Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2008 Joint Fall Meeting of the Texas and Four Corners Sections of APS, AAPT, and Zones 13 and 16 of SPS, and the Societies of Hispanic & Black Physicists
Volume 53, Number 11
Friday–Saturday, October 17–18, 2008; El Paso, Texas
Session E1: Physics Education and Outreach |
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Chair: Lionel Hewett, Texas A&M University - Kingsville Room: Union East, 3rd Floor Templeton |
Friday, October 17, 2008 3:30PM - 3:54PM |
E1.00001: The Physics of NASCAR Invited Speaker: A group of racecars piloted by the best drivers in NASCAR are turning a corner. Without warning, one of the cars suddenly hits the outside wall. There were no engine failures, no flat tires, and none of the cars touched{\ldots} so what happened? Understanding and being able to apply physics is a necessary (but far from sufficient) condition for winning races.\footnote{Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, \textit{The Physics of NASCAR} (Dutton, New York City, 2008).} Every competitive race team has a technical staff involved in everything from applied engineering to basic research and development. Aerodynamicists, chemical engineers, statisticians and physicists have become important participants in the high-stakes world of motorsports. Although some drivers have engineering degrees, even those without them have developed a highly intuitive understanding of physics -- you don't keep your job long without a working knowledge of Newton's Laws of Motion. The inherent science in NASCAR is of interest at many levels, from the fan who wants to understand changes made to the car at pit stops to nanomaterials researchers looking for new ways to make racing simultaneously faster and safer. This presentation will introduce some of the fascinating physics of NASCAR and give teachers some ideas to use in the classroom. I'll touch on a range of topics from: how computational fluid dynamics is used to address the aerodynamic changes that challenge the driver by making his car behave differently around every corner; how advanced materials such as energy-absorbing foams have made racing significantly safer; and how nanoparticles may be able to keep engines from overheating despite running at 9500 rpm for three or four hours. Finally, I'll explore NASCAR, its teams and its sponsors are helping address the challenge of getting people interest math and science. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 17, 2008 3:54PM - 4:06PM |
E1.00002: The Care and Feeding of Pre-Meds Stephanie Magleby Most physics instructors will at some point in their teaching career face a room full of students bound for medical or dental school. This particular student clientele presents a host of distinctive challenges. My presentation will discuss insights gained while teaching premed sections of algebra-based College Physics over the last ten semesters. Topics will include syllabus structure, quiz techniques, testing strategies, letters of recommendation and how to get a good teaching evaluation from a pre-med. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 17, 2008 4:06PM - 4:30PM |
E1.00003: Validation of Physics Standardized Test Items Invited Speaker: The Texas Physics Assessment Team (TPAT) examined the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) to determine whether it is a valid indicator of physics preparation for future course work and employment, and of the knowledge and skills needed to act as an informed citizen in a technological society. We categorized science items from the 2003 and 2004 10th and 11th grade TAKS by content area(s) covered, knowledge and skills required to select the correct answer, and overall quality. We also analyzed a 5000 student sample of item-level results from the 2004 11th grade exam using standard statistical methods employed by test developers (factor analysis and Item Response Theory). Triangulation of our results revealed strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of analysis. The TAKS was found to be only weakly indicative of physics preparation and we make recommendations for increasing the validity of standardized physics testing.. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 17, 2008 4:30PM - 4:54PM |
E1.00004: A New Kind of Outreach: What's in it for you? Invited Speaker: There are abundant reasons for students to be involved in service and outreach projects. Not only is it a good recruitment tool for recruiting and retaining majors, but students gain confidence in their knowledge, and have opportunities to cement new knowledge by teaching others. Outreach teaches students how to talk with the public about science, an increasingly important skill for today's scientists. Let's not forget that it's also inspiring, and a lot of fun! There are also abundant reasons for faculty to develop a solid outreach program. It can be an unusual, but welcome, source of funding. It can tie together the various E/PO efforts that granting agencies are now requiring. A solid outreach program can also revitalize your teaching and research programs, and help you find non-traditional sources of funding for your research projects. Outreach is also vastly more satisfying than serving on boring University committees! In the Physics Department at Weber State University, we have developed an extensive suite of outreach programs that involve students in the life of the Department from the very moment that they start to think they might be interested in physics. This demonstrably improves our recruitment and retention numbers, as well as improving student performance. In addition, these outreach efforts have resulted in unprecedented funding levels for Departmental projects of all kinds, and have created a new, ongoing, Department-controlled funding source. From those funds, we've been able to pilot a number of different projects, some of which have gone on to be funded more traditionally. More than 2 million dollars has come into the Department in the last few years as a result of these efforts. I'll tell you how we did it, and how our Department has changed as a result. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 17, 2008 4:54PM - 5:06PM |
E1.00005: Physics Teacher Quality Grants: Improving Teachers' Content Pedagogy through University-School District Synergetic Activities Milijana Suskavcevic, Olga Kosheleva, Laura Serpa, Brian Giza A shortage in number and qualifications of high school physics teachers is heavily pronounced at the local, state, and national level. To address the issue locally, we established an integrated cross disciplinary professional development program with a sequence of courses, institutes, and workshops for 20 middle and high school in-service physics teachers. The multifaceted nature of the project offers opportunity for deepening teachers' content pedagogy in physics, math, and geology. Several important aspects of the project and its' expected outcomes will be shared with the session participants. Additionally, opportunities for requesting funding from the THECB through the Teacher Quality Grant Program will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
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