Think physics is only for college geeks? Think again! Physics is a fascinating facet of science that is especially relevant to children -- pushing and pulling, falling and leaping are all components of this science. Even elementary students can benefit from a study of physics. Use this page to help you design your own physics lapbook or unit study.
Contents at a Glance
Flickr Physics
Physics book
Defying gravity
![zero gravity by [auro]](http://static.flickr.com/71/230377281_0680c8b0af_s.jpg)
Centripetal force
Seesaw -- First Class Lever
Driven pulley
Light bulb
Physics Poll
Physics
You will probably want some books to serve as the foundation of your study. Any of these would be great. Or, if you need a quick answer to something, try Physics 4 Kids, something of an online textbook.
Another nice resource is Next Time Questions. Each PDF has a one page question with an accompanying cartoon illustration. The question is designed to make your child think, using physics principles to answer. The second page has some explanations and the answer.
The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary Of Physics (Illustrated Dictionaries)
Amazon Price: $10.39 (as of 07/03/2009) 
Used Price: $7.77
Electricity and Magnetism (Usborne Understanding Science)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $0.01
Where Does Electricity Come From? (The Clever Calvin)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $45.66
Can You Feel The Force?
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $10.35
Energy Makes Things Happen (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $2.49
Forces and the Laws of Motion
Here are some educational Songs to help: Gravity Song and What is Friction?
Visit BBC Science Worksheets and look to the right for a link to a printable worksheet about forces and friction. (These could be easily adapted to a minibook or to notebooking page.)
Also be sure to check out Energy Kids' Page Resources there are divided by grade level. Look for printables about friction, simple machines, and forces. Many of the PDFs have nice graphics and diagrams that could be used in minibooks.
Sparklebox has a Forces and Movement Vocabulary PDF that would be especially good for younger children. Make them into a memory game, flashcards, a poster, or a minibook.
Isaac Newton wrote the three laws of motion.
1. An object in motion will remain in motion and an object at rest will remain at rest UNLESS acted upon by a force
2. Force = mass x acceleration
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
Click on the photo for a Three Laws of Motion window minibook template I created. It will open as a PDF in another window.
Newton's 3 Laws of Motion has simple animated gifs and explanations of these laws that we used in our study.
Forces and Motion Lapbook
We made this lapbook during our four week study of Forces and Motion. Many of the reproducibles and ideas came from Dinah Zike's Great Science Adventures: The World of Tools and Technology.
Great Science Adventures: The World of Tools and Technology
Great Science Adventures the World of Tools And Technology
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
This book is a great resource for lapbooking physics topics. It covers all of the six simple machines as well as work and friction.
Simple Machines
The six simple machines are- inclined plane
- wedge
- screw
- lever
- wheel & axle
- pulley
Dinah Zike's Great Science Adventures The World of Tools and Technology is a great resource here. In 24 lessons you will thoroughly study the six simple machines, making mini-books for each lesson. A great lapbooking tool!
- Free Simple Machines Lapbook
- Look for the link to Simple Machines for a free PDF lapbooking guide!
- EdHeads Lesson Plans
- The Simple Machines Web Quest is actually a nice printable graph for identifying types of machines throughout a normal household.
- Pasco Partners
- A grade 3 unit study about simple machines that incorporates language, science, and math. There are some good ideas here and some nice graphics that may be appropriate for a minibook.
Light and Sound
Here are some most basic concepts about light that you should be sure to include in your physics unit study.- Light is energy.
- It travels in straight path.
- Reflection is bouncing off.
- Refraction is passing through and bending.
- Translucent means light passes through and opaque means light cannot pass through.
- Luminous objects create light.
1. For quaint educational songs about light, listen to Did You Ever See a Rainbow? and Why is the Sky Blue?
2. Visit Teacher Vision for a GREAT free printable! Assemble a pop-up book that describes the invention of the light bulb. (This is actually a paid site, but they offer a few free samples before requiring you to pay.)
3. Torah Tots has a great light bulb coloring page that would make a great shape book template!
4. And Homeschool Helper offers an entire Light lapbook for free!
5. Visit BBC Science Worksheets and look to the right for a link to a printable worksheet about sound. (This could be easily adapted to a minibook or to notebooking page.)
6. Click on the image to the right for a printable template of the lightbulb shaped trifold pictured. For the same file in A4 format, click here.
7. Visit Pasco Partners for a unit study about sound that incorporates language, science, and math.
8. Here is a great minibook printable about the colors of light using the ROYGBIV mnemonic device. A homeschool mom made this!
9. Notebook Learning Blog offers some GREAT notebooking pages that will suit even the youngest learners. All of Melanie's pages come in four versions of handwriting styles in doc files. Try these: What is Light? and The Visible Spectrum.
10. Inside Melanie Lewis's File Cabinet, there is a great PDF called Science Experiments full of attractive pages about light and sound.
Great Science Adventures the World of Light And Sound
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
This book was created by Dinah Zike, a well known name in lapbooking circles. 24 lessons take you through a study of light, color, mirrors, lasers, heat, and sound. In each lesson you will make one or more mini-books. The directions and reproducible pages are all included as well as ideas for activities and experiments.
Although this book can stand alone as a science curriculum, it also serves well as a lapbooking supplement to another physics study. I have this book and use it as a lapbooking supplement to Noeo Science Physics 1 curriculum.
Light and Color Lapbook
This is the lapbook my daughter made during the few weeks we studied light and color.
Energy
Kinetic, Potential, Renewable, Non-renewable
Free energy printables and songs! Check out these options for your lapbook and unit study.- What is Energy? Song
- Educational Song for learning about energy!
- Kinetic and Potential Energy Song
- Another educational song!
- Energy Education Resources
- This long list of links offers some gems. Especially good are the Renewable Energy Coloring Book, the Classroom Energy Poster Puzzle, and the Texas Solar Energy Coloring Book.
- Renewable and Nonrenewable Sources of Energy
- The last page of this document is a set of small cards. Turn this into a game for your lapbook. Make two pockets -- one for the renewable energy sources and another for the nonrenewable ones.
- Energy Kids' Page
- Resources are divided by grade level. Topics include a lot about energy but also friction, simple machines, and forces. Many of the PDFs have nice graphics and diagrams that could be used in minibooks.
- Heat and Energy Lapbook
- Sorry, no freebies here except great ideas. Kristen, a homeschooling mom, shares photos of her son's lapbook and some resources she used.
- Types of Energy Coloring Page
- A connect-the-dots worksheet to review different types of energy with kids.
Electricity
- Electrons flowing along a path = electricity
- Direct current (DC)
- Alternating current (AC)
- Conductors allow the flow of electricity
- Insulators stop the flow of electricity
Visit some of these links for free resources about electricity.- Free Electricity Lapbook
- Homeschool Helper Online offers several free printable minibooks about electricity.
- BBC Science Worksheets
- Look to the right for a link to a printable worksheet about circuits.
- Electricity Song
- Learn the fun way-- sing! This educational song will teach about electricity in a way that's easy to memorize.
- Kickbuttmama's Lapbooking Resources
- Scroll down to the section on Magnetism/ Electricity where you'll find free printable templates for an Electricity Flap Book, Ben Franklin Index, Magnet Flap Book, and a Vocabulary Flapbook.
Magnetism
- It is a Magnet Song
- Another fun educational song that makes memorizing fun!
- Magnet Coloring Page and Notebooking Page
- This coloring page would be nice for younger students, or for a template to make a shape book. click on the next button to reach a notebooking page decorated with magnets.
- Magnet Minibook Printables
- These minibook templates are ready to print and fill in with the facts you've learned about magnets. Or record observations from your experiments in them. Scroll down to the M for Magnet section.
Magnetism Lapbook
For extra fun, we cut this lapbook into a curved shape on one end to resemble a horseshoe magnet.
Outer Space and the Solar System
Noeo Physics 1 includes several weeks' study of space. Since it's such a vast topic I've gathered all of my space related resources on another page.-
Space Lapbook
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Take advantage of a child's natural fascination with outer space and space travel with this science unit study! What child doesn't like to pretend he's an astronaut, flying a spaceship to a distant planet or yet to be discovered galaxy? Channel...
