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علم و ماجراهای علمی #9
Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (Volume 30)
Isaac Newton was as strange as he was intelligent. In a few short years, he made astounding discoveries in physics, astronomy, optics, and mathematics— yet never told a soul. Though isolated, snobbish, and jealous, he almost single-handedly changed the course of scientific advancement and ushered in the Enlightenment. Newton invented the refracting telescope, explained the motion of planets and comets, discovered the multicolored nature of light, and created an entirely new field of mathematical calculus. The world might have been a very different place had Netwon’s theories and observations not been coaxed out of him by his colleagues.
Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids paints a rich portrait of this brilliant and complex man, including 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Newton developed and the times in which he lived. Readers will build a simple waterwheel, create a 17thcentury plague mask, track the phases of the moon, and test Newton’s Three Laws of Motion using coins, a skateboard, and a model boat they construct themselves. The text includes a time line, online resources, and reading list for further study. And through it all, readers will learn how the son of a Woolsthorpe sheep farmer grew to become the most influential physicist in history.
Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids paints a rich portrait of this brilliant and complex man, including 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Newton developed and the times in which he lived. Readers will build a simple waterwheel, create a 17thcentury plague mask, track the phases of the moon, and test Newton’s Three Laws of Motion using coins, a skateboard, and a model boat they construct themselves. The text includes a time line, online resources, and reading list for further study. And through it all, readers will learn how the son of a Woolsthorpe sheep farmer grew to become the most influential physicist in history.
131 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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66 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 19, 2017
In debates about “who was the greatest scientist who ever lived,” the outcome does not always favor Albert Einstein; rather, opinion is generally split between him and Isaac Newton.
Newton was born in England on Christmas Day in 1642, the same year that Galileo Galilei died in Italy. This book tells us about Newton’s childhood and years of study, but most of the focus is on his later intellectual achievements. His seminal book, The Principia Mathematica, outlined his theories of calculus, the three laws of motion, and universal gravitation. He also revolutionized the design of the telescope and the study of optics. He took over Britain’s Royal Mint and stabilized its currency. He even served in Parliament for a time.
Behind the scenes, he devoted years to the secret study of alchemy, an art forbidden by the Church. The goal of alchemy was to figure out how to turn base metals into precious ones, as well as to find a magical product called “the philosopher’s stone” which would allegedly provide the key to eternal life.
As for what Newton was like as a man, he was known for being moody, jealous, and egotistical, and for having a fierce, unforgiving temper. He was probably paranoid and possibly gay.
But mostly, this book eschews the gossip about Newton’s personal life in favor of highlighting his eye-popping intellectual achievements. Newton not only asked himself questions, such as “why do things always fall down?” but he made it his life’s work to find answers to them.
Discussion: I love so many aspects of this series of books for kids from the Chicago Review Press. Most of all, they don’t shy away from giving a complete picture of the life of the person being profiled, warts and all. They demonstrate it is possible to applaud the accomplishments of acclaimed figures in history while at the same time admitting to more regrettable aspects of their lives. They understand that to eschew deification is not to question the achievements of a person, but rather suggests that even "mortals" may effect great changes in history.
The series also contains fascinating information about the contemporaries of the person being profiled.
A third great feature of this series is the inclusion of activities that not only relate to the subject, but tie together different aspects of learning, from language arts to science to architecture, etc.
Some of the 21 activities in this book include instructions for the following:
charting phases of the moon
making a pendulum
how to make a water clock and a candle clock and compare their accuracy
making a prism
demonstrating the principle of the inverse square law
how to grow a crystal garden
experiments that demonstrate each of Newton’s three laws of motion
baking an apple pie in the style of Newton’s time
The book also features a time line, glossary, annotated list of internet resources, bibliography, and index.
Evaluation: This series of books from the Chicago Review Press for kids (but also older readers) is outstanding. Each provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the subject matter, adds fun and informative activities, and treats history as it should be treated: without misleading filters that glamorize and/or obfuscate the truth.
