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AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
OF PHYSICS
TEACHERS Fall 2004 meeting of the Southern California
Section Saturday,
October 23, 8:15 AM–4:30 PM Seaver North Auditorium ,Pomona College Local Contact: Thomas Moore, e-mail:tmoore@pomona.edu |
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8:15 AM Registration, Refreshments, Exhibits 8:30 AM Workshops “Low Cost Physics Experiments for Overcrowded and Poorly Equipped High Schools Classrooms ” Leaders:Gary Reynolds and Bill Layton “Vernier Workshop ” Leader: Clarence Bakken Location: Andrew 151 “Quarks in the Classroom ” Leader: Al Siger Location: Andrew 157
10:00 AM Welcome and Introductions
10:15 AM “Metaphors in Physics: A New Perspective on the Nature of Paradigm Shifts” Jonas Mureika, Loyola Marymount University 10:35 AM “Relativity for the Elementary School Student-Can Real Science be Introduced at the Elementary Level? ” Fred Carrington ,Grant High School 11:00 AM Invited Talk Thomas Moore, Pomona College |
11:50 AM Announcements/ Business Meeting. 12:00 No-host Lunch $5-$7 in campus dining hall, or Bring your own sack lunch.
1:30 PM “Show and Tell” Glenn Malin, Gary Reynolds,Francisco Izaguirre, et al. 2:00 PM "Save Time and Help Students Succeed with the Latest Developments in Physics Educational Technology" Nick Rumpff, Addison Wesley/Benjamin Cummings 2:40 PM "A High School Autonomous Robotics League" Gary Reynolds , Santa Ana High School 2:55PM "What's Weight? " Nuria Rodriguez , Santa Monica College, and Bill Layton, UCLA
3:15 PM Invited Talk Thomas Helliwell, Harvey Mudd College 4:15 PM Order of Magnitude Contest & Door Prizes 4:30 PM Closing Remarks/Meeting Adjourns |
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Workshops: “Low Cost Physics Experiments for Overcrowded and Poorly Equipped High Schools Classrooms ” “Quarks in the Classroom" Leader: Al Siger Abstract: Why do quarks conbine in certain ways and not in others? The rules governing these interactions are surprisingly simple. This workshop will present the principles of unitary symmetry in a way that will engage students. With just a handful of rules, students can derive the multiplet structure of quark-quark and quark-antiquark combinations. The 3-dimensional structures of SU(4) are particularly intricate and appealing. Each participant will receive a geometric construction kit for building such structures.
Invited Talk: “General Relativity in a Nutshell ” Abstract: Einstein's general theory of relativity is generally considered to be challenging and abstract, but its conceptual foundation is really quite simple. Indeed, only a few steps of reasoning (involving only high-school physics and math) are needed to take one from Galileo's idea that all objects fall with the same acceleration to Einstein's idead that gravity is a manifestation of the curvature of spacetime. This talk will walk us through these steps, and so demonstrate how you can describe the essence of general relativity to students at almost any level.
“Einstein's Biggest Blunder ” Abstract: Nineteen-seventeen was not a good year for Albert Einstein. He had a liver ailment, stomach ulcers, and jaundice. He also made his biggest blunder. Or did he?
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Abstract: Metaphors are a psychological and linguistic construct through which connections are made between two seemingly disparate entities, in an attempt to form a hitherto unseen connection. Major paradigm shifts in physics--notably Einstein's work in relativity and quantum theory--have been made by a similar relation of apparently non-related quantities, whose symmetric juxtaposition in an equation yeild new understandings of the related phenomena. This is not only a refreshing philosophical interpretation of the nature of mathematical physics, but also can be seen as a new pedagogical approach to teaching advanced theoretical concepts to students of all abilities and academic backgrounds.
“A High School Competitive Robotics League-a Modest Start ” Abstract: A few high school physics teachers are starting an autonomous robotics competition, intellectually challenging for advanced students, but sufficiently modest in cost and time commitment to be attractive to any high school teacher who'd like to provide and extra-curricular opportunity for students to learn programming, electronics, and mechanical design.
“What's Weight? ” Abstract: At the summer 2004 AAPT Meeting in Sacrament, Bill and I talked to Paul Hewitt about whether the classical definition of "weight" should be redefined in light of general relativity. This paper is based on our discussions with Paul which continued over several e-mails after the meeting.
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What’s the Order of Magnitude Question? As always, you are free to interpret
the question any way you like,
but remember: The winner—i.e.,
the person with the median answer—gets
first pick of the door prizes!
Must be a member and must be present to win. What’s for lunch? |
Show’n Tell! Grateful thanks to our commercial supporters! Future meetings (Mark your
calendars) |
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How do I get to the meeting? From the 10 , exit on Indian Hill and go north about two miles. Take CA 210 (which extends eastward from I210), exit on the Towne Avenue offramp and go south about one mile. For a campus map goto http://www.pomona.edu Parking is available near the corner of 6th and College on city streets. There is usually a lot of parking extending northward on College from the corner of 6th. The plenary sessions will be held in Seaver North Auditorium on the northwest corner of 6th and College and the workshops will be held in Millikan and Andrews across College avenue. Where do I pay? |
Subscribe to the SCAAPT email
list Send
a message to listproc@listproc.csupomona.edu with
the single line: subscribe
scaapt <name> (replacing
“<name>” with your first and last name!) Submit a Change of Address
Online You may submit changes of
address using the online form available via a link from the section website
or directly using http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm/scaapt/ch_add.html Visit the SCAAPT website For meeting information, a list of section officers and
contacts, link to the national AAPT, etc. SCAAPT Officers 2003-2004 President: Forouzan
Faridian faridian_forouzan@smc.edu Vice President: Sarah Johnson johnsosa@ulv.edu Vice President HS: Gary
Reynolds xreynoldsg@aol.com Past President: Glenn Malin gmalin@iusd.k12.ca.us Section Rep: Harvey
Leff hsleff@csupomona.edu Treasurer: Mary Mogge memogge@csupomona.edu Secretary Nuria Rodriguez rodriguez_nuria@smc.edu Editor: John
Mallinckrodt ajm@csupomona.edu |