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The Way
Things Work Pinball Science I've been told it's a good thing to "know what you don't know." There is a lot I don't know about physics. I recently reviewed a few of the basics with David Macaulay's Pinball Science from Dorling Kindersley. Based on my performance it's difficult to believe I grew up in the space age. I felt unworthy of my Certificate as a Force & Motion Expert. My grade school experience with machines and the physical sciences was uninspired at best, and I suspect I'm not alone. So how do we now teach young people about the mysterious forces that act upon them in everyday life? Gravity, friction, mass, and velocity are all demystified in Pinball Science. Facts about potential and kinetic energy are integrated into the design and construction of giant pinball machines. It's highly interactive. During play, a poorly placed spring or bumper can be repositioned for optimal performance: problem based learning with right and left tilt. There are three different machines to build in Pinball Science, and three levels of difficulty for the design and construction quizzes. The game has a built in research library. I found I had to research the answers on even the easiest level. As I said before there's a lot I don't know, but I was willing to risk mistakes. A friendly dancing mammoth lessens the disappointment of wrong answers, and offers young scientists encouragement to try again. Learning the facts is fun, but there's also plenty of leeway for science to work it's magic. As with many scientific breakthroughs, beating the game is sometimes achieved by accident. After all, the laws of physics can only take us so far. Success still depends largely on what we believe. I believe parents and teachers are rightfully concerned with the quality of science instruction in elementary and middle schools. Pinball Science offers an ingenious learning option for their students. Minimum
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