[Bernard Nebel]

Thanks Peywuei for sharing your experiences with the lessons.

Dr. Nebel is away for the week, but will be interested to read your note when he returns.

Thanks again,

[Bernard Nebel]

Thank you, Shelly, for you kind words. I have toyed with the idea of writing a math curriculum, but so far, it has gotten no further. You words inspire me that I should give it more thought, but if I do start the finished product will be a couple years down the road. Would you be interested in co-authoring it with me. (Please email me at bnebel@erols.com)

In the meantime, I hope you will consider putting a review of BFSU on Amazon or elsewhere. Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

You do have a very smart son. He has caught an apparent contradiction that completely escaped me. The best I can do in way of explanation is to point out that photons are an entirely different sort of “particle”, so different that they should not be considered particles at all. It is better to think of them as fundamental units or just “dots” of light energy.

The key difference is that all particles of matter have mass (a certain weight in the presence of gravity). The more particles of matter that are packed together, the greater the weight. Photons have no mass. Regardless of how many photons (how much light) you shine into a bucket, there is still no weight, and there is no way that you can pack photons together and get a mass with size and shape.

Another and very significant difference between photons and particles with mass is that light (photons) can be easily seen as waves, not particles. A simple activity described in the text explains how to  do this. Even physicists have no way to explaining why/how photons behave as both waves and particles, but it definitely sets them apart from atoms and larger particles of matter.

In conclusion, photons can not be considered as particles in the same sense as particles of matter.

The second part of your post is also significant. Please reread “Students’ Questions and Suggested Responses, Type 5 Questions” (page 19, Vol. I, 2nd ed.)

This may well raise further questions. Please ask them.

[Bernard Nebel]

Hi “Theblueanura”,

In response to “I don’t have a way to know what the background knowledge [of my students is], I suggest conducting a brief Q and A regarding a given lesson. Use the list of items under “Practices: Students who demonstrate understanding can:” as a basis for your questioning. Students’ responses will demonstrate their understanding or lack thereof, and it will also expose misconceptions that they may have. This can lead into the lesson itself, or aspects of the lesson that need clarification. If they show full mastery, you can immediately move on the next lesson in the same manner. At worst this will be a significant review.

This does assume that you have familiarized yourself with the lessons and have materials/equipment for teaching/demonstrations at hand to begin addressing gaps that students expose. Utilize the links provided under specific lessons in BFSU community.com.

I confess that I am confused by your implying that all the D lessons involve “year long observational studies”. This is true for lesson D-6 only. All the others can be compressed into a 45 session if you are well prepared with necessary materials at hand. I do hope that you will make more contact with the person you know who does this.

I hope this helps, but please ask further.
Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

If kids have not been exposed to and learned the basic ideas and concepts presented in Volume I, they are a good and necessary starting point for any age regardless of grade. The core idea/concept of any lesson can be presented in a manner that is age appropriate.

Please don’t hesitate to ask further as you proceed.

Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

Thank you for your comment and question, “kunchik”. My effort here is to view the world as a child views it and then to help them gain comprehension and understanding as to what they see. They readily see and interact with living/biological things, natural earth things and materials (rocks, air, water), and they also see and interact with all sorts of things and materials that are made/constructed by humans.

The core idea of the lesson, however, is to go beyond the simple categorization and get kids to recognize that anything/everything human-made starts with one or more things/materials from the biological or natural earth categories. Nothing can be made from nothing! (See the discussion portion of the lesson.) This is a basic concept that is foundational to all industry and technology. It is also central to the concepts of conservation, preservation, ecology and other areas.
I welcome further discussion. Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

Sorry the text description is confusing. A way to do it is to lay the jug on its side on a table, handle up to one side or the other. Bracing your hand on the table, hold a marker so that its point is at the mid-level of the jug. Holding the jug firmly, side down on the table, slowly move and rotate it around against the marker so that you end up with line from the spout along one side, across the bottom, along the other side back to the spout. Cut along the line and you will have your tub with the half spout to act as a convenient overflow spot.

A half gallon cardboard carton might work as well but the smaller objects and volumes necessitated are likely to result in higher degrees of error. In either case, the sides of the “tub” will have to be supported with stacks of books or other objects

Yes, one or more photos and any comments regarding your experience with this exercise will be greatly appreciated. Can someone make a video of this?   Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

Good observation. Consider that the cover photo shows that kids’ existing notions may lead to mistakes. However, take this as an opportunity to discuss and clarify the concept further.

