Particle Fever on PBS + Updates

TAPT,

Happy New Year! TAPT meets January 23rd. I’ll send reminders, but you can put in on your calendar: 8:30 am at J.D. Garcia’s house.

Here are a few reminders that I’m passing along from Jane Jackson:

PARTICLE FEVER
   Wednesday, January 6, at 9pm on KAET channel 8.
  http://www.azpbs.org
Follow six brilliant scientists for the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, built to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang and search for the Higgs boson.

(Also Fri. 1/8 at 3 a.m.; Sun. 1/10 at 2 p.m.)

Jane's note: On the PBS website, you can view a new 8-minute video, produced in summer 2015:   Particle Fever: Extra Dimensions.
Physicists Daniel Whitestone and Jonathan Feng update us after finding the Higgs Boson.
      http://www.pbs.org/video/2365551825/

The official website for Particle Fever is http://www.pbs.org/wnet/particle-fever/ . The director and producer are both PhDs in particle physics.

Also from Jane, details about the Physics Bowl, which is a fun exercise for your students:

2016 AAPT  PHYSICS BOWL

Each year, approximately 10,000 students take a 40-question, 45-minute timed, multiple-choice test under their school's supervision. The 2016 exam will be given between March 30 and April 15, 2016.

To enhance the distribution of awards, Division I is for first-year physics students and Division II is for second-year physics students. Each Division has 14 regions. Regions are listed at
    http://www.aapt.org/Programs/PhysicsBowl/codes.cfm  (Specialized math and science schools compete in a separate region, just for them.)

The deadline to register is FEBRUARY 29, 2016.

You, the teacher, can register a team of your students. Register at http://www.aapt.org/Programs/PhysicsBowl/howto.cfm (online or mail or FAX)

Your team of students take a 40-question, 45-minute timed, multiple-choice test under your school's supervision.

Exam questions are based on topics and concepts covered in a typical high school physics course.

School Team scores are determined by the sum of the scores of the top five students.

Info at http://www.aapt.org/Programs/Physicsbowl/

JOIN AAPT
One more thing: If your New Year’s Resolution is to join AAPT, here’s some information:

WHY?
*  AAPT advances the greater good -- through physics education.
*  AAPT promotes best practices for physics education -- through teachers.
*  AAPT membership CONNECTS you with physics teachers worldwide.

Watch physics teachers tell why they value AAPT (a 2-minute video) at  http://www.aapt.org/Membership/Connections_Matter.cfm

AAPT BENEFITS:
* eNNOUNCER each month: many opportunities
* online journals:
       American Journal of Physics (my favorite, for PER!) and
       THE PHYSICS TEACHER (great short articles -- useful in the classroom)
* PHYSICS TODAY magazine: keep up with physics

*eMentoring, for high school teachers

* Summer meetings, often at universities with affordable dorm housing.
      Focus on high school and college.
      Insightful talks
      Fun to make new friends and share ideas

* Winter meetings, that focus on college physics

* AAPT staff are friendly and helpful.

*  Much more!  Watch this 4-minute video by AAPT President Steve Iona:
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXlYWy84OtI

It is easy to join AAPT, at http://www.aapt.org .

Hope to see you January 23rd!

Karie