Graphic Novel Makes the Big Bang Easy and Fun (Plus, Win a Copy)

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then James Dunbar came along and BANG!, the educational universe was changed forever! Mr. Dunbar has released the first in a three-part series that turns the Big Bang and its results into a beautifully illustrated graphic novel.  The words in the novel are in rhyme, making an often difficult subject fun and dead simple.

This would be a great introduction for elementary students studying the solar system for the first time, and all the way up to high school physics and astronomy students.  College students who think the "Big Bang Theory" is just a television show could use this to get through their core science requirements.  It's that easy to digest.

You can read it online in cumbersome fashion, but I urge you to instead buy a copy if you're intrigued by the art, value and purpose.  Your support will help him publish the other two volumes.

Learn more about the genesis of BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1 in this video:



Win a copy of BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1!

Since the book makes science easy through rhyme, Mr. Dunbar and I are collaborating on a poetry contest with the chance to win 1 of 2 copies of BANG!.  Just write a cosmology-related limerick or haiku, following the proper poetic structure, and submit it via email to teachforever AT gmail DOT com by 11:59 pm CST on August 28, 2010.  The best poem in each category will receive a paperback copy of the book directly from the author.

Here are the rules and examples provided by Mr. Dunbar himself:

Limericks
AABBA rhyme scheme, with the B lines being much shorter.

Long before the birds and the bees,
We were dust in the cosmic deep freeze.
If you'll pardon the thought,
We're all made of the snot,
Of a star that had one heck of a sneeze.

Gravity causes things to attract,
And with math it can seem quite abstract.
But it gives quite a thrill,
When you're going downhill.
Just be sure to prepare for impact.

Haikus
3 lines; 5-7-5 syllables

Hydrogen has one
Like the pit of a sweet peach,
A planet-sized peach

Space pyrotechnic
Bright bursting particles pop
Supernova show

The best poems that can follow the proper structure the closest (we're not English teachers, after all) will be the winners (as judged by myself and Mr. Dunbar).  You have some time to think of the best possible entry.  If you have any questions about the contest, email me.  Good luck!

Buy a copy of BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1 instead.