All 30 Eureka! Videos, in June 2014, Are At

Eureka! Videos

All 30 Eureka! videos, in June 2014, are at

They comprise six units, or stories. Each story is told in a series of 4.5 minute-long cartoons (programs). They are entertaining and humorous; and helpful in remembering terminology because they explain origins of words.

The videos can reinforce concepts. However, barriers to learning are that heat and work are defined as nouns, rather than verbs (i.e., heating and working). Systems are not mentioned, unfortunately. Thus misconceptions can arise.

What is the best way to solve this problem -- give your students a handout with appropriate definitions of these terms? Be careful how and when you use the videos. Consider using them only as reviews, and have students critique them

Crucial reading before you use the physics videos is the paper called

MAKING WORK WORK, by Gregg Swackhamer.

You can download it at

Gregg points out that work is an amount of energy that flows into or out of a system. It is a process, a type of energy transfer that should be called working.

An essential resource on energy is:

COGNITIVE RESOURCES FOR UNDERSTANDING ENERGY, by Gregg Swackhamer,

Download at

On page 10 Gregg summarizes the 'stuff' metaphor of energy, which is close to the scientific energy concept (as opposed to the conventional school science concept of energy). I quote him:

Three statements about energy can guide the development of the energy concept in our students:

1. As an attribute, energy is viewed as a possession that can be “stored” or “contained” in a “container,” namely, a physical system.

2. Energy can “flow” or be “transferred” from one container to another and so cause changes.

3. Energy maintains its identity after being transferred.

In essence, then, we can think of energy in terms of a “stuff” metaphor.

See also, at

CONCERNING SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE ABOUT HEAT, by David Brookes, G. Horton, A. Van Heuvelen, E. Etkina. Proceedings of the 2004 Physics Education Research Conference, AIP, Melville, NY (2005).

Eureka! 30 videos

Eureka! On MATTER AND ENERGY

STATES OF MATTER / HEAT AND TEMPERATURE (a 6-program unit)

Comments: This unit is a favorite in Modeling Instruction in chemistry and physical science. Warning: it can be confusing in that heat is used as a NOUN, rather than as a verb, i.e., "heating". The term 'thermal energy' should be used in #21, rather than 'heat'. – Jane Jackson

16. Molecules in solids

17. Molecules in liquids

18: Evaporation and condensation

19: Expansion and contraction

20. Measuring temperature

21: Temperature vs Heat

WHAT MOLECULES ARE MADE OF (a 3-program unit)

22: Atoms

23: Electrons

24: Conduction

DENSITY AND BUOYANCY (a 3-program unit)

25: Volume and density

26. Buoyancy

27: Convection

RADIATION (a 3-program unit. Confusing because it uses heat as a NOUN. I would NOT show #28. It should use 'thermal energy' rather than 'heat'. )

28: Heat as energy

29. Radiation waves

30. The radiation spectrum

Viewers learn that the waves of heat energy radiated by the sun come in many forms, which together make a band, or spectrum, of energy waves.

Eureka! on FORCE AND MOTION

Comments: Video #8 is confusing because it defines work as a NOUN. Videos #9 and #10 can cause confusion, too, because SYSTEMS are not discussed. Potential energy can only be defined for a system of multiple objects, never for one object alone. I would not use these videos with students, except to have them critique the videos after they understand that “work” is a process (and should be called working); and after they understand the importance of designating the system that energy is stored in or transferred into or out of. – Jane Jackson

NEWTONIAN MECHANICS (a 10-program unit)

1. Inertia

2. Mass

3. Speed

4. Acceleration 1

5. Acceleration 2

6. Gravity

7: Weight vs mass

8. Work

9: Kinetic energy

10. Potential energy

SIMPLE MACHINES (a 5-program unit)

11. The inclined plane

12. The lever

13. Mechanical advantage

14. The screw and the wheel

15. The pulley