We have put aside a large collection of lab equipment (scopes, meters, supplies, light sources, PAACO interfacing devices, …) to give away to schools and colleges on Saturday, October 16, 2010 (in Room 138, Sequoia Building, i.e., first floor of the science building), 9-12 AM. You can preview them on Friday, October 8, 2010, 1-3 PM.
If interested, please
Print the attached acceptance letter (a “WORD” document) on your official letterhead, have it signed by your school or college official, and bring it with you on October 16th, and
RSVP both October 8th and 16th events to let us know that you are coming by responding to physicschair@csus.edu.
A discussion of physics topics relating to skydiving, indoor skydiving, and the operation of vertical wind tunnels. Also, information on how to bring your students on a field trip to a vertical wind tunnel for an educational program that includes experiments, a lecture, a tour, and flying!
2:20 Wind Energy: A Sustainable Future? – Scott Perry
Other than hydro-electric and nuclear power wind energy has been by far the most robust of what many are calling green-energy. What are our prospects for moving to a more sustainable balance between human needs and the Earth’s resources?
2:40 Lunar Lander Project – Byron Philhour
Students in AP Physics learn Excel and simulate the Apollo missions to the moon over the course of a semester.
3:00 Not the Usual Coupled Oscillators – Bernard Cleyet
The Keynote shows pics of the app. and motion pics. (Video?) of the normal modes, etc.
3:20 Bree Barnett Dreyfuss
Using Class Facebook Fan Pages
Our students are often on the cutting edge of new communication technology while teachers may take a little longer to catch up. Don’t be left behind! Try using Facebook to communicate with students and share information away from school. Although class websites offer a breadth of information and resources not easily shared elsewhere, they are not interactive for students. Come learn how my Facebook Fan Page is used and how to set up your own!
Quick & Dirty (& Fun) Physics Demoes – room 306
2:00 Physics Magic – Chuck Hunt
Magic tricks to use in class.
2:20 Constant Velocity Cars – Lee Trampleasure
An intro lab from the Modeling curriculum, in this activity students measure the position of electric toy cars every couple seconds, then graph position vs time to discover velocity is change in position / change in time.
2:40 Modulated LED and Modulated Coil – Don Rathjen
The original versions are in the Square Wheels book co-authored by myself and Paul Doherty, published by the Exploratorium in 2002. I’ll show “updated” versions using an iPod to replace a transistor radio in both demos, and an LED flashlight to replace an LED plus resistor in the Modulated LED
3:00 The Visible Speaker, Coupled Coils, Lamps & More – Stuart Loucks
Some surprising E&M demoes
3:20 – 4:00 As Many Demoes As We can Do In 40 Minutes – ARC Staff
Technical Aspects of the “World’s Fastest” Aircraft: SR-71 (Blackbird)
Gerry Glasser
7:00 PM – American River College, Room 306
Jerry was an instructor pilot with 900 hrs on the SR-71. He now teaches at Jesuit High School. Presentation starts with the development of the aircraft, the Soviet response, crew requirements, and those “secret questions” that are no longer secret.
Soft drinks and cookies provided
RSVP to Chuck Hunt would be appreciated to let Jerry know how many info packets to bring.
huntc@arc.losrios.edu; phone: (916)484-8342
April 17, 2010, Saturday
Oldie But Goodie Demonstrations
The theme of this meeting is demonstrations we all know and love — because we don’t all know them. So bring a few favorite demos to share. You’ll have 15 minutes total for set-up, take-down and doing the demos and explaining how you use them. But don’t worry that everyone may have seen them before; everyone will find something to take away. We’ll run at least two tracks in the afternoon:
Quick & dirty (Quick and Fun!) demos
Video clips & computer bits
You may bring your own demo equipment, or ask, we have a lot of stuff. For track 2, there will be full projection set-up for Mac and for PC (including computer if you want it) that can also project DVD or VHS.
The goal is to give everyone a lot of ideas to take away. For demos, please send Chuck Hunt a description of your demos along with any AV or equipment requests, preferably by email at: huntc@arc.losrios.edu . He will compile all the demos into a NCNAAPT Demonstration Book for all attendees to have. For video clips & computer bits, please either have a site where the material is available or bring it on flash drive or DVD. We will set up a copy station and do DVDs of all submitted material for anyone who wants it. In either case, let Chuck know what you are doing so he can organize the tracks and minimize duplication.
Deadline for submission is Friday, March 26, 2010.
If you haven’t given a presentation at a conference before, this is a great time to start!
