Our Meeting Next Saturday, April 11th: AzAAPT

TAPT-ers,

Here’s a quick reminder that the Arizona section of the AAPT meeting is being held here next Saturday, April 11^th. WE will be meeting at the University of Arizona in the room that we usually use for our September meeting, PAS 218. In addition, we will hold some parts in the lecture hall, PAS 220. Please note: only the WEST DOORS will be open. We have a great speaker scheduled, one whom we have wanted to speak to TAPT for several years. Dr. John Hildebrand is the Regents Professor in the Department of Neurology, and also the Foreign Secretary for the National Academy of Sciences. Here is an abstract of his talk:

"From the Big Bang to Bug Brains and Other Adventures."

My pathway from public school to college and beyond has followed an unexpected route in which the Big Bang, an extraordinary professor, and a chance encounter with a little book about insect brains provided key turning points. A long career investigating the physics and biology of those little brains has been fascinating and rewarding and has taught us a lot about brains in general.  I will discuss some of the science highlights in  that journey. 

Now, after another unforeseen pivot point, I am enjoying the novelty and challenges of serving as an officer of the National Academy of Sciences.

It’s sure to be awesome. In addition, lots of people will be contributing short talks about what is working in their classroom – see the agenda below. I will be talking about a Gauss’s law lab for calc-based physics.

I know you aren’t used to registering for TAPT meetings, but you should register for this one. Our state organization needs your support. You can register online athttp://www.azaapt.org/membership.html. Or you can register at the door.

Lunch will be available – Tucson’s own eegee’s – for a single price of $5. I’ll be getting a variety of sandwiches, taking into account the usual dietary restrictions.

I hope you’ll join us. Also think about asking your biology colleagues – when do they get a chance to hear such a renowned speaker?

Agenda

8:45 – 9:15                           Executive Meeting

9:15 – 9:30                           Registration and continental breakfast

9:30 – 10:30                         Key Note Address: John G. Hildebrand, Ph.D

10:30 – 11:30                      Business meeting

11:30 – 12:00                      Lunch

12:00 – 2:00                         Ten Minute Talks

                                                        Magic Mountain Field Trips

                                                        Resources for flipped/blended classes

                                                        Rube Goldberg projects

                                                        Soak the Teach (this should be good)

                                                        Movie Mistakes

                                                        Gauss’s Law

                                                        IO lab demo

Hope to see you there!

Karie

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

Meeting Notes for January 10th

We had a great meeting Saturday with lots of discussion.

First, some dates: We will be meeting on Feb. 14^th, March 7^th, and April 11^th, and our end of the year party will be on May 9^th.  One of the meeting programs will consist of 10-minute presentations from group members, so start thinking of something you might want to share on the topic of light, waves optics and sound - basically second-semester topics.  We are juggling speakers for the remaining dates, to be announced. Some future topics that we are still exploring: for adjunct instructors and teachers not trained in physics, what is the least amount of training needed to be an effective physics teacher? Also, organizing groups and group dynamics.


We had a few great toys and gadgets and presentations. Rob Purington showed some great mousetrap cars that his students made from scratch. He talked about the applications of physics principles that the students learn from building the cars. Alison Lemons also mention a project she assigns that is similar but with a different application of applied force: use a mousetrap to move a brick.  She will bring one of the devices to a future meeting.

Lynne Gillette presented some of the ideas that she learned at the recent AAPT meeting. Her summary is here, along with links for many of the resources.  She also mentioned the AAPT e-mentoring program, available to all new physics teachers. A link is on her handout.

Glen Linton, from Ironwood Ridge, showed an adjustable ball-bearing shooter for teaching about trajectories and vectors. And he brought biscuits and gravy!

Chris Ubing showed a lab device that he received from the Mats Selen of the smartPhysics group. It looks like a cart, but contains all the sensors that people would like to use in lab.  Here are some links that Chris sent:

The first is a link to the software used with the devices.
 http://www.labframe.org
Depending on your os, the download should be pretty straight forward. Second, there are some applications can be seen via you tube. Here is the link to the you tube channel:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkgql1ePbwyCP-selmAUJng
Third is a link to SmartPhysics.  The Smart physics site also has tutorials on how to use the device.  Here is a link to the site, but you may have to set up an account to gain access. https://www.smartphysics.com/Course?enrollmentID=67218

Fritz brought four great-looking books with very deep titles:
Our Mathematical Universe, about cosmology, by Max Tegemark
The Science of Interstellar, by Kip Thorne
The Meaning of Existence, by E.O. Wilson
The Wastewater Gardener, by Mark Nelson

I showed my partially finished underwater vehicle based on the Arduino chip.

The best toy was a helium filled, steerable Angry Bird, which Alison Lemons bought on Amazon. A motor moves along the bottom and shifts weight to steer the bird. The video is here.

