Although our family normally schools year round, I try to give the kids a little bit of a break during the summer months by choosing fun and interesting courses that don’t require much homework.
So when Timberdoodle offered me a review copy of Physics 101, I gladly accepted, suspecting it would be a pain-free way to keep science going through those ten weeks when the rest of the world was on summer vacation.
Physics 101 did not disappoint. Although I planned to use this introductory course for my high schoolers (it’s part of Timberdoodle’s 10th Grade Curriculum Set), my younger kids quickly became engrossed in the video lessons, as well.
So did I. I learned stuff in this course I never knew before — despite the fact I’d taken three years of physics in high school and college. That’s because Wes Olson, the host of the 101 Series, is a master at asking intelligent questions, then answering them with easy-to-follow explanations.
I tried to take a few screenshots to give you a better picture of what this course entails, but I couldn’t get that function to work while my computer was hooked up to our projector. Fortunately, I found this promotional clip on YouTube so you can see Mr. Olsen in action:
A couple of my sons are interested in pursuing degrees in engineering. For those boys, I will follow Physics 101 up with a more rigorous course like Apologia Physics. But for kids who have different career aspirations or a less mathematical bent, Physics 101 does a fantastic job of acquainting students with basic principles in an interesting and engaging way and I highly recommend it.
The 101 Series offers DVD courses in Biology and Chemistry, as well, which I’m already planning to work through with my children next summer.
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