Story of Electricity (Science Works) by Jacqui Bailey
The Magic School Bus And The Electric Field Trip by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan

More Inventions

Readings
Eye Wonder: Invention by Caroline Bingham

Picture Books
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
All Aboard!: Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine (Great Idea Series) by Monica Kulling

Sound

Readings
Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass: Projects and Activities on the Science of Music and Sound by Alex Sabbeth (including experiments)
Great Inventors and Inventions (Dover History Coloring Book) by Bruce LaFontaine (Radio)
Marconi's Battle for Radio by Beverly Birch

Picture Books
Sounds All Around (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer
The Magic School Bus In The Haunted Museum: A Book About Sound by Linda Beech
Mole Music by David McPhail
The Magic Flute: An Opera by Mozart by Kyra Teis
Cool Bopper's Choppers by Linda Oatman High
Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
The First Music by Dylan Pritchett
Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D'Arezzo by Susan Roth
Out and about at the Orchestra by Barbara J. Turner

We'll be done after 31 weeks and the only purchase I made was the SnapCircuits. Everything else was available at the library, through PaperBackSwap.com, or something I already owned. Feel free to take and modify this book list, but if you live in my area, please switch it up a little so we don't end requesting the books at the same time!

Quote: The Heavens Proclaim

Physics as such can specify in great qualitative and quantitative detail how we get from one physical state to another, or what the underlying constituents or actors of a given state are. It can do this if it has adequately modeled the regularities and relationships involved. However, it cannot in principle account ultimately for their existence or for the particular form those structures, regularities, and relationships take. To put this in temporal terms, which are not essential to the issue, physics can never tell us how we get from absolutely nothing -- no space or time, no matter or energy, no wavefunction or field, nothing physical at all -- to something that has a particular order. There is no physics of "absolutely nothing." Thus, though physics can shed a great deal of light on many other questions having to do with the universe, it evidently cannot help us in illuminating the ultimate ground of order or of being. This is precisely why physics in general and quantum cosmology in particular do not provide an alternative account of the creation of the universe, philosophically or theologically speaking.

Fr. William R. Stoeger, S.J., "Is Big Bang Cosmology in Conflict with Divine Creation?" in The Heavens Proclaim