{"id":223,"date":"2008-09-08T19:09:59","date_gmt":"2008-09-09T00:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/223"},"modified":"2008-09-08T19:09:59","modified_gmt":"2008-09-09T00:09:59","slug":"teaching-physical-science-with-childrens-literature-how-do-you-lift-a-lion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2008\/09\/08\/teaching-physical-science-with-childrens-literature-how-do-you-lift-a-lion\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: How Do You Lift a Lion?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lion.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Robert E. Wells is a fantastic author of children’s literature.\u00a0\u00a0He’s written many educational books such as How Do You Lift a Lion<\/a>,\u00a0Can You Count\u00a0To a\u00a0Googol<\/a>, What’s Faster Than a Speeding Cheetah<\/a>\u00a0and What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?<\/a>. All these books use an\u00a0abundant amount of vocabulary and have detailed pictures to help students understand what is being read to them.<\/p>\n

How Do You Lift a Lion<\/a>\u00a0teaches how to use\u00a0the simple machines; the lever, the wheel and the pulley.\u00a0\u00a0There are wonderful pictures which provide a visual to the sometimes complex vocabulary used in the book. There is also arrows which point out the exact vocabulary used to a picture.\u00a0For example<\/p>\n

The main part of a lever is a bar or rod which balances, or pivots, on a fulcrum. If the force side is longer than the load side, you will have leverage. Leverage adds force to your own strength. With a\u00a0force side this long,\u00a0 you could lift a lion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although this\u00a0page uses a lot of vocabulary that students may not\u00a0understand, there are arrows which point out what the load side is, what the fulcrum is and what a force side is. Allowing students to physically see what each of the vocabulary words look like allows them to\u00a0visually understand\u00a0the basic understanding of a lever, wheel, and pulley.<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections
\n<\/strong>This book could be used as an introduction to a lesson on simple machines and or a review on the different types of simple machines and their make up. How Do You Lift a Lion,<\/a>\u00a0teaches about the lever, wheel, and pulley and their functions. This covers the Force, Motion, and Energy Virginia SOL 3.2.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources <\/strong><\/p>\n