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National Alliance of Black School Educators Endorses Physics First March 16, 2012

Posted by admin in : History, Policy and Education (HPE) , 2comments

Position Statement of the National Alliance of Black School Educators
Approved by the Board of Directors, March 1, 2012

Physics is a gateway course for post-secondary study in science, medicine, and engineering, as well as an essential component in the formation of students’ scientific literacy. Physics classes hone thinking skills. An understanding of physics leads to a better understanding of other science disciplines. Physics classes help polish the skills needed to score well on the SAT and ACT. College recruiters recognize the value of taking high school physics. College success for virtually all science, computing, engineering, and premedical majors depends in part on passing physics. The job market for people with skills in physics is strong. Knowledge of physics is helpful for understanding the arts, politics, history, and culture.

Currently only 25% of Black and Hispanic high school students take any course in physics1. Thus many do not even get to the gateway. The availability of physics as a course for high school students is not equitably distributed throughout the United States. While some schools provide physics for all who wish to take it, a more common scenario, particularly for urban schools, is limited availability2. The existence of policies that restrict science opportunities for secondary students results in diminished outcomes in terms of scientific proficiency, and lack of diversity in the STEM professions.

In July 2011 the National Academy of Sciences released a framework for next generation of science standards. The framework consists of number of elements in three dimensions: (1) scientific and engineering practices, (2) crosscutting concepts, and (3) disciplinary core ideas in science. It describes how they should be developed across grades K-12, and it is designed so that students continually expand upon and improve their knowledge and abilities throughout their school years. To support learning, all three dimensions need to be integrated into standards, curricula, instruction, and assessment. The framework includes core ideas for the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences since these are the disciplines typically included in science education in K-12 schools.

The idea of building up an integrated picture of science phenomena resonates very well with the principles of Physics First, the curricular strategy that sequences high school sciences courses beginning with physics in the 9th or 10th grade, chemistry in 10th or 11th grade, culminating with biology and earth science in the 12th; while developing proficiency in mathematics and computing in lock-step over the entire 4 years3. Physics First means more students will have the formal opportunity to learn physics and thus pass through the gateway to higher achievement and prosperity.

A first course in physics need not be overly saddled with advanced mathematics. The emphasis should be focused on conceptual understanding rather than mathematical manipulation. In fact conceptual understanding of physics need not wait until high school. Even middle school students can profit from a conceptual physics course. Conceptual understanding of physics taps into students’ natural curiosities of how and why the world the world works around them. That conceptual understanding, not its mathematical expression, is what will improve performance in later courses in other disciplines. As mathematical maturity is further developed, students can revisit the advanced mathematical expression of physics.

Given all the positive benefits, it is imperative that all students have the opportunity to formally learn physics in their secondary school settings. The National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) therefore resolves:

• That all students should be afforded the opportunity to formally learn physics in their secondary school, starting no later than in the middle grades
• That Physics First, as a curricular strategy, should be implemented in all high schools
• That all NABSE members, especially those charged with STEM teaching, apprise themselves of all the issues surrounding Physics First and work collaboratively to build policy, curricula and lesson plans that will well-position our students for the 21st century.
• That NABSE will work with all our partners and fellow stakeholders to offer workshops, in-service training and in-service support that will help teachers at all stages of their careers develop, implement and teach in Physics First sequences effectively.

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1. Compared to 41% of White students and 52% of Asian students. Source: Susan White & Casey Langer Tesfaye, Under-Represented Minorities in High School Physics: Results from the 2008-09 Nationwide Survey of High School Physics Teachers, American Institute of Physics, March 2011
2. Angela M. Kelly, Keith Sheppard, Secondary school physics availability in an urban setting: Issues related to academic achievement and course offerings, American Journal of Physics, October 2009, Volume 77, Issue 10, pp. 902
3. American Association of Physics Teachers [AAPT]. Statement on Physics First. Retrieved from http://www.aapt.org/Resources/policy/physicsfirst.cfm, 2002

IAU Office of Astronomy Development Stakeholders’ Workshop – Day 1 December 13, 2011

Posted by International.Chair in : Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASTRO), History, Policy and Education (HPE), Technology Transfer, Business Development and Entrepreneurism (TBE) , add a comment

by Dr. Jarita Holbrook
Tuesday December 13, 2011

The first day was an opportunity for stakeholders to provide quick descriptions of their activities and how they wish to contribute to OAD or make use of OAD. Each person was to have five minutes and two slides. All of the presentations were interesting. What I found informative was the reports from the various divisions within the International Astronomical Union: IAU Commission 46: Education and Building Capacity and IAU Commission 55: Communicating Astronomy with the Public. Both of these have several working groups doing work relevant to OAD. Where the American Astronomical Society is very active regarding the direct needs of research astronