The Tortoise, the Hare, and the Photon: A Tale of Special Relativity
The Physics Fables series introduces physics concepts without any math. It’s geared towards students ages 8-10, and is fully illustrated.
After doing research on what kinds of stories have the most impact educationally, I created these fables. The climax of the story always hinges on the main characters using the physics concepts involved. Having the characters use physics to achieve their goals has, unsurprisingly, been shown to make concepts the most memorable.
Throughout the story, I include little notes, questions, and activities that either explain concepts or suggest things for students to try. My goal here is to have there be more available than you need. You can absolutely just read through the story (especially the first time through) but if you find students are curious about anything, you can read the extra notes, explanations, or try some of the activities.
They’re also beautifully illustrated, professionally edited, and professionally formatted.
Here’s what this story is about:
Eloise the tortoise is the great, great, great granddaughter of the first tortoise who beat the hare in their first race. She is now going to compete in the traditional race, hoping to uphold her family’s honor. This year, though, there are some unexpected contestants, including a thunderclap and a photon. They are both much faster, but Eloise notices some strange facts about the speed the photon travels at.
This story introduces the ideas underpinning special relativity: that the speed of light observed is always the same, regardless of one’s speed. It also includes some activities related to relative speed, and jumping off points for thinking about math (a tiny permutation question).
This story is also included in the Whimsical Physics Education Starter Pack, which I send to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter.
✨ 100% Delight Guarantee! ✨
My goal is to bring joy and inspire curiosity with every purchase. If you're not absolutely delighted, just email me within 30 days, and I’ll refund you right away—no questions asked!"
The Physics Fables series introduces physics concepts without any math. It’s geared towards students ages 8-10, and is fully illustrated.
After doing research on what kinds of stories have the most impact educationally, I created these fables. The climax of the story always hinges on the main characters using the physics concepts involved. Having the characters use physics to achieve their goals has, unsurprisingly, been shown to make concepts the most memorable.
Throughout the story, I include little notes, questions, and activities that either explain concepts or suggest things for students to try. My goal here is to have there be more available than you need. You can absolutely just read through the story (especially the first time through) but if you find students are curious about anything, you can read the extra notes, explanations, or try some of the activities.
They’re also beautifully illustrated, professionally edited, and professionally formatted.
Here’s what this story is about:
Eloise the tortoise is the great, great, great granddaughter of the first tortoise who beat the hare in their first race. She is now going to compete in the traditional race, hoping to uphold her family’s honor. This year, though, there are some unexpected contestants, including a thunderclap and a photon. They are both much faster, but Eloise notices some strange facts about the speed the photon travels at.
This story introduces the ideas underpinning special relativity: that the speed of light observed is always the same, regardless of one’s speed. It also includes some activities related to relative speed, and jumping off points for thinking about math (a tiny permutation question).
This story is also included in the Whimsical Physics Education Starter Pack, which I send to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter.
✨ 100% Delight Guarantee! ✨
My goal is to bring joy and inspire curiosity with every purchase. If you're not absolutely delighted, just email me within 30 days, and I’ll refund you right away—no questions asked!"
The Physics Fables series introduces physics concepts without any math. It’s geared towards students ages 8-10, and is fully illustrated.
After doing research on what kinds of stories have the most impact educationally, I created these fables. The climax of the story always hinges on the main characters using the physics concepts involved. Having the characters use physics to achieve their goals has, unsurprisingly, been shown to make concepts the most memorable.
Throughout the story, I include little notes, questions, and activities that either explain concepts or suggest things for students to try. My goal here is to have there be more available than you need. You can absolutely just read through the story (especially the first time through) but if you find students are curious about anything, you can read the extra notes, explanations, or try some of the activities.
They’re also beautifully illustrated, professionally edited, and professionally formatted.
Here’s what this story is about:
Eloise the tortoise is the great, great, great granddaughter of the first tortoise who beat the hare in their first race. She is now going to compete in the traditional race, hoping to uphold her family’s honor. This year, though, there are some unexpected contestants, including a thunderclap and a photon. They are both much faster, but Eloise notices some strange facts about the speed the photon travels at.
This story introduces the ideas underpinning special relativity: that the speed of light observed is always the same, regardless of one’s speed. It also includes some activities related to relative speed, and jumping off points for thinking about math (a tiny permutation question).
This story is also included in the Whimsical Physics Education Starter Pack, which I send to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter.
✨ 100% Delight Guarantee! ✨
My goal is to bring joy and inspire curiosity with every purchase. If you're not absolutely delighted, just email me within 30 days, and I’ll refund you right away—no questions asked!"
