mommyto2 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 We inherited some snap circuits that my oldest dd (7) really loves playing with. I was wondering if there are any free resources using them for science? It seems like I remember reading a thread about them, but a search didn't turn up the one I was looking for. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 The Student Guide is not free but it is incredible. It took Snap Circuits from toy status to a perfect educational resource at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The Student Guide is not free but it is incredible. It took Snap Circuits from toy status to a perfect educational resource at our house. Is this a supplement to the books that come with the kits that detail what to build? We purchased a large kit that came with three small booklets. I am wondering if this book is totally different. To the OP, we currently use the books that came with the kit and are moving through the activities in the order they are presented in the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Is this a supplement to the books that come with the kits that detail what to build? We purchased a large kit that came with three small booklets. I am wondering if this book is totally different. Yes, this resource is different. It is in a whole 'nother league from the booklets that come with the kits. :tongue_smilie: It is chock full of the why and how of circuitry, fully illustrated and easy to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) The Student Guide is excellent, though we haven't worked through it yet -- Button's 6, he's a savvy little guy but this seemed a bit intense for him. I don't think there's a "Look Inside" feature, so I pulled my copy down and flipped through it. Here's an excerpt (this is why I like it :)): Section 1-2 Wires "Wires can be thought of as large, smooth pipes that allow water to pass through easily. Wires are made of metals, usually copper, that offer very low resistance to the flow of electricity. The electric current is a measure of how fast electricity is flowing in a wire, just as the water current describes how fast water is flowing in a pipe. It is expressed in amperes (A, named after Andre Ampere who studied the relationship between electricity and magnetism) or milliamps (mA, 1/1000 of an ampere)." -- just an aside: the unimpeded electricity moves at the speed of light; so most folks say current is a measure of volume of electricity per unit time and not its "speed", although the speed of water is a very good metaphor. In other words, if you were being most careful and precise, you might say that current is a measure of how much electricity is flowing and not how fast. Still, I am nitpicky and I really really like this clear introduction. An excerpt from 14-3, the last section, titled The Snap Circuits Computer Interface "How does the computer view the electrical signal? It measures the microphone input and records a series of numbers as described in section 3-9 (Digital Electronics). The result is displayed as a graph in oscilloscope mode. The accuracy of the data it takes depends on the resolution of the measurement and how frequently it takes a measurement. If you try to measure a signal that is changing too fast, you will only see an erratic series of straight lines ..." -- I like that part, 'cause if I'd known it when I started working with oscilloscopes it would have saved me enormous trouble! In between the first and last sections are lots of explanations, complete with "experiments" to demonstrate and understand the text: the experiments are basically Snap Circuit projects. Also note that your product manuals (that come with the kits) are still useful, so hang on to them -- for instance, the Student Guide says that the product manuals have troubleshooting information and strategies (for identifying damaged/malfunctioning parts) not included in the Guide. HTH Edited June 18, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The Student Guide is excellent, though we haven't worked through it yet -- Button's 6, he's a savvy little guy but this seemed a bit intense for him. I haven't gotten it yet, but I have kiddo assemble a circuit and then "teach" me what is going on in it. This was after a few of me explaining to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writerdaddy Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The student guide is listed as age 13 & up (or maybe 12) and for most things my kids are not ready for the low end of what product sellers put there. Do you think 8 year olds who are at least average for PS but probably below what WTM homeschooled kids are like, would this student guide be any good for them? I definitely do not want to pay for another toy, and noticed lots of complaints on amazon about that (seems like no one knew about the guide). Your excerpts were helpful though. They can understand the pipes analogy. Is a lot of the early material like that? I think they would gloss over on protons, electrons, differential potentials, frequencies (and actually I don't even know what I am talking about, which may be obvious) unless they were presented in a clever illustrated book with characters (etc.) which obviously the guide is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I use sentences from the guide as dictation work (eg. pipes analogy) or copy work, so that Dd can internalize and think about it. She tends to remember more difficult concepts this way. I find that just reading the guide to her as she builds is not as productive. She's 6, so that may be a reason, but I find the book useful for me in explaining concepts to her in a more conversational way. I can't imagine not having this guide yet trying to make full use of SC, although any scientist or engineer could. It's been too many years since my physics class, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavis Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Homeschool Share has a free Lapbook . I haven't used it but it's on my to-do list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto2 Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks! I will definitely check out this book! Sounds like a great resource! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I think they would gloss over on protons, electrons, differential potentials, frequencies (and actually I don't even know what I am talking about, which may be obvious) unless they were presented in a clever illustrated book with characters (etc.) which obviously the guide is not. You ought to be able to find this kind of thing on the internet or at the library. As for a "toy", if your child is construction minded (and my is sort of ... likes legos but doesn't live and breathe them), at 8 the two of you can learn a lot just assembling and seeing the effect of things. (My son loved the little volt meter, a kind of "thermometer of electricity" as he put it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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