Program
Morning Session: American River College, Room 420
8:00 Registration, Coffee, Donuts, and other culinary delights (outside Room 420)
9:00 Welcome and Announcements
9:15 Show and Tell
Share your favorite demonstration or teaching tip. Handouts appreciated – bring 75 copies. Time limit of 5 minutes per person or you risk the dreaded Gong!
10:15 Break
10:30 Invited Speaker: Dr. Bill Reay; Ohio State University
Clickers in the Classroom – A Research-Based Approach
Based on the hypothesis that learning is context dependent, a new Clicker methodology has been developed that uses question sequences rather than individual questions. Each question in a sequence has the same underlying concept, but with different surface features. Sequences sufficient to cover a year of introductory physics have been created, validated, used at several schools, and evaluated at The Ohio State University for learning gains. The audience will use clickers to answer a couple of sequences and experience first-hand the advantages of this approach. Then, the 4-year development process will be summarized, with emphasis on the importance of student interviews. After the presentation, interested individuals will be able to obtain free CDs containing all question sequences and relevant publications.
11:30 Invited Speaker: Ken Crawford; President: Advanced Imaging Conference, Inc.
The Universe from my Backyard
Ken is one of the leading amateur astrophotographers in the world. If you read ASTRONOMY magazine, you will have seen his spectacular photographs. See examples of his work and hear how he does it.
12:15 Lunch – ARC Catering
(Outside Room 420)
12:30-2:00 ARC Demo Tours
Rooms 305, 306, 307
1:30 Business Meeting, Raffle
Room 420
2:00-? 15 Minute Demonstrations
A carousel of demonstrations, videos, and computer bits: See our web site after April 1st for a list of presentations that members will be presenting. These rooms are next to one another so you can move between them as your desires lead you.
Registration is free for first-time attendees and students!
The rest of us pay only $25–which includes a lunch. A bargain at twice the price! Lunch tickets for first time attendees and students will be available for $15). Please RSVP to Chuck Hunt if you will probably attend so we know how many lunches are required. Vegetarian option available.
We will have ‘proof of attendance’ letters documenting attendance for any teacher who needs one for their district/credential professional development purposes.
Accommodations
There are three hotels nearby: Motel 6 ($50), La Quinta Inn ($55-75), and Holiday Inn ($99-133). See map below for locations and directions
Driving Directions:
From Interstate 80, just north of Sacramento, exit east on Madison Avenue.
At the third signal, turn right onto College Oak Drive.
At the second light turn left onto Myrtle Avenue. ARC parking lots will be on your right.
Turn into the 4th entrance to parking lots A/B.
Park at the south end of the lot on the left (lot A) in front of the brick buildings in the AAPT marked area. Follow the signs to Room 306 for the Friday Night Social or to Room 420 on Saturday morning. No parking pass is required if you park in the AAPT area.
Sacramento, CA (see map below)
Local Host: Chuck Hunt: email: Huntc@arc.losrios.edu
Sign up to present
Call for Presentations
We solicit presentations of 15 minutes in length. Suitable topics include teaching ideas, research projects, laboratory techniques, novel demonstrations, computers and instruction. Please send an abstract of your talk, with title, your name and affiliation, AV and equipment requests, and other requirements to the Program Chairman, Paul Robinson, preferably by email at laserpablo@aol.com. Deadline for submission is Friday, March 5, 2010.
Call for Demonstrations
Bring your favorite 5-minute demonstration for the popular “Show ‘n’ Tell”. Handouts describing your demonstration are encouraged. Likewise, giving contributed papers as Show ‘N Tells is specifically discouraged. Offenders will be gonged! Sign ups are day of the event, first come, first served (although it seems those who signs up always gets to present!). Do you have a great resource you want to share but are nervous about presenting to your peers? Our Show ‘n’ Tell is low pressure and a great place to give your first presentation at a teaching conference!
Program
Friday Evening Social
Plan on getting together Friday evening before the meeting. More details to follow in the program. We’ll also provide references for local lodging for Friday evening.
Saturday meeting/mini conference
Saturday starts at 8:00 with registration and socializing, and usually finishes 3:30/4:00. We have a brief business meeting around lunch time. Coffee/donuts is provided, and lunch is usually available for a reasonable price (reservations for lunch required). Exact details will be published once we have our speaker list set.
Other details
Dues and Don’ts
Section dues are $25 per year, due each Fall. If you cannot attend the meeting, remain an active member that will ensure you’ll receive all our mailings by sending dues to our treasurer Dennis Buckley, Liberty High School, 850 Second St., Brentwood, CA 94513. The registration fee for the Spring meeting is $10, payable at the door. First-timers are free! And don’t forget PTSOS participants—your dues are already paid!