Physics Experiments
For a freebie, try this well made PDF file of physics experiments complete with diagrams and drawings.
Or try these online ideas for light experiments or sound experiments.
The Science Spot has some lesson plans that are actually great projects for experiencing physics first hand.
Here are some titles from Amazon that offer some physics experiements you can do in your own home.
Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments in Motion, Heat, Light, Machines, and Sound (Science for Every Kid Series)
Amazon Price: $10.10 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $1.58
Physics Experiments for Children
Amazon Price: $4.95 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $0.01
Awesome Experiments in Electricity & Magnetism
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $3.63
Sound and Light (Young Discoverers: Science Facts and Experiments)
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/03/2009)
Used Price: $4.24
Physics Play
Famous Physicists
- Color Me Physics
- This PDF coloring book features famous physicists.
- Albert Einstein Printables
- Wordsearch puzzle, a notebooking page,a coloring page, and more -- all related to this famous scientist.
- Online History Exhibits
- Several physicists are featured here -- Marie Curie, Einstein, J.J. Thompson (discoverer of the electron). The Einstein PDF is a remarkable 92 page document with many images, a timeline, and lots of text.
- Isaac Newton Coloring Page
- This cartoon style coloring page from Crayola depicts the traditional story of Newton's being struck in the head with a falling apple. A bit corny, but you certainly want your child to understand this commonly told story.
- Edison and Marconi Skits
- Create some fun by acting out a skit about the inventor of the lightbulb or the inventor of the radio!
- School Express Units
- Famous scientists include Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, and Galileo.
- FREE Einstein Lapbook
- This PDF includes templates for making an entire lapbook about Einstein! Amazingly, it's free!
Used Book Bargains
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Online Fun with Physics
- BBC Physical Processes Games
- Changing Sounds, Changing Circuits, Friction, Forces in Action, and more!
- Nobel Prize in Physics
- Five games -- The Integrated Circuit, Invar & Steel Alloys, Laser, Liquid Crystals, The Transistor.
- Simple Machines Interactive Game
- Explore simple machines with Ed Head.
- Phun - 2D Physics Sandbox
- Free software download for a game involving physics concepts -- create machines in a virtual world.
- Fantastic Contraption
- An online flash puzzle game where you build whimsical machines to solve each level. Save your contraptions and share them with your friends. Free!
- Newton's Apple : Physics and Sports Videos
- Newton's Apple has lots of interesting videos that teach about physics, especially physics in sports.
Your Comments
AndyPo wrote...
Excellent lens. I am a physicist. You have some very good illustrations here.
Posted February 03, 2009
kephrira wrote...
great lens, I really support what your doing to promote physics as an interesting subject to children. take a look at my Physics Blogs lens">
Posted August 10, 2008
DrRichard wrote...
Great lens. I have a background in physics so enjoyed some proper science here for a change!! 5 stars and a favorite.
Posted July 04, 2008
dmmcmah wrote...
Nice lens. But what really makes physics interesting these days, is quantum mechanics and relativity, two theories that challenge our notions of reality! You might suggest that your readers check out "The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone" by Kenneth W. Ford.
Posted June 01, 2008
debbie wrote
We did all three of the Dinah Zike books for physics too. Here are some fun things we added.
My kids loved building with the Knex sets that deal with simple machines and really seeing them work. Check them out. I got mine from Timberdoodle. Here is the link
http://www.timberdoodle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=127
Knex Levers and Pulleys
Knex Wheels/Axles and Inclined Planes
Knex Gears
For Magnets check out Fizz Bang Science's book 39 Amazing Experiments with the Mega-Magnet (make sure you order it with the magnet)
For Electronics they also enjoyed Electronic Snap Circuit which you can also get from timberdoodle
http://www.timberdoodle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=37
thanks for the links to save for the next time we do physics.
Posted May 29, 2008
groovyoldlady wrote...
I've taught Chemistry and Biology (and enjoyed them both immensely!), but always run from Physics like it was the plague! Thanks for making it look more accessible. :-)
Posted January 21, 2008
