How Did It Do That?

Children are often fascinated by machines. They like to take things apart and put them back together. They like to try to figure things out and invent. Tinkers Club with Ed Sobey, Ph.D. is a wonderful course for elementary and middle school students who learn best through a hands-on experience. These classes encourage learning by creating, observing, and asking why something happened the way it did, then making changes to bring about the desired result. Most lessons use ordinary objects that can be found around the house or are easy to obtain. Students will learn how to think and observe in order to solve problems that occur with their inventions. Nine challenges are included such as flying saucers, a catapult, boats, building from paper, LEDs, cars, and more. As students mature, they often desire a more detailed explanation for how things work. One way to find those answers is through Physics with “Science Jim” Mueller. Middle and high school students can work through the 18 lessons provided that discuss gravity, friction, velocity, Newton’s Laws, acceleration, force, magnetism, electricity, and more. Science Jim teaches the concepts first and the math later, and his humorous style makes physics interesting and unique.

Tammie Bairen
Editorial Assistant
The Old Schoolhouse’s^® SchoolhouseTeachers.com
The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, LLC