Lynne also mentioned a knob that is available from Vernier that fits onto a cart and causes it to stop at the end of the track instead of rolling off the end. It’s free; just call Vernier to order.

From DaNel Hogan, some information from last meeting which I neglected to forward last time.  Here is some information about wave simulators, which we were discussing in our December meeting.

The Physics Classroom has lots of great interactives including some for standing waves.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Waves-and-Sound
PhET’s newest Html5 simulator has some potential with the Wave on a String.
http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-string_en.html
A good collection of lots of different applets for wave physics.
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~jmccullough/Applets/Applets_by_Topic/Superposition_Interference.html

I am also linking to an EM lab that includes a homopolar motor, also from DaNel. Link here.

And finally, from DaNel, here is the website for Community Share:http://www.communityshare.us/ Folks who are in the K-12 classroom should register as users and folks who are retired or in high education should register as a community partner.

I'll give more details about future meetings in the next email.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Karie

Meeting this Saturday

Tucson Area Physics Teachers,

Happy New Year! This is just a quick announcement that we are set to meet this coming Saturday, January 10th.  We'll meet at J.D.'s house, at the corner of Country Club and Calle Portal. J.D.'s house is on the southeast corner, and Calle Portal is just one block north of Broadway.

We meet at 8:30 AM for potluck breakfast, and we try to finish by 10:30. We usually have two goals at our January meeting: 1) show and tell about any physics toys you received (or bought for yourself or your classroom) over the holidays, and 2) plan for next semester.

So bring toys, and bring ideas for our next set of meetings. As usual, everyone is welcome, new members especially invited - maybe this is a chance for you to make good on a New Years resolution.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Karie

December 6th Meeting Notes

TAPT - We had a very fun meeting yesterday with DaNel Hogan. Many thanks to her for her presentation. I have almost perfected the chain and loop trick. 

I am a bit short of time this weekend, but Fritz was nice enough to send me a summary of the meeting and websites that are useful, and I am attaching that below. Thanks Fritz! I notice that he did not include his book titles, so here they are:

Teaching with Problems and the Problems of Teaching, by Magdalene Lampert. Ms. Lampert was one of the originators of active learning, and much has been written about her, including a recent NYT article.

Symmetry, the Monster

Arrival of the Fittest - Fritz's second recommendation of this book. It's about biological robustness depending on the robustness of the networks that make up an organism or group..

I didn't get the name of the last book. It was about how we are polluting our water systems with sewage. Maybe Fritz can bring it again.

We meet next on January 10th at J.D.'s house for our annual toy meeting. Ask for physics toys for the holidays, then bring them to show at our meeting. We will also plan our semester at that meeting. So put it on your calendar now.

I am also attaching a sheet of information below from DaNel. She was nice enough to compile a "best of STEMAZing" for us. If you are not subscribed to the STEMAZing newsletter, you should sign up - it's a great source of support for teachers, and includes things you can use immediately in class as well as notice of upcoming events. Go to the link below to sign up.

From Fritz:

http://www.pimaregionalsupport.org/STEMAZing

Ms. DaNel L. Hogan

Director of The STEMAZing Project

200 N. Stone Avenue

Tucson, AZ 85701

(520) 724-8395

DaNel Hogan  was an Einstein fellow and likes Nuclear Energy. She also was Physics teacher in high school.

Ring with chain to drop to create a knot holding the ring.

Puzzles: (1) two paper circles taped together at right angles: make a square bigger than your face. (2) Take square, make two cuts and twist.

Pam and Chris and Mark solved it at our meeting.

Concord Consortium:  http://concord.org/

Community Shares of Southern Arizona Tucson: http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/AZ/Community-Shares-Of-Southern-Arizona.html

Donors Choose: http://www.donorschoose.org/

Phet: http://phet.colorado.edu/

Glasses from American Paper Optics, www.holidayspec.com, www.3Dmarket.org

Dolores Gende:

http://www.dgende.net/

Tutorials on Waves: http://cpphysics.homestead.com/wavet.html

http://apphysicsb.homestead.com/tutorial.html

SuperPi Day March 14th, 2015.

Diffusion versus Convection Confusion: The spread of a scent: You can smell it because of convection.

Homopolar Motor     

Neodymian magnet, screw, battery, wire stripped.

The tip of the screw must be on the knob of the battery and hanging straight down.

May turn up to 10,000 rpm

DaNel’s Electromagnetism lab from STEMAmazing

Recommended book:

The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

by Roger Highfield

$14.97   Bought.

Rob’s Mousetrap Car.  Didn’t get to see it work. Would like him to make a YouTube video and send us a link.

Mentioned: Phet,  American Science Surplus in Chicago,

JD disabused me of the idea that the metaphor of metabolism is like combustion has some value.

