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"Energy is eternal delight," the mystic poet William Blake wrote, but those looking for a less metaphysical definition for classroom use are advised to pick up
What is Energy?, one of five titles in the
Energy for Children series, instead. Combining animated figures, graphics, and live action, the kid-friendly format explores the various kinds of energy--heat, chemical, mechanical, electromagnetic, and nuclear--illustrating the ways we use energy with a wide range of neat examples, including robots, radio-controlled toys, and a giant electromagnet in a junkyard. Presenting solid informational content in an entertaining manner ("you'll have to use your own energy," in addition to the electromagnetic energy of a vacuum cleaner to clean your room, the narrator notes at one point, showing a typical child's room strewn with clothes and books and papers), this program also includes review segments regularly spaced throughout to reinforce learning. The video concludes with a demonstration of the first four types of energy by an appealing multicultural group of young students. Highly recommended. The other titles in the series are:
All About Heat, All About the Conservation of Energy, All About the Transfer of Energy and
All About the Uses of Energy.