Newton was born in England on Christmas Day in 1642, the same year that Galileo Galilei died in Italy. This book tells us about Newton’s childhood and years of study, but most of the focus is on his later intellectual achievements. His seminal book, The Principia Mathematica, outlined his theories of calculus, the three laws of motion, and universal gravitation. He also revolutionized the design of the telescope and the study of optics. He took over Britain’s Royal Mint and stabilized its currency. He even served in Parliament for a time.
Behind the scenes, he devoted years to the secret study of alchemy, an art forbidden by the Church. The goal of alchemy was to figure out how to turn base metals into precious ones, as well as to find a magical product called “the philosopher’s stone” which would allegedly provide the key to eternal life.
As for what Newton was like as a man, he was known for being moody, jealous, and egotistical, and for having a fierce, unforgiving temper. He was probably paranoid and possibly gay.
But mostly, this book eschews the gossip about Newton’s personal life in favor of highlighting his eye-popping intellectual achievements. Newton not only asked himself questions, such as “why do things always fall down?” but he made it his life’s work to find answers to them.
Discussion: I love so many aspects of this series of books for kids from the Chicago Review Press. Most of all, they don’t shy away from giving a complete picture of the life of the person being profiled, warts and all. They demonstrate it is possible to applaud the accomplishments of acclaimed figures in history while at the same time admitting to more regrettable aspects of their lives. They understand that to eschew deification is not to question the achievements of a person, but rather suggests that even "mortals" may effect great changes in history.
The series also contains fascinating information about the contemporaries of the person being profiled.
A third great feature of this series is the inclusion of activities that not only relate to the subject, but tie together different aspects of learning, from language arts to science to architecture, etc.
Some of the 21 activities in this book include instructions for the following:
charting phases of the moon
making a pendulum
how to make a water clock and a candle clock and compare their accuracy
making a prism
demonstrating the principle of the inverse square law
how to grow a crystal garden
experiments that demonstrate each of Newton’s three laws of motion
baking an apple pie in the style of Newton’s time
The book also features a time line, glossary, annotated list of internet resources, bibliography, and index.
Evaluation: This series of books from the Chicago Review Press for kids (but also older readers) is outstanding. Each provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the subject matter, adds fun and informative activities, and treats history as it should be treated: without misleading filters that glamorize and/or obfuscate the truth.
May 1, 2016
طبیعت و قوانینش در شب پنهان بودند،
پروردگار گفت: "بگذار نیوتن باشد!"...
و همه چیز روشن شد.
- الکساندر پوپ
پروردگار گفت: "بگذار نیوتن باشد!"...
و همه چیز روشن شد.
- الکساندر پوپ
January 27, 2026
This was our second time through this book, and I can't recommend it enough. This series is usually pretty good, but this book in particular is one of their best. If you're looking for strong science for kids, in context of the life and times of the scientist who developed our understanding of it, this is your book! Lots of excerpts from original documents, and lots of authorial explanation of where assertions came from. Careful parsing of biases, and includes multiple perspectives. No pulling punches on what ideas exactly Isaac Newton developed and what they mean--no watering it down "for kids" like too many kids science books which water the science down so much that it's actually meaningless and they haven't learned anything. This book makes kids wrestle with challenging scientific ideas and actually learn something! Will forever reread this book (and the Galileo, Einstein, and Davinci ones) for Cycle 2 science.
April 28, 2025
I love pairing the Chicago Review Press biographies with our current science topic. This was a wonderful edition and allowed us to grow closer to an understanding of the science and mind of the great man!
December 22, 2017
Enjoyed this great life story summary so much I read others in the serious.. and at 40 I certainly don't feel like this is only for kids!
July 6, 2021
The best book for reading...
January 9, 2022
It was good to help place Isaac in time.
September 8, 2024
Definitely learned a bit about Newton's life and some new to me fun things to see in London.
June 1, 2021
“ARISTOTLE LIVED IN ATHENS FROM 384 TO 322 B.C. DURING ITS PRIME; A’S IDEAS DOMINATED THE THINKING OF SCHOLARS FOR 2,000 YEARS RIGHT UP UNTIL THE MID-1600S WHEN ISAAC STUDIED ABOUT HIM AT CAMBRIDGE... GREEKS LOOKED FOR PERFECTION IN THE UNIVERSE...FOR INSTANCE, NEWTON QUICKLY GRASPED THAT GREEK ARCHITECTURE WAS BASED ON THE IDEALS OF GREEK MATHEMATICS, WHICH EMPHASIZED STRAIGHT LINES, PERFECT CIRCLES, AND SIMPLE GEOMETRIC SHAPES SUCH AS SQUARES AND TRIANGLES. ARISTOTLE WROTE THAT IN THE TERRESTRIAL REGION, EVERYTHING IS MADE UP OF 4 ELEMENTS: EARTH, WATER, AIR AND FIRE...THE SUN AND THE 5 PLANETS - THE ONLY PLANETS THEY KNEW ABOUT AT THE TIME - (THEY BELIEVED ORBITED THE EARTH IN IN ITS OWN CRYSTAL SPHERE...LAYER BY LAYER, EACH SPHERE ENVELOPED THE NEXT ONE IN A MULTILAYERED UNIVERSE.” 18
NICOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543)
TYCHO BRAHE (1546-1601)
GALILEO GALILEI (1564-1642) IN 1608 HE LEARNED ABOUT TELESCOPE INVENTED IN HOLLAND;
ISAAC NEWTON (1642-1727_
JOHANNES KEPLER (1571-1630)
“KING HENRY VIII (1491-1547) {REMEMBER AROUND THE TIME OF COLUMBUS’ VOYAGE} ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND GRANTED HIMSELF A DIVORCE FROM CATHERINE TO MARRY ANNE BOLEYN” 14
Preface
The Brilliant and Bizarre Isaac Newton
“Isaac Newton hated to count sheep; every day, every week, over and over again. In his tiny village of Woolsthorpe, England, in the 1650s, losing your sheep meant losing your way of making a living.
“But Isaac didn’t care. Raising sheep was boring. He’d rather read one of the books lining the shelves in the house where he lived with his mother and grandparents. He knew he was different. He didn’t feel like the other boys who were growing up to become farmers in Woolsthorpe. Isaac Newton saw things in a unique way.
“Isaac saw patterns. He saw the rhythm of everyday life, sunrise to sunset, spring to summer to autumn to winter. He was patterns as the sun, moon, and stars steadily marched overhead. He couldn’t touch anything “up there,” but still he wondered whether heavenly bodies moved according to the same rules that worked “down here.”
“Considering Isaac’s perilous birth, it was a miracle that he was alive to experiment at all. When he was born at home on Christmas Day in 1642, the midwife who helped his mother surely thought he would die. Baby Isaac was so tiny he could fit into a “quart pot.”
“Now he wanted to learn everything he could. He mastered Latin, the language that well-educated people both wrote and spoke all across Europe. He studied Greek so that he could know more about the works of scholars like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
“Isaac also learned basic arithmetic and possibly a bit of multiplication and division. Algebra and geometry weren’t part of the curriculum at the King’s School. Mathematics wasn’t considered an important subject when Isaac went there, and only tradesman like carpenters and shipbuilders studied geometry. ..Isaac also learned ‘shortwriting,’ a type of shorthand writing similar to today’s text messages..” 9
ACTIVITIES:
P5 MAKE A WASTE BOOK;
P8 BUILD A WATERWHEEL;
P10 MAKE YOUR OWN INK;
STUDY AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY (MADE UP OF MANY COLLEGES - SOME OF WHICH HAD EXISTED SINCE THE LATE 1200S-LIKE KINGS, QUEENS, JESUS, TRINITY) {CAMBRIDGE LIKE OUR SYSTEM HERE}
JUNE 1661
HE WAS A “SIZAR” (A SERVANT TO TEACHERS & WELL-OFF STUDENTS) 29
ACTIVITIES:
P 21. PHASES OF THE MOON (QUICK & EASY)
P 26 PENDULUM SWING
P 32 WATER CLOCK OR CANDLE CLOCK
P 34 OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
P 36 LOCATE YOUR LATITUDE
SUMMER OF 1665 = BLACK DEATH/PLAGUE SO NEWTON BASICALLY LIVED IN WOOLSTHORPE FOR 2 YEARS
ACTIVITIES:
P 46 MAKE A PLAGUE MASK
NICOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543)
TYCHO BRAHE (1546-1601)
GALILEO GALILEI (1564-1642) IN 1608 HE LEARNED ABOUT TELESCOPE INVENTED IN HOLLAND;
ISAAC NEWTON (1642-1727_
JOHANNES KEPLER (1571-1630)
“KING HENRY VIII (1491-1547) {REMEMBER AROUND THE TIME OF COLUMBUS’ VOYAGE} ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND GRANTED HIMSELF A DIVORCE FROM CATHERINE TO MARRY ANNE BOLEYN” 14
Preface
The Brilliant and Bizarre Isaac Newton
“Isaac Newton hated to count sheep; every day, every week, over and over again. In his tiny village of Woolsthorpe, England, in the 1650s, losing your sheep meant losing your way of making a living.
