February 21st Meeting Notes

TAPT,

Some questions/actions for the group:

1) J.D. has to be out of town during May, when we usually have an end-of-the-year party. To have the party at a central location, it would probably have to be in a park. Alternatives are my house, near 1st and Ina, or the clubhouse at my parent's townhouse, near Oracle and Orange Grove. Or skip a party, regroup in August. Let me know if you have a preference.

2) I am planning to organize a Modeling Workshop in the summer of 2016. Are there takers for this? It would be for three weeks in mid-June to early July.

3) Our April 11th meeting will coincide with the state AZAAPT meeting. Since our local meeting of 10-minute talks was great, I suggested we should follow that format for part of the meeting. Please share an idea you have used in your class. Send your topic to me and I will pass on to Jim Ward. Or, if you are on the state list serve, just reply to Jim when he asks for contributions. For that meeting, we have a keynote speaker from the University: Dr. John Hildebrand will talk about brain science, I'll have an abstract soon. Then there will be a business meeting, as part of a working lunch, then the individual talks. The meeting will end by 2:00. I know that's a lot of Saturday to give up, but hopefully you will also get a lot of inspiring ideas.

About our Saturday meeting:

Allison Lemons in a finalist for the KOLD-Circle K Teacher of the Year. Way to go Allison! You're awesome! See a video about Allison at http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/category/121751/teacher-tributes

A dropbox link for the DM (Direct Measurement videos) material is https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rpjf9zfmm9h47md/AADpaDMKNM2LUVRHuDxY0xkba?dl=0.

Fritz brought a book: The Anthropology of Childhood, by Lancy, delves into the connection between math achievement scores and socioeconomic status. Very interesting and relevant.

Hunter brought a gyroscopically controlled screwdriver. Super clever.

We had 10 or so hydrometers to give away, and all were taken. 

Jim Ward wrote to ask what else we could use. I will discuss that in another email. 

Email me if you have suggestions about our end-of-the-year party or a Modeling workshop. Also, if you want me to send you AAPT information, I have some brochures from the national organization. I will also have material from the AAPT at the state meeting on April 11th.

Thanks,

Karie

Upcoming Meeting and AP Physics C MOOC

TAPT-ers,

We meet Saturday at J.D. Garcia’s house. The meeting starts at8:30 am with pot-luck breakfast. Bring a dish to share if possible. Lynne Gillette will show examples of Direct Measurement Videos. She has developed activities for some of the videos. Bring a laptop if you like to view and bookmark the videos. Also, if we have time, you can work on developing an activity for your class to go with a DM video. We will end around 10:30. Directions to J.D.’s house are attached.

I received the information below from Dedra Demaree, who develops the AP Physics C exam. The class starts March 2^nd, and is aimed at both teachers and students of AP Physics C.

From Dedra Demaree:

I am writing to inform you of the free GeorgetownX MOOC (massive open online course) titled: “Preparing for the AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Exam.” This course is being offered through GeorgetownX, a partnership between Georgetown University and edX, and is funded by a grant from edX as part of their high school initiative, which has received national press such as this report from NPR.

The course features the expert instruction of Physics Education Research (PER) faculty from around the country, each addressing one of the course’s five main content areas: Electrostatics, Conductors, Capacitors and Dielectrics, Electric Circuits, Magnetic Fields, and Electromagnetism.

In addition to expert-led lectures, the course includes extensive use of PhET Simulations, the first edition of the Physics Active Learning Guide (ALG), the UMd Open Source tutorials, the UPitt E&M tutorials, and other free resources such as the OpenStax Physics text and YouTube videos.

The course launches on Monday, March 2nd, and you can register on the course’s edX page.

This course serves two main audiences - teachers of AP Physics C who may benefit from a fresh way to approach the materials and gain familiarity with great PER-based resources, and studentsplanning to take the AP Physics C exam looking for additional practice and review.  Please note that the MOOC also functions as a stand-alone course for each of the featured topics, addressing them fairly comprehensively, and we encourage you to use the course resources and videos in whatever way you may find them beneficial to your instruction.

Please encourage your students to register for the MOOC, and we also welcome your participation in the course! We invite questions and feedback at gux@georgetown.edu.

You can help us spread the word by sharing physics resources on our Pinterest board, and by joining us in conversation through ourFacebook page.

Thank you,

Dedra Demaree

AP Physics C Development Committee Member

Affiliate Faculty of Physics, Georgetown University

and

Learning Design and Research Specialist, CNDLS

Hope to see you all Saturday!

Karie

Meeting Postponed

Hi TAPT-ers,

We have postponed our February meeting by one week. It will now be February 21st, NOT the 14th. Sorry to make a last minute change, it just had to be done. Lynne Gillette will still be presenting Direct Measurement Videos and how to use them in class. There will be CEU credit. We will still meet at 8:30 am at J.D. Garcia's. I'll send a reminder next week.

STAR PARTY

But, if you want to do something fun this Saturday, you can attend the Pima Community College East Campus Start Party. A flyer is attached. It should be lots of fun. Students welcome! Here is some information:

Check out this website: http://www.astronomy.com/tags/star-party.

On Saturday, February 14, 2015, Astronomy magazine will host the third annual all-day skywatching party at the East Campus Observatory of Pima Community College (PCC). The free event also will feature illustrated talks on a variety of subjects in the nearby Community Room. Activities begin at 10 a.m. and continue all the way through 9 p.m.

This year’s speakers include Jim O’Connor of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA); Scott Kardel, president of the International Dark Sky Association; Dolores Hill, co-lead of the OSIRIS-Rex “Target Asteroids!” program; and Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher.

Throughout the day, members of the TAAA will point safely filtered telescopes at the Sun. After sunset, the group will conduct several hours of viewing planets, nebulae, and galaxies.

“One cool thing about the star party is the interaction it offers,” said Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich. “Bring your questions for the speakers or the TAAA members. Each of them will be happy to answer any queries about the Sun, deep-sky objects, or which telescope might be best for you.”

The Pima Community College Observatory also will be open throughout the day and night. Visitors can view displays there and enjoy brief planetarium programs.

Fellowship with other stargazing enthusiasts, interesting speakers, and the prospect of clear skies mean that the 2015 Tucson Public Star Party is shaping up as a “must-see” event. So, when you make plans to come out, be sure to bring family and friends.

The free star party will be held February 14 at the Pima Community College East Campus Observatory, 8181 East Irvington Road, southeast of the center of the city.

RELATED: Highlights from the 2014 Tucson Public Star Party

See you next week!

Karie