From DaNel (Her favorite information from past newsletters):

STEM on the Cheap 

  

How would you like to be able to turn your cell phone or tablet into a close range image taking device for only $1? The image to the left shows a cell phone camera focused on the eye of Abraham Lincoln using just such a lens. Better yet, the lens you need is available in a device you can find at Family Dollar - a key chain laser pointer! Learn more about this $1 LASER pointer macro lens hack today and start taking interesting, close up pictures tomorrow! 

STEM Educator Site (Grades 6-12) 

  

What does innovation look like, and how can one generate innovative ideas in the classroom? The Design Process: From Idea to Solution collection is build around "design thinking" and is intended to help educators and learners explore the invention of real, practical solutions of some of the world's most pressing problems. 

The Design Process: From Idea to Solution collection is made up of four videos, each with an accompanying lesson plan. Young learners can watch college students from around the country engage actively with the design thinking process, and can draw inspiration from them. Teachers can use the lesson plans to easily guide their students through the design process, helping students to develop unique, innovative ideas and strategies of their very own. 

Help your students with lessons on Generating Ideas, Organizing for Innovation, Strategy Mapping and Communicating Ideas!

From NOVA Education, PBS LearningMedia and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

STEM Educator Site, STEM Videos

  

The Math of Energy series teaches math concepts through real-world situations that are based in the energy industry or fundamental energy relations. The series is targeted for high school students, but the concepts are valuable to viewers of many ages. The videos educate viewers about the importance of mathematics in the everyday world, especially with relation to energy topics.

 

The Math of Energy collection has a separate short video to answer each of the following questions:

• How much coal does your cell phone use?
• When will fossil fuels run out?
• How much energy do you use each year?
• How far away is the Annapurna III mountain?
• How fast is my horse?
• What will be the global population in 2060?
• What is the price of gasoline around the world?
• Is a high-speed or low-speed train more efficient?

STEM Educator Site (K-16), STEM Video

 

The mission of Understanding Science is to provide a fun, accessible, and FREE resource that accurately communicates what science is and how it really works. The process of science is exciting, but standard explanations often miss its dynamic nature. Science affects us all everyday, but people often feel cut off from science. Science is an intensely human endeavor, but may portrayals gloss over the passion, curiosity, and even rivalries and pitfalls that characterize all human ventures. Understanding Science gives users an inside look at the general principles, methods, and motivations that underlie all of science.

 

Check out the Science in Action: How Science Works video from the California Academy of Sciences explaining the process of science with an exciting new spider discovery! One of many Understanding Science Teacher Resources for K-16 educators.

STEM Educator Site (PreK-12)   

 

RAFT Idea Sheets are easy-to-use hands-on experience guides linked to core curriculum topics. Use the Idea Sheets Search Tool to rapidly pinpoint activities perfectly suited to the grade level, subject area, and content standard you want to cover. Idea Sheets are based on readily-available, low-cost materials such as cardboard tubes, bottle caps, old CD's, etc. Over 700 Idea Sheets are available for FREE!

STEM Site

  

If you are trying to teach students about the scale of the solar system, this scale model of the solar system, If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel, is a phenomenal tool! How long does it take you to scroll out to Uranus or Saturn or the dwarf planet - Pluto If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel?

STEM Demonstration Tool

  

Gravity Visualized is a video of physics teacher Dan Burns explaining his space-time warping demo. A 2-kg mass in the middle with rolling marbles show orbits. A large marble rolling with a smaller one next to it will mimic the Earth-Moon system. Two handfuls of marbles thrown in opposite directions will show why the survivors all go in the same direction, just like the formation of the solar system. Imagine how students from K-Gray might play-to-learn with this exceptional space-time simulator! 

 

For additional information on how to build your own, scroll down to the Spacetime Simulator section of thePretty Good Physics - Modern Physics website.

 

STEM Educator Site (K-Higher Ed)    The Concord Consortium STEM Resource Finder features some of the best of their free, open source educational activities, models and software tools. You can search by keyword or filter by subject, grade level and type to find the right resources for your learning goals.

  

STEM Educator Site    PhET Interactive Simulations range in complexity from elementary to university-level and cover subjects like physics, biology, chemistry, earth science, math and cutting edge research.    Check out John Travoltage to teach about static electricity or Color Vision to explore how red, green and blue light can create a rainbow of colors!    Learn More...   STEM Video    Did you know you can light a fluorescent bulb or neon tube using a plasma ball? Plasma balls are fascinating STEM toys. The Best Top 10 Plasma Ball Tricks and Demonstrations video highlights purposeful physics and physical science uses for this classic STEM toy. Explore, experiment and entertain with care while learning about electrostatics and more!    Learn More...