“But Isaac didn’t care. Raising sheep was boring. He’d rather read one of the books lining the shelves in the house where he lived with his mother and grandparents. He knew he was different. He didn’t feel like the other boys who were growing up to become farmers in Woolsthorpe. Isaac Newton saw things in a unique way.
“Isaac saw patterns. He saw the rhythm of everyday life, sunrise to sunset, spring to summer to autumn to winter. He was patterns as the sun, moon, and stars steadily marched overhead. He couldn’t touch anything “up there,” but still he wondered whether heavenly bodies moved according to the same rules that worked “down here.”
“Considering Isaac’s perilous birth, it was a miracle that he was alive to experiment at all. When he was born at home on Christmas Day in 1642, the midwife who helped his mother surely thought he would die. Baby Isaac was so tiny he could fit into a “quart pot.”
“Now he wanted to learn everything he could. He mastered Latin, the language that well-educated people both wrote and spoke all across Europe. He studied Greek so that he could know more about the works of scholars like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
“Isaac also learned basic arithmetic and possibly a bit of multiplication and division. Algebra and geometry weren’t part of the curriculum at the King’s School. Mathematics wasn’t considered an important subject when Isaac went there, and only tradesman like carpenters and shipbuilders studied geometry. ..Isaac also learned ‘shortwriting,’ a type of shorthand writing similar to today’s text messages..” 9
ACTIVITIES:
P5 MAKE A WASTE BOOK;
P8 BUILD A WATERWHEEL;
P10 MAKE YOUR OWN INK;
STUDY AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY (MADE UP OF MANY COLLEGES - SOME OF WHICH HAD EXISTED SINCE THE LATE 1200S-LIKE KINGS, QUEENS, JESUS, TRINITY) {CAMBRIDGE LIKE OUR SYSTEM HERE}
JUNE 1661
HE WAS A “SIZAR” (A SERVANT TO TEACHERS & WELL-OFF STUDENTS) 29
ACTIVITIES:
P 21. PHASES OF THE MOON (QUICK & EASY)
P 26 PENDULUM SWING
P 32 WATER CLOCK OR CANDLE CLOCK
P 34 OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
P 36 LOCATE YOUR LATITUDE
SUMMER OF 1665 = BLACK DEATH/PLAGUE SO NEWTON BASICALLY LIVED IN WOOLSTHORPE FOR 2 YEARS
ACTIVITIES:
P 46 MAKE A PLAGUE MASK
May 14, 2020
This book is an informative and interesting read. It starts off with Isaac's childhood and ends with his death. His childhood was tragic. His father, who Isaac was named after, died when his mother was six months with child. She then remarried a wealthy man. But the deal wasn't smooth. In order to marry this wealthy man she had to leave Isaac behind with his grandparents. At this time Isaac was 3. Hannah, his mother, did not return until Issac was 10. When she did return she had three new children. Isaac was with his mother a short two years before heading off to school. Out of 12years he was with his mother five. Depsite her abstinence he remained committed to her. He even gave her medicine when she was ill. Keep his tragic story in mind when reading about him. This effected him so much that he was awkward and withdrawn-my theory anyways. A parent's attention and affection means so much.
