Light: A Fairy Tale
If you’re looking for a way to introduce physics concepts in a way that is memorable, engaging, and decreases anxiety, stories are a great way to do that.
(You can read more about the research behind using stories to teach, as well as my thoughts on best-practices here.)
Light is one of my absolute favorite physics topics, and this is my favorite fairy tale of the three so far. It’s got some good fantasy intrigue and more humor than the other two.
Prince John has recently been crowned king. He wants to be a good king, however he has spent most of his life reading about slaying dragons and rescuing princesses, and feels an enormous amount of pressure from the fourteen portraits of his illustrious forebears staring down at him from the walls of the throne room.
Luckily, a mysterious witch appears with a magical candle that might be the answer to all John’s problems…
In the candle are the ghosts of the most powerful light mages: Einstein, Snell, deBroglie, and Young. And together these famous physicists teach him about light and color, so that he can bring illumination to his kingdom.
Age Range: 10-12
Generally I say 10-12 for the age range for this book. I’ve heard feedback from parents that their nine-year-olds really loved the story. I’ve tried to make these books really adaptable, so you can tailor them to what works best for your students / child.
Younger students (ages 8-10) can read the story and draw their own illustrations (drawing is a fantastic way to reason through physics problems - it’s my favorite way to think through them.)
Middle grade students (ages 10-12) could try reading the non-fiction conceptual section in the back and maybe try some conceptual questions.
Older students (ages 12+) could read the whole thing, and do the conceptual practice questions at the end.
Overall, I’d say read however much of it makes it the most fun!
Here’s What this Book Covers
The speed of light
The wave nature of light
Wavelength
Frequency
Speed
Color
Reflection
Refraction
Snell’s Law
Diffraction
The double slit experiment
The deBroglie equation
Electromagnetic waves
The visual spectrum
Contents
68 Pages
The 39-page Fairy Tale
Short Non-Fiction Section
8 Conceptual Questions + Answers
Suggested Accompanying YouTube videos and Phet Simulations
Formats Available:
PDF version is available for purchase here.
For the paperback version, buy on Amazon.
For the eBook version, buy on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a way to introduce physics concepts in a way that is memorable, engaging, and decreases anxiety, stories are a great way to do that.
(You can read more about the research behind using stories to teach, as well as my thoughts on best-practices here.)
Light is one of my absolute favorite physics topics, and this is my favorite fairy tale of the three so far. It’s got some good fantasy intrigue and more humor than the other two.
Prince John has recently been crowned king. He wants to be a good king, however he has spent most of his life reading about slaying dragons and rescuing princesses, and feels an enormous amount of pressure from the fourteen portraits of his illustrious forebears staring down at him from the walls of the throne room.
Luckily, a mysterious witch appears with a magical candle that might be the answer to all John’s problems…
In the candle are the ghosts of the most powerful light mages: Einstein, Snell, deBroglie, and Young. And together these famous physicists teach him about light and color, so that he can bring illumination to his kingdom.
Age Range: 10-12
Generally I say 10-12 for the age range for this book. I’ve heard feedback from parents that their nine-year-olds really loved the story. I’ve tried to make these books really adaptable, so you can tailor them to what works best for your students / child.
Younger students (ages 8-10) can read the story and draw their own illustrations (drawing is a fantastic way to reason through physics problems - it’s my favorite way to think through them.)
Middle grade students (ages 10-12) could try reading the non-fiction conceptual section in the back and maybe try some conceptual questions.
Older students (ages 12+) could read the whole thing, and do the conceptual practice questions at the end.
Overall, I’d say read however much of it makes it the most fun!
Here’s What this Book Covers
The speed of light
The wave nature of light
Wavelength
Frequency
Speed
Color
Reflection
Refraction
Snell’s Law
Diffraction
The double slit experiment
The deBroglie equation
Electromagnetic waves
The visual spectrum
Contents
68 Pages
The 39-page Fairy Tale
Short Non-Fiction Section
8 Conceptual Questions + Answers
Suggested Accompanying YouTube videos and Phet Simulations
Formats Available:
PDF version is available for purchase here.
For the paperback version, buy on Amazon.
For the eBook version, buy on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a way to introduce physics concepts in a way that is memorable, engaging, and decreases anxiety, stories are a great way to do that.
(You can read more about the research behind using stories to teach, as well as my thoughts on best-practices here.)
Light is one of my absolute favorite physics topics, and this is my favorite fairy tale of the three so far. It’s got some good fantasy intrigue and more humor than the other two.
Prince John has recently been crowned king. He wants to be a good king, however he has spent most of his life reading about slaying dragons and rescuing princesses, and feels an enormous amount of pressure from the fourteen portraits of his illustrious forebears staring down at him from the walls of the throne room.
Luckily, a mysterious witch appears with a magical candle that might be the answer to all John’s problems…
In the candle are the ghosts of the most powerful light mages: Einstein, Snell, deBroglie, and Young. And together these famous physicists teach him about light and color, so that he can bring illumination to his kingdom.
Age Range: 10-12
Generally I say 10-12 for the age range for this book. I’ve heard feedback from parents that their nine-year-olds really loved the story. I’ve tried to make these books really adaptable, so you can tailor them to what works best for your students / child.
Younger students (ages 8-10) can read the story and draw their own illustrations (drawing is a fantastic way to reason through physics problems - it’s my favorite way to think through them.)
Middle grade students (ages 10-12) could try reading the non-fiction conceptual section in the back and maybe try some conceptual questions.
Older students (ages 12+) could read the whole thing, and do the conceptual practice questions at the end.
Overall, I’d say read however much of it makes it the most fun!
Here’s What this Book Covers
The speed of light
The wave nature of light
Wavelength
Frequency
Speed
Color
Reflection
Refraction
Snell’s Law
Diffraction
The double slit experiment
The deBroglie equation
Electromagnetic waves
The visual spectrum
Contents
68 Pages
The 39-page Fairy Tale
Short Non-Fiction Section
8 Conceptual Questions + Answers
Suggested Accompanying YouTube videos and Phet Simulations
Formats Available:
PDF version is available for purchase here.
For the paperback version, buy on Amazon.
For the eBook version, buy on Amazon.