[Bernard Nebel]

This is a great question. Thanks.
Water freezes by virtue of water molecules hydrogen bonding into a three dimensional solid structure (Google: molecular structure of ice). This structure, uniquely, has a larger volume than the non-structured liquid water. Hence it is less dense–ice floats.

Visualize water in a cylinder with a piston pushing down on it applying increasing pressure. If water turning solid (ice) involves increasing volume, the piston pressure holding volume small will prevent that structure form forming. Hence, under increasing pressure water remains in its liquid state.

With sufficient cooling under high pressure, there will be some point at which it may turn into an amorphous non-structured solid, but offhand I don’t know what point that would be.

Ask further as you wish. Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

There are many people who still deny climate change/global warming. Can such denial stand up to evidence and rational reasoning?

For understanding global warming a key observation, which can be easily demonstrated, is the following. Given a constant heat input, a body does not get indefinitely hotter. Its temperature rises and then levels off at point where it gives off heat at a rate equal the rate of energy input. This can be demonstrated by putting a pan of water over a candle flame and measuring the temperature of the water over time. Expand this idea to the basic concept: The temperature of any body is a balance between incoming energy and outgoing energy. “Any body,” includes the whole Earth; the average temperatures experienced on Earth, despite all the perturbations, come down to a balance between the the rate of energy input, solar energy from the sun, and the rate of energy output, heat radiation from the Earth into  outer space.

How might this balance be upset in a way to raise the temperature? Reflect again on the pan of water over the candle flame. One might increase heat input, but in terms of the Earth, the sun provides a constant energy input that can’t be adjusted. A second possibility is to put additional insulation around the pan to reduce the rate of energy output. This can be demonstrated and one will observe that temperature rises to a new level. 

 

Here is the crux. CO2 absorbs outgoing heat radiation from the Earth. (It does not effect incoming solar (light) energy.) The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is effectively the amount of insulation around the Earth. Are we changing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere? Yes, the unavoidable waste product of burning fuels is CO2, and much of this CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere leading to a sharp increase.  (see http://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/) Increasing temperatures due to this increasing insulating effect of CO2 are unavoidable. The only questions are in the timing, degree, and effects  of temperature increases. There are numerous observations that show they are already occurring (http://climate.nasa.gov).

 

Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

The depth of BFSU is in addressing and having your kids master and connect the basic idea(s) and concept(s) presented in each lesson. There are no BFSU lessons that don’t aim at presenting a basic idea or concept. Therefore, with you older child, I would follow the same path as recommended in the text. That is starting at the top and moving back and forth across the flowchart working your way down. However, older kids with their greater background of experience will be able to move through the early lessons much more quickly, pausing to take more time with anything new and not familiar. This is not sacrificing depth for speed. It a matter of helping your kids refresh, organize, and recognize the significance of what they are already familiar with. Thanks for the question, Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

The first and second editions of BFSU Volume I are very much the same. The first edition will work perfectly well in giving your kids a solid background in beginning science. The second edition is only somewhat adjusted to make it more in tune with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which may or may not be of any concern depending on the state you live in. In this regard, the second edition of Volume I, contains two additional lessons: C-3A Energy and Force, and B-5A Adaptations and survival. Thanks for your question.

[Bernard Nebel]

Hi buddingnaturalis,
I think the current edition of BFSU Volume III, preceded by Vols. I and II, provides a gook background preparation for any further studies in science, as well as a good foundation of “scientific literacy.” Therefore, I have no plans at this time for a second edition of Volume III.
However, if there are particular topics you would like to explore or expand on, that is what this forum is for.
Thanks for question.
Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

Hear is a site that shows a simple device you can make that will show the idea of a hydraulic lift:
http://www.ehow.com/how_7724623_make-hydraulic-lift-school-project.html
However, it does not really illustrate the
f x d = f’ x d’ principle. You will have to add that in.
I hope others may find or create a more useful site. Thanks for your question Jackie. Bernie Nebel

[Bernard Nebel]

The three volumes of BFSU are an unbroken continuum of lessons that build understanding in logical, systematic steps all the way from K to 8. Hence early lessons are prerequisite to later lessons. Therefore, I recommend actually doing a quick review of Volume I, since it was several years ago, then moving through Volume II before tacking Volume III. All lessons can be addressed in an age-appropriate manner.

I hope that others who have faced the same problem will comment as to what their experience has beed.

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