In the book, your child will learn about prisms, Isaac's theory on the color white (which is quite interesting as now we are told that about the color black), pendulums, the beginning of Isaac's journal keeping such as where he got his first journal and what he named it. What good is a book on Isaac Newton if it doesn't teach on his most famous topics such as Newtons three laws, matter, mass, and gravity just to name a few. There are 21 activities and experiments to do such as making your own science journal, making and comparing water and candle clocks, and making a prism. You'll also notice the difference in old English and modern english with an example of the word tub. In Isaac Newton's list of sins he says, "swimming in a immel [tub] on thy day." Another interesting word is what Newton originally called calculus.
Newton made a lot of discoveries but he was far from a saint. He battled depression and wrote nasty letters to folks. I do think Christian parents would be wise to study Newton along side their children. This is an excellent book that teaches history, not just on Newton but other famous folks who are discussed in the book as well, though Newton is the star. It has quite a list of learning activities to drive home what is being taught. There are illustrations and pictures throughout the book that make for a great visual aid. The layout is well done. As I said Newton was a man who made quite a few scientific discoveries but he was also a troubled man, in my opinion and needs to be studied with care. I do have to mention that there is a brief, as in one sentence, part where it is speculated that Isaac might have been more than just buddies with a few male friends.
I recieved a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
In the book, your child will learn about prisms, Isaac's theory on the color white (which is quite interesting as now we are told that about the color black), pendulums, the beginning of Isaac's journal keeping such as where he got his first journal and what he named it. What good is a book on Isaac Newton if it doesn't teach on his most famous topics such as Newtons three laws, matter, mass, and gravity just to name a few. There are 21 activities and experiments to do such as making your own science journal, making and comparing water and candle clocks, and making a prism. You'll also notice the difference in old English and modern english with an example of the word tub. In Isaac Newton's list of sins he says, "swimming in a immel [tub] on thy day." Another interesting word is what Newton originally called calculus.
Newton made a lot of discoveries but he was far from a saint. He battled depression and wrote nasty letters to folks. I do think Christian parents would be wise to study Newton along side their children. This is an excellent book that teaches history, not just on Newton but other famous folks who are discussed in the book as well, though Newton is the star. It has quite a list of learning activities to drive home what is being taught. There are illustrations and pictures throughout the book that make for a great visual aid. The layout is well done. As I said Newton was a man who made quite a few scientific discoveries but he was also a troubled man, in my opinion and needs to be studied with care. I do have to mention that there is a brief, as in one sentence, part where it is speculated that Isaac might have been more than just buddies with a few male friends.
I recieved a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2013
Kerrie Logan Hollihan has written an amazing book about a fascinating and complex man. She brings Newton to life and makes his ideas accessible to young readers. Excellent visuals and fun activities add to this already rich work, making the book a great resource for teachers, parents, and home-schoolers!
July 6, 2021
تا به حال چندین بار این کتاب را خوانده ام.بهترین کتابی است که میتوان در رابطه با زندگی نیوتن به یه یک نوجوان معرفی کرد . ترجمه بسیار عالی این کتاب از نقاط قوت آن است.علاوه براین در این کتاب، آزمایش های مختلفی ذکر شده و برخی از مباحث و تئوری های علمی به طرز ساده ای بازگو شده اند. این کتاب واقعا عاالی است.
January 22, 2014
I didn't like that he was a servant in the school because his mom did not have enough money. Isaac Newtons step father did not want to have anything to do with him. I thought the experiments in the book looked cool.
January 14, 2013
I liked that it had activities you could do for fun. I thought it was interesting that he survived the plague.
March 19, 2019
This book is about Isaac Newton and some experiments that he did and his thoughts. This book is very factual and gives a lot of information and I learned a lot of things that I did not know about Isaac Newton, one of the smartest scientists that ever lived. It also states Newton's three Laws of Motion
which gives us a better idea of how the world works. For example, if I push my computer it will move and keep one moving until something stops it. If I don't push it, it will not move unless another force acts upon it. Newton's three Laws of Motion helped create the foundation for modern day science and influenced other scientists such as Albert Einstein. I recommend this book for research and not for fun!
which gives us a better idea of how the world works. For example, if I push my computer it will move and keep one moving until something stops it. If I don't push it, it will not move unless another force acts upon it. Newton's three Laws of Motion helped create the foundation for modern day science and influenced other scientists such as Albert Einstein. I recommend this book for research and not for fun!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews