What's included
4 live meetings
6 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. I will post a curated playlist of fun and engaging videos after each class that students can watch throughout the week to help them solidify their understanding of class topics.Class Experience
US Grade 2 - 4
This is essentially an uncompromising crash course on physics concepts taught in an engaging way that is meant to cultivate curiosity and appreciation for science. Although we cover a lot of information, my goal is to phrase everything in a way that anyone is able to enjoy and understand. We will focus on getting well acquainted with concepts through experiments and thought provoking discussion. Some formulas and math will be shown, but we will always keep things fun. This course is ideal for students who are motivated to learn, ask tons of questions, and want to be challenged to think and talk about the world in a new way. Week 1: Energy We will begin by discussing the natural phenomenon we notice every day. Things like the heat, movement, electricity, and food. Will cover energy basics; defining energy, discussing the laws of energy such as conservation and transfer of energy, different types of energy, how living things gain and use energy. We’ll try to answer questions like “how do we know how many calories are in the food we eat?” We will watch as well as do several simple but enlightening experiments that will help illustrate the nature of energy transfer. How potential energy is stored when “work” is applied to the balls, the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy, and the transformation of energy states. Week 2: Gravity We will figure out how energy differs from forces. We’ll embark on the journey of understanding what gravity is, what causes it, and its effects on energy, friction, water flow, light, and even time. We’ll examine how objects fall, roll, and swing. We‘ll then learn about how humans use our understanding of gravity to escape the clutches of our planet (and safely return). We will begin talking about density, and will do experiments to help us gain a new appreciation for how helium balloons and boats stay afloat. Week 3: Atoms This week we will continue building on our understanding forces by getting down to the smallest scale humans have learned to work with; atoms. We will talk about the different models used to help us learn about atoms, ranging from the planetary models we’re used to all the way to the shells and orbitals described by quantum mechanics. We will then learn about what keeps atoms together and subsequently how they are able to come together to form the molecules that make up the world around us. The class will explore the world through the perspective of this minuscule world by examining things like water’s transformation from solid to gas, sticky things, magnets. Things are not at all the way we see them at our massive scale. Week 4: Waves Everyone always talks about how sound and light travel in waves, but few people try to picture exactly what those waves look like. In the final class of this series we will build small instruments and play around with sound to properly visualize the waves our vibrations make in the air. After we’re comfortable with sound we will also talk about the electromagnetic wave spectrum. Merging all of the concepts we learned about in the previous weeks we will see how understanding energy, forces, matter, and waves allow scientists to explore the depths of the universe through the magic of physics and math.
Learning Goals
This class delves deep into the fundamentals of physics to give students a new perspective on the world around them. Students will get an exposure to physics concepts that they can relate to in their daily lives, and they will be constantly encouraged to ask questions and build skills to help them independently figure out the world around them.
Other Details
Supply List
Materials will be typical household items, I will post clear materials lists before each class.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
A
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am passionate about trying to figure out the world around me. I always find myself asking "why?" and not being satisfied until I get to the very bottom of it. All my life I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by smart people who have guided my curiosity and helped me learn to connect the patterns and phenomenon in math and nature to answer my questions.
Through my years of wandering museums, staying up late obsessing over a concept/theory, (and sometimes bothering professors into spending office hours entertaining theories of my own), I feel I have gained a somewhat unique perspective and approach to learning/teaching sciences.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$80
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
90 min
Completed by 67 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-10
3-7 learners per class