Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Fall 2019 Meeting of the Ohio-Region Section and the Michigan Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers
Volume 64, Number 15
Friday–Saturday, October 11–12, 2019; Flint, Michigan
Session C02: Physics Education II |
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Chair: Alan O'Keefe, Lansing Community College Room: Kettering University Academic Building 4103 |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 8:24AM - 8:36AM |
C02.00001: Cold Fusion and Sokal's Hoax Larry Kolopalo In 1996, Alan Sokal, a physics professor at NYU submitted an article in the prestigious journal Social Text, addressing the nature of science at the intersection pf physics and feminist philosophy. After publication, Sokal revealed it to be a sham. In 1989, Dr. Stanley Pons and Dr. Martin Fleischmann claimed to have achieved cold fusion, to be later rebuked as junk science. But was it really voodoo science? [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 8:36AM - 8:48AM |
C02.00002: A Single-axis Tunneling Microscope for Undergraduate Labs Joshua P. Veazey I will discuss the development of a low-cost single-axis tunneling microscope (ZTM) for learning about quantum mechanics and solid state physics in undergraduate labs. The device differs from a scanning tunneling microscope in that it is only capable of controlling the tip-sample separation (along the z-axis). Further minimizing costs, an off-the-shelf ceramic capacitor (MLCC) made of piezoelectric material is used as the actuator. Students will be able to observe the exponential dependence of the width of the tunneling barrier (I-z), as well as the local electronic density of states (I-V). [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 8:48AM - 9:00AM |
C02.00003: The Mystery of the Asphalt Rainbow David Shane A resident of Toronto noticed a "glory" centered on the shadow of her head when looking down at an asphalt road and, via Twitter, the mystery was referred to me! I share what we discovered in a cute example of accidental outreach via Twitter. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 9:00AM - 9:12AM |
C02.00004: Student-Identified Themes Around Computation in High School Physics Theodore Bott, Daniel P. Weller, Paul W. Irving, Marcos D. Caballero We are developing a survey which evaluates the attitudes of students exposed to computational learning activities in their high school physics classrooms. We administered a pilot questionnaire in various classrooms and conducted a thematic analysis on student responses. Several themes were identified for investigation via teacher interviews while further themes emerged from analysis of open-ended responses to initial survey items. Those themes included the applicability of physics ideas in coding, computational thinking practices, and the usefulness of computation. This work lays the foundation for the development of a robust and validated survey that assesses students’ opinions, expectations, and attitudes towards learning computation in their science classes. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 9:12AM - 9:24AM |
C02.00005: REACT: Connecting K-12 STEM Educators to Current Research Alyssa Travitz, Bradley Dice Led by graduate students at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Research Education and Activities for Classroom Teachers (REACT) is a free, one-day workshop that connects K-12 educators from across Michigan to current research at U-M. REACT includes research talks by graduate students, lab tours, and take-home classroom activities. Since 2017, REACT events have hosted 90 teachers with hands-on experiences and K-12 curricula designed around research from 11 U-M STEM departments. This presentation will focus on the physics-centric content of REACT and how we leverage resources at U-M to complement Michigan’s Science Standards. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 12, 2019 9:24AM - 9:36AM |
C02.00006: Nuclear Science for Everyone Zachary Constan The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics organize and conduct a host of different outreach programs, all geared to different audiences and goals. Find out all the free resources available to students and teachers, kids and adults in Michigan and anywhere in the world! [Preview Abstract] |
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