Physics Teacher SOS (PTSOS)
PTSOS is an NCN-AAPT-sponsored project, funded by a substantial donation, allowing AAPT to deliver top quality help to physics teachers in their vulnerable first years of teaching. Workshops are now conducted in both San Mateo and Sacramento. Other veteran teachers are being signed up to help out small groups of local teachers through mentorships and also to help run workshops. Interested teachers are encouraged to visit the website (www.ptsos.org) and contact outreach coordinator Stephanie Finander at sfinander@sbcglobal.net for more information.
Dr. Chris Fassnacht, UC Davis, will present his lecture, “Measuring the Universe with Gravitational Lenses” on Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 4pm in Mendocino Hall 1015, Sacramento State University. This lecture is free and open to the public.
Chris Fassnacht received his AB degree from Harvard College and immediately afterward joined the Peace Corps, where he served as a secondary school math and science teacher in Ghana, West Africa. After returning, he received a PhD from Caltech. He held postdoctoral fellowships at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, NM and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD. He is currently an associate professor in the physics department at UC Davis, where he has been for the last seven years.
Prof. Fassnacht’s research involves using gravitational lenses to measure the rate at which the Universe is expanding and how galaxies such as the Milky Way are assembled.
Guest of Honor: Sy Liebergot, Flight Controller of Mission Control during Apollo Program
Saturday Meeting/Conference
Conference Center, NASA Ames, Moffett Field, CA
From Highway 101:
1. Exit Moffett Blvd./NASA Parkway.
2. At the stop sign just short of the NASA Ames gate, turn right into the conference center parking lot.
Friday Evening Social
6:00-8:30 PM Hot Dog Reception
Complimentary Hot Dogs (beef or tofu) and Beer at “Rancho Robinson”
424 Quartz Street; Redwood City, CA 94062 (directions)
Guest of Honor: Sy Liebergot, Flight Controller of Mission Control during Apollo program.
Sy will share some of his experiences with the filmmakers and actors of Apollo 13. He will also be available to autograph books and answer questions what it was like to be one of the central players on the mission control team–during good times and bad.
Saturday Meeting/Conference
Conference Center, NASA Ames, Moffett Field, CA
From Highway 101:
1. Exit Moffett Blvd./NASA Parkway.
2. At the stop sign just short of the NASA Ames gate, turn right into the conference center parking lot.
8:00 Registration, Coffee, Donuts and other culinary delights.
8:55 Welcome and Announcements
9:00 Show and Tell
Share your favorite demonstration or teaching tip. Since new teachers and section members will be at this meeting, veterans are encouraged to dust off some of your oldies but goodies. If you have handouts, please bring 75 copies. PASCO will present their latest products. Time limit is 5 minutes person, or you risk the dreaded gong.
9:45 “Transit Tracks: NASA’s Kepler Mission”
Edna DeVore
SETI Institute; edevore@seti.org
Using a model of a planet transiting a star, students learn what a transit is, under what conditions a transit may be seen, and what effects a planet’s size and distance from its star have on transit behavior. Students interpret graphs of brightness vs time to deduce characteristics of a star-planet system. Demonstration, hand-outs, and NASA Kepler Mission poster provided.
10:00 Invited Speaker: “The Search for Habitable Worlds”
Natalie Batalha
NASA Ames and San Jose State University; nbatalha@science.sjsu.edu
NASA’s Kepler Mission has begun its 3.5-year quest for habitable planets like Earth in our galaxy. Natalie will define habitability from the perspective of the Kepler science team and describe how and where the spacecraft will look for worlds reminiscent of our own. She will give an overview of what to expect in the coming years as we work to understand whether Earth-like planets in our galaxy are common or rare.
11:00 Keynote Speaker: Sy Liebergot; EECOM Mission Flight Controller for Apollo
This year is the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo program that culminated with landing on the moon. N Cal/Nev AAPT is pleased to commemorate mankind’s greatest adventures with a special appearance of Sy Liebergot.
Sy will speak about what it was like to be a Mission Flight Controller when a monster failure occurred during the Apollo 13 mission and landed squarely in his lap. He relates the general details of the explosion as they really happened.
Sy will also speak about Ethics in Engineering, using the real examples of the Apollo 1 pad fire disaster and the Shuttle Challenger and Columbia space disasters as subjects for this presentation. He describes how he and his fellow Apollo mission flight controllers approached their part in the successful lunar landings in an ethical manner. Sy uses real-life examples that convey in a way realistic and memorable enough to train engineers to deal with the heart-wrenching decisions some of them will have to make, particularly when they become managers. He examines how ethics (or the diminution of) played a role in the three tragedies of the U.S. space program: the Apollo 1 pad fire, the in-flight destruction of Shuttle Orbiters Challenger and Columbia.
Sy will be available for book signings after his talk.
12:30 Lunch at NASA Ames
Video replay of the LCROSS lunar impact from the Oct. 9 morning
1:30 Business Meeting
Look, only 30 minutes long!
2:00 Invited Talk: “Taking a Ride on the Wild Side: The Successful Stardust Sample Return Mission to Comet 81P/Wild 2″
Scott Sandford
NASA Ames, ssandford@mail.arc.nasa.gov
In 2006, NASA’s STARDUST Mission successfully returned samples from Comet 81P/Wild 2 to the Earth for study. The spacecraft was launched in 1999 and on January 2, 2004 it made a close flyby (236 km) of the nucleus of Comet Wild 2 (pronounced “Vildt Two”). During the flyby the spacecraft collected samples of dust from the coma of the comet. These samples were returned to Earth on January 15, 2006 after which they receiving a preliminary six month examination to establish the basic nature of the returned samples. The samples were then turned over to the NASA Curatorial Office where they have since been available to the general worldwide scientific community for continued study.
Scott is one of the original Co-Investigators and Science Team members of the STARDUST mission and was on the team that recovered the Sample Return Capsule from the Utah desert. He also escorted the capsule to NASA-Johnson Space Center, assisted with the removal of the samples from the capsule, and led the Preliminary Examination Team responsible for studying the organic materials in the returned samples. Samples have confirmed some of the ideas we had about comets and the origin of our Solar System, and completely overturned others.
3:00 End of program
3:00 Canceled “Shooting the Moon: Precision Tests of General Relativity with APOLLO
Charles HoyleHumboldt State University; charles.hoyle@humboldt.edu
It has been nearly forty years since the first reflectors were placed on the lunar surface by the Apollo astronauts. Laser ranging to these mirrors provides high-precision tests of General Relativity, as well as a host of information about the lunar ephemeris. APOLLO (the Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation) recently obtained the first ranges with millimeter precision, representing an order-of-magnitude improvement over previous efforts. In the near future, this enhanced performance will provide unprecedented tests of the Strong Equivalence Principle, the best measure of the constancy of the gravitational constant, G, the most stringent limitations on predicted deviations of the gravitational inverse-square law, and information about the lunar environment. We discuss the techniques employed by APOLLO, initial results, and expected sensitivity.
Logistics
Registration
Fee is waived for first-time attendees and students! Everyone else pays only $20 — which includes lunch. A bargain at twice the price!
Registration can be completed on Saturday morning.
Lodging
Local hotels include (in no particular order):
Comfort Inn
Redwood City
1818 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
800-444-6835
$80+/night
or
Days Inn Palo Alto-Stanford
4238 El Camino Real
Stanford, CA 94306
800-346-8357
$69+/night
or
Comfort Inn
Palo Alto Stanford University
3945 El Camino Rreal
Palo Alto, CA 94306
800-346-8357
$85+/night
or
DAmerica’s Best Inn
1090 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
800-346-5357
$70+/night
or
Travelodge Palo Alto
3255 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
800-346-8357
$74+/night
or
Mermaid Inn
727 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-323-9481
$76+/night
Physics educators have used photos of natural and man-made breakwaters to show refraction for probably as long as we’ve had photography. But now online mapping web sites (Google, Yahoo. etc.) allow you to find locations near you to make the images more tangible to your students. Oceans and bays are full of images of refraction, but you may also find diffraction patterns in a large lake.
Below is an example from a breakwater in Berkeley, CA, in the San Francisco Bay
View Larger Map
Check water bodies around your institution to find examples you can use with your students. Most mapping sites allow you to save landmarks in a “My maps” section, so once you find a good location, you can save it, then pull it up from a list when you need to show it in class.
One warning: Map sites update their satellite photographs every so often (as the USGS releases newer ones), so check your location before your lecture to make sure your pattern is still there!
From Hossein Partovi at Sacramento State:
PTSOS, Teacher Support, Teaching equipment, University support | WebWeaver | 
September 8, 2010 8:57 pm | 
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Complimentary Hot Dogs (beef or tofu) and Beer at “Rancho Robinson”
Edna DeVore
SETI Institute; edevore@seti.org
Natalie Batalha
NASA Ames and San Jose State University; nbatalha@science.sjsu.edu
This year is the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo program that culminated with landing on the moon. N Cal/Nev AAPT is pleased to commemorate mankind’s greatest adventures with a special appearance of Sy Liebergot.
Scott Sandford
NASA Ames, ssandford@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Charles Hoyle
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