Category: Teacher Support

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Physics Instant Update – A Workshop for High School Physics Teachers (USC)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Organizers- Topics

  • Ty Buxman (S. Heart Flintridge) – Refresh Physics Knowledge
  • Bill Layton (UCLA) – New Technology in Science Education
  • Stephan Haas (USC) – Design In-Class Demonstrations
  • Dean Papadakis (South Pasadena High) – Physics in the Laboratory
  • Stephen Cronin (USC) – Science & Religion

Schedule:

  • 9:30-10:15 Secrets of Quantum Information Science (Todd Brun, USC Engineering)
  • 10:15-11:00 The Question of Why. How do religions view science and how do scientists view religion? (Stephan Haas, USC Physics)
  • 11:00-12:00 Science and Religion – a Buddhist Perspective (John Daishin Bukzbazen, Zen Center of Los Angeles)
  • 12:00-1:00 Lunch (provided)
  • 1:00-1:30 Incorporating Webcasts in the Classroom (Gene Bickers, USC Physics)
  • 1:30-2:15 Tour of Studio Classrooms at the USC Distance Education Network (Binh Tran, USC Distance Education Network)
  • 2:15-3:00 Microbe Power (Moh El Naggar, USC Physics)
  • 3:00-4:00 Demonstrations, Activities and the California Standards (Bill Layton, UCLA Physics)

Location:

University of Southern California
Irani Hall (RRI) 421
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Participation, parking and lunch are free of charge.

Please register by contacting:

Stephan Haas (shaas@usc.edu or 213-740-4528)
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0484

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Web site discussing California High School Physics Standards

This is to announce a new web page that might be of interest to California High School Physics teachers. This page considers each of the High School Physics Standards individually, with a discussion of content, demonstrations, activities, misconceptions, etc., that might be of assistance to a new physics teacher. The page was created after a careful reading of the California Science Framework but rather than just discussing physics content, it also includes suggestions on how to teach the particular Standard. Every Standard is considered individually but also, every effort has been made to make the discussion brief.

The URL is: http://www.physics.ucla.edu/HighSchoolPhysics (The upper case in HighSchoolPhysics is necessary as well as the lack of spaces.)

The format of the page is to place each of the 5 Physics Standard Sets into a PDF package and each individual standard as a MS Word document. This means you can download the MS Word documents and revise them as you wish but the PDF document is not so easily altered. This and other details are explained in the introduction to the web page and the Table of Contents has the links to all of the PDF and MSWord documents.

Let me know if you see obvious mistakes or needs for improvement. I plan to add links specific to each Standard as I gather ideas from others in the physics teaching community.

I hope this effort will be useful so someone.

Sincerely,

Bill Layton layton@physics.ucla.edu

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The daVinci Project Residential Summer Workshops

Residential Summer Workshops at the
University of Connecticut’s
School of Engineering
The daVinci Project

July 13-17, 2009

The UConn School of Engineering is holding its 10th annual daVinci Project. It is a week long (Mon-Fri) residential series of hands-on workshops for middle and high school science and math teachers. This year it’s being held July 13-17. Teachers live on campus and participate in one of 5 workshops (Fuel Cell-Construction and Operation, Bio-Fuels/Sustainable Energy, Nanotechnology, Bio-materials: Bones/Joints/Tissues and Water-Processes and Principles).

An on-line 2009 application and more information can be accessed at
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/davinci/

Registration deadline: June 26, 2009.

Confirmation will be sent after your registration is received.
If you have questions or need further information please contact Sharon Mcdermott at sharon@engr.uconn.edu<mailto:sharon@engr.uconn.edu> or 860-486-5536.

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Toy Box Physics Video Contest

Like tossing yo-yos? Ever wanted to unravel the mystery of the drinking bird? Then the Toy Box Physics video contest is for you. Take any toy you want and use it to somehow express a physics concept. Bounce, spin, jump and splash your way into physics history. The winner will receive a trophy lovingly made by APS staff from some of our favorite physics toys as well as $1,000 cash. All entries must be received by May 26th at midnight.

Complete details here:

http://physicscentral.org/experiment/contests/toybox/