Energy (Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It)

Confounded by kinetic energy? Suspect that teaching about simple machines isn’t really so simple? Exasperated by electricity? If you fear the study of energy is beyond you, this entertaining book will do more than introduce you to the topic. It will help you actually understand it. At the book’s heart are easy-to-grasp explanations of energy basics―work, kinetic energy, potential energy, and the transformation of energy―and energy as it relates to simple machines, heat energy, temperature, and heat transfer. Irreverent author Bill Robertson suggests activities that bring the basic concepts of energy to life with common household objects. Each chapter ends with a summary and an applications section that uses practical examples such as roller coasters and home heating systems to explain energy transformations and convection cells. The final chapter brings together key concepts in an easy-to-grasp explanation of how electricity is generated. Energy is the second book in the Stop Faking It! series published by NSTA Press. Titles in the series are written with clarity, creative flair, and special empathy for science teachers and parents in search of a stress-free way to learn the basics.

Bill Robertson is a science education writer, teaches online math and physics for the University of Phoenix, and reviews and edits science materials. His numerous publications cover issues ranging from conceptual understanding in physics to bringing constructivism into the classroom. Bill has developed K– 12 science curricula, teacher materials, and award-winning science kits for Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, The United States Space Foundation, The Wild Goose Company, and Edmark. Bill has a master’ s degree in physics and a Ph.D. in science education.