| | |  | Trivia Games | Home » » » » » Thames and Kosmos: Physics Workshop | | | | | | WARNING:| CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs. |
| | | Description: | | Almost everyone has heard of a chemistry set. But until this kit was introduced, a physics set was almost unheard of. Physics is an essential science for everyone, and this kit provides a comprehensive explanation of mechanical physics. Through building 36 models and conducting subsequent experiments with the models, you will learn the fundamental laws of mechanical physics. Start by building small models, such as a fixed pulley, to learn about basic forces and simple machines. Then, work your way up to more complex machines, such as a pendulum clock, to learn more advanced concepts like work and centripetal force. This hands-on approach is both fun and effective because the principles of physics are demonstrated right in front of you. | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 11.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 3.1 inches | | Product Height:
| 14.6 inches | | Product Weight:
| 4.63 pounds | | Package Length:
| 14.7 inches | | Package Width:
| 11.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 3.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 9 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great Idea Execution OKJul 24, 2010
This tool kit has the making of a very good educational experience. Unfortunately it could be executed much better. Explanations for how to do the experiments are basically just a couple of pictures of the finished product in various stages of being put together.
The problem is that is rarely sufficient to determine how critical pieces should fit together. But when they work they can be really fun. For example, the all-terrain vehicle works really well and my 9 yr old grandson got a kick out of that.
In general, the explanation for the "physics" behind the experiment are not well explained certainly not for young kids. I was a physics major in college (long ago)...but even still the explanations often left me wondering.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Not for the classroom enviornmentJul 12, 2010
To start, I'm an assistant teacher who has been given the task of implementing a small "club" where kids can use their hands and learn about basic physics concepts, mechanics, and other knowledge they might acquire through the experience. Right, I'm not a certified teacher, but do have a minor background in mechanics as an amateur bicycle mechanic. I've also taken college level physics classes.
This set is nice. The pieces are durable and easily identifiable. But this kit is lacking in so many other areas.
First, the instructions are poor. There are pictures, but no explanation how to get from one step to another. Sometimes, the manual just shows you the completed mechanism, and you're expected to fabricate it on your own. I bought a few of these kits in order to have about 3 kids per kit in a group of about 15 kids. I ended up running around the room having to explain the same thing or show how to build the structure over and over again.
Second, for a kit, I was expecting all materials to be provided. Not the tools like scissors or a tape measure, but the other "common house hold items". In the first few experiments, you need string. I understand having to provide your own potato and paperclips, but how hard is it to provide a spool of twine?
Third, the "experiments" and "workshops" seem to be haphazardly thrown around amongst the reading. Granted, the reading has a good amount of information, but there's no way to transition when you're running a class. What would be helpful would be some form of lesson plan. Maybe, one or two experiments per concept, and each concept clearly separated from the others, maybe by page. There's also no questions or worksheets to stop and ask the kids what they've learned. There's no way to measure how much they've learned.
This kit is not at all a bad kit. It's very educational and actually fun for the kids. They start to look at the world in a different light and start to understand why things happen. It's a fantastic kid for a 1-on-1 environment, like a parent and child set up. If you're planning on buying it for a larger group, maybe you want to sit down with it well in advanced and go through the book and the experiments so you have a firm grasp on how to set up and implement lessons.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Seems good, like many othersMar 28, 2010
I got this for my 11 year old grandson, who was not impressed; he had loved the one on electrical circuits. Maybe the product is excellent in theory, but simply doesn't appeal to young minds -- I don't know.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Poor instructionsNov 01, 2009
The instructions included with this set are very poorly written. You are left with a couple of photos to figure out how to assemble any given project. You can figure out how to put together most of the projects but for the more advanced projects it's almost imposable to figure out.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
pretty good so farJul 06, 2009
My son has been enjoying this kit so far, he just opened it a couple of days ago. It's built very well, but I'll agree with the other reviews, it needs better instructions. You have to figure each project out by the picture, but he has built what he's wanted to so far. I would recommend this product!
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