Arlington, VA, September 2006—The newly available If You Build It, They Will Learn is the perfect do-it-yourself guide for physics teachers who want to use custom-made projects for demonstrating physical science in their classrooms. Devices like Galileo’s Track, Coupled Pendulum, and Gum-Wrapper Thermostat will help you teach forces, energy, properties of matter, and much more.
Best of all, you don’t need an engineering degree to assemble these devices! The book provides such detailed, step-by-step instructions that even novices can handle the necessary tasks and tools. Each device in If You Build It is organized into two practical parts:
- Step-by-step directions for producing 17 well-designed pieces of equipment that author Bruce Yeany has tested in his own classroom. Each set of instructions is illustrated with clear photos or drawings and includes a materials list.
- Suggestions for how to teach with each piece of equipment. Yeany provides information on preparing students for the demonstration, ideas for the presentation itself, and interactive questions to verify that students are learning the physical concepts.
When you can’t find or afford high-quality equipment from a catalog or store … or simply find it satisfying and more effective to teach using devices you’ve put together yourself, If You Build It has your solution. Building your own devices and developing your own demonstrations can even enrich your understanding of the concepts you wish to teach and create an environment rich in opportunities for observing and investigating.
About the Author
Bruce Yeany, a frequent speaker at workshops and in-service programs, has taught eighth-grade physical science in the Annville-Cleona School District in central Pennsylvania since 1977. During that time, he has combined an obsession with finding better ways to demonstrate concepts with his hobby of woodworking, producing more than 175 pieces of equipment designed and built for classroom use. Yeany earned his bachelor’s degree in science at Bloomsburg State College and his master’s in science education at Lebanon Valley College, where he is an adjunct professor in the graduate science program.
As with most NSTA Press titles, you can browse sample pages of this new title free at the NSTA Science Store website.
For additional information or to purchase If You Build It, They Will Learn and other books from NSTA Press, visit the NSTA Science Store. To order by phone, call 800-277-5300 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT weekdays. Outside the United States and Canada, call 301-638-0200. The 225-page book is priced at $24.95 and discount-priced for NSTA members at $19.96. (Item # PB200X, ISBN # 978-0-87355-267-7)
The Arlington, Va.-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
NSTA Press® produces more than a dozen new books each year. Focused on the K–12 market and specifically aimed at teachers of science, NSTA Press titles offer a unique blend of accurate scientific content and sound teaching strategies.
Contact:
Kim Leslie, NSTA
(703) 312-9285
kleslie@nsta.org
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