"...we learn something about our Creator, God!"
These words are echoed after every experiment on the Go Science videos. Presenter Ben Roy, who combines the enthusiasm of a fitness trainer with the sparkle of a magician, puts a ton of energy into teaching kids about, well, energy, but also about motion, magnetism, electricity, engineering and design. Mr. Roy "teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is the former director of a science program on television." He also puts on mobile science shows. You can find out more about him at the Science Zone.
I was privileged to view Volumes 1 and 3 of a six-volume DVD set. I set the player to start without telling my kids what I was doing. My 13 year-old son almost immediately came over, lay down in front of the TV and began watching. My 15 year-old daughter pretended not to be too interested, but she kept peeking over the newspaper and watching as well.
On Volume 1: Motion: Discovering the Laws of Gravity and Motion, we liked the Gyroscope experiment the best. Besides using a regulation gyroscope, Mr. Roy set a bicycle wheel spinning on a small rope. You wouldn't think it would keep steady, but it does! He explained the science behind it in simple terms, but then went on to use the gyroscope as an object lesson about how Jesus Christ helps us maintain our balance in life.
The next experiment, the Newtonian Cradle, was another favorite. Mr. Roy used a hugely over-sized version of the five clacking balls you sometimes find on people's desks. I think this was the best demonstration I have ever seen of Newton's Law of Motion: "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
There were seven demonstrations on Volume 1, each averaging about 4 to 5 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes. Some other experiments were the Ring and Chain (we still can't figure that one out!), the Frisbee, the Egg Spin, and Inertia. The final experiment on that disc was the Ball, Ring and Sphere. For part of it, he used one of those crazy toys called a Hoberman Sphere to explain how atoms can be close together or far apart. That was pretty neat!
On Volume 3: Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering, Design, there were one or two experiments that would probably only appeal to the younger crowd: mixing colors, monster magnets, and making a compass -- pretty basic. But, then Mr. Roy brought out some heavy equipment like a Tesla Coil, a Jacob's Ladder, and one of those Static Electricity makers which everybody loves to watch. These would capture the interest of the older kids, plus they are things you don't generally have laying around the house!
The final discussion on that disc was about plastic pre-forms, and since he was just showing a small test tube and a 2 liter bottle and talking about how one can turn into the other, I was thinking, "This is not too exciting." But, then, he went on talking about how we are like that pre-form tube, waiting for when Jesus returns and changes our flawed sinful bodies into new, perfect, and whole ones. Then I thought, "This was the best one of all!"
Volume 3 was a longer video, almost 55 minutes. This one held 14 demonstrations, averaging 4 minutes each. Obviously, these short video segments are only supplements to use with your regular science curriculum, but I think they would make a nice visual addition to your teaching arsenal.
The suggested age-range for these videos is 6 to 14. I would probably cut that to 6 to 12. Not because the demonstrations wouldn't interest the older crowd, but because the explanations weren't detailed enough for them.
I loved how unashamedly Christian these DVDs are. You can buy the set of 6 for $47.95 or individually for $8.97/each (a savings of $6 off retail). I ordered them through Library and Educational Services which is a small Christian family company in Michigan who offers the same wholesale discounts to homeschoolers as they do to other types of schools. Be sure to check them out as well!
Disclaimer:
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was given Volumes 1 and 3 of the Go Science videos for free in exchange for an honest review.
"Hello, my name is Jason from scienceandmath.com!" So begins the friendly greeting of each of 23 different science experiments featured on Volume 1 of Amazing Science! If you have common household items like duct tape, eggs, matches and magnets, you are ready to go.
Jason Gibson "has earned advanced degrees in Engineering and Physics, worked as a Rocket Scientist for NASA, and has a passion for teaching Science and Math!" Unlike some engineers, Jason does have some personality and does not talk over your head. His tone is conversational and his attitude is happy. He shows and explains the materials you need for each experiment, and then goes on to demonstrate some amazing feats of science. With the use of several camera angles (including the ones like they use in cooking shows, top down), you get clear pictures of what is happening in the experiment.
Some of the experiments we had seen and done before: Egg in a Bottle, Lifting an Ice Cube with a String, Keeping Paper Dry Under Water, and Invisible Ink. A couple of the experiments went right along with our Apologia Physical Science and General Science texts: Matchstick Speedboats, Floating Eggs, Balloon in a Candle Flame, and the Density Tower. And a couple of them were brand new and pretty impressive: Building a Lemon Battery, Making a Cloud in a Bottle, Building a Motor with Lights and, one of my favorites, Dry Ice Bubbles! There are more, but you get the idea!
Mr. Gibson does a good job of presenting each experiment in an organized way. I liked how his props were often colorful so that you could really distinguish all the parts. We've done Color Changing Milk before, but he got even better results than we did, so it was fun to watch. After each demonstration, he goes on to explain the science involved, covering "electricity, magnetism, heat, temperature, pressure, surface tension, buoyancy and much more." The experiments average about 10 minutes, though a few are closer to 15 to 20 minutes long. My kids found some of the explanations slightly redundant, but the information was always good and the demonstrations themselves were great.
This volume appears to be religion-neutral -- with no mention of God or evolution that I picked up on.
You can get all 23 experiments together on 2 DVDs on their website for $19.95, a $5.00 discount from the retail list price. Or, you can download all the experiments to your computer for only $17.99 and not have to worry about shipping! Besides Amazing Science!, www.scienceandmath.com have other math, science, physics and chemistry DVD sets available. You can also get free videos e-mailed to you if you join their mailing list.
I think these DVDs would be good for kids who LOVE science as well as those who STRUGGLE with science. Seeing some of the demonstrations might be a good way to provoke interest in your children who are normally less interested.
Disclaimer:
As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I received this 2-DVD set for free in exchange for an honest review.
