Roadschooling STEM: Turning the Highway into Your Science Classroom

Turn the "Are We There Yet?" into "Why Does That Happen?"

The highway is not just a long, boring line between you and your vacation-it is a 65-mph laboratory waiting to be explored. In Roadschooling STEM, educator Daniel Payne transforms the family vehicle into a rolling science classroom, proving that you don't need expensive equipment or a PhD to teach your kids about the amazing world outside the window.

Built around the "Zero-Equipment Rule," this guide uses the tools you already have-the speedometer, the windshield, a water bottle, and the landscape itself-to demystify complex scientific principles. From calculating the physics of braking distance to reading the geologic history written in highway road cuts, this book turns passive passengers into active scientists.

Inside, you will learn how to:

• Master the Physics of Motion: Use mile markers and a stopwatch to calibrate your speedometer and understand the massive forces of momentum.
• Read the Rocks: Decode the layers of history exposed by highway cuts and identify ancient environments at highway speeds.
• Analyze Aerodynamics: Perform window tests to understand drag and fuel economy (and why your RV is shaped like a brick).
• Track Ecosystems: Use the "Bug Splat Census" and leaf shapes to identify invisible biome boundaries.
• Engineer with Pasta: Build bridges at rest stops to understand tension and compression.

Whether you are a full-time roadschooling family or just parents trying to survive a summer road trip, this book provides the curriculum you need to turn the open road into the ultimate STEM adventure. Stop driving past the world and start learning from it.