Workshop Descriptions

Science Teachers Day – Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The following workshops will be presented at Science Teachers Day 2008. Upon review of these descriptions, please make the appropriate selections on the Registration Form.

Plasma Science and Fusion Basics

There will be three presentations of this workshop based on a teacher’s grade level – Middle School, High School, and High School for Advanced Science Teachers.

PLASMA 101:  Introduction to Fusion Energy and Plasma Sciences
Fusion energy is as old as the universe, yet scientists and engineers have been working to achieve fusion on earth during just the past 50 years. Small-scale fusion on earth has been achieved and is routine in many of today's experimental devices in the US, Europe, and Japan. However, there is still a long way to go to develop fusion energy as a commercially available source of energy. This workshop will introduce you to plasma science as a stepping stone to understanding fusion energy research. You will use standard science concepts culled from atomic structure, gas laws, electricity, and Einstein's famous equation, E=mc², to explore this rich and fascinating world of fusion science. Demonstrations and giveaways will enable you to bring the excitement of plasma and fusion science into your classroom!
 
Science and Applications Workshops

Using the Registration Form, please choose two of the following themes for your afternoon session. You will be notified if any changes occur regarding your selection.
 
Light, color, sound and the nature of matter, Steve Allen, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Recommended for Middle School Teachers
The phenomena of light and sound are ideal vehicles for providing a broad range of learning experiences in the physical sciences. This workshop will present demonstrations and activities that reveal the fundamental nature of light and sound, general properties of waves, light and sound production and detection, and human perception. Applications will be presented, ranging from optical-communications technology to the use of light as a way to probe matter on an atomic scale. Participants will have ample opportunity to work with all of our equipment, and vendor information will be provided. Discussions will also include ways in which universities or industries might provide support that enhances the classroom experience. 

Understanding Newton's laws and achieving a balance for forces, Edward Thomas, Jr., Auburn University
Recommended for Middle School Teachers and High School Teachers
Newton's three laws of motion serve as the foundation for the development of physics. Even with the great advances in modern physics, such as quantum mechanics or relativity, the vast majority of our interactions with the physical world are well described using Newton's laws. One aspect of Newton's laws that is particularly important to both science and engineering is the ability to achieve an equilibrium - - a state where the forces acting on the system are balanced. In this activity, we will explore how a force balance is established in novel type of plasma system known as a dusty plasma. In a series of inexpensive and entertaining hands-on activities, we will simulate the force balance in a dusty plasma environment. Concepts that will be examined include gravitational forces, electric forces, and drag forces. 

Cosmology: History and Fate of the Universe, Bob Reiland, Contemporary Physics Education Project
Recommended for High School Teachers
This workshop will introduce materials and activities for teaching cosmology topics in your high school classroom. Examples of questions that may be considered are:  How are the Doppler effect and cosmological redshift related to each other and to the Hubble expansion of the universe?  What are the characteristics of the Big Bang and the evidence for it?  How are various types of electromagnetic radiation used to help understand the evolution of the universe?  How can cosmic distances be measured?  What are "dark matter" and "dark energy"?  Successful teaching strategies, including Internet options and "easy to do" student hands-on activities, will be investigated.

Fusion demonstration activities for the classroom, Ted Zaleskiewicz, Contemporary Physics Education Project
Recommended for High School Teachers
This workshop will introduce you to techniques to stimulate your students to learn more about plasma and fusion sciences. Participants will explore tabletop "fusion," emission spectra from a fluorescent light, and the meaning of voltage and current in plasma. Participants should have a basic understanding of nuclear science, electricity, and the origin of electromagnetic radiation.

Introduction to the science and technological uses of lasers, Rick Lee, General Atomics
Recommended for Middle School and High School Teachers
Lasers are used throughout our society in communications, medicine, industry, and many other areas. Today's students take the science and technology of lasers for granted and most teachers do not understand them adequately to use them in the classroom. Laser science is rich in content areas such as atomic structure, spectroscopy, plasma, interference, and geometrical optics. Come and learn about how lasers work and how they can be successively integrated into your busy curriculum.

Ohm's law, resistance, and DC circuit analysis, Alex Nagy, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Recommended for Middle School and High School Teachers
Ohm's law is one of the simplest and most useful tools in analyzing all types of electrical circuits. In this course teachers will review ohms law, build simple circuits to plot resistance curves of a resistor, incandescent light bulb ("on" and "off"), diode, and selected materials. Methods for analyzing circuits will be shown and reviewed using Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws. Take-aways will be a low cost DVM and lab circuit materials.

Basics of Electricity and Magnetism, Rachael Lancor, University of Wisconsin
Recommended for Middle School and High School Teachers
In this workshop, you will explore the world of electricity and magnetism. Participants will explore the difference between static and current electricity, and examine the associated properties such as electric fields, potential, current, power, and voltage. We will also investigate the connection between electricity and magnetism. Learn great electricity games and demonstrations to take back to your classroom.

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