Robert Prigo

Making Physics Fun: Key Concepts, Classroom Activities, and Everyday Examples, Grades K?8 Robert Prigo

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.;'Making Physics Fun' helps teachers connect thinking with hands-on physics activities. Showing teachers how to teach with safe, easy-to-access materials, this book also provides conceptual summaries to support the teacher's own understanding of the topic. Biographical Note: Robert Prigo received his doctorate in Physics and Physics Education from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has taught in the Physics Department at Middlebury College for the past 27 years. He currently resides in Middlebury, Vermont. Publisher Marketing: "Boost student interest and understanding in the physical sciences!" Teaching physical science in the elementary and middle grades can be challenging for busy teachers faced with growing demands and limited resources. Robert Prigo provides fun and engaging activities using safe, available materials that educators can easily incorporate into lesson plans. Extensive examples, sample inquiry questions, and ideas for initiating units are readily available for teachers to pick and choose from to meet student needs. The result of more than two decades of professional development work with hundreds of teachers and administrators, this resource addresses specific areas of physical science, including motion and force, waves and sound, light and electromagnetic waves, and more. Dozens of activities demonstrating physics in action help students of all ages relate physics principles to their everyday experiences. This practitioner-friendly resource helps teachers: - Address the "big ideas" in K-8 science education- Promote student understanding with ready-to-use learning experiences- Use hands-on activities to help students make larger, real-world connections- Assemble classroom learning centers to facilitate deeper understanding of basic physics principles With conceptual summaries to support teachers' proficiency and understanding of the content, this guidebook is ideal for bringing physics to life for students in the classroom and in their lives!

Contributor Bio:  Prigo, Robert Robert Prigo, professor and director of the Teacher Education Program at Middlebury College, has worked for twenty years with K 12 educators on inquiry-based science teaching and learning, supported through grants from the NSF and the Vermont Department of Education. His work with teachers and schools goes beyond professional development workshops and institutes to include phone-call-help to local teachers, science assemblies at local schools, lending equipment and resources, and visiting school classrooms to work directly with teachers and students. Prigo was recognized in 1991 as "Vermont Professor of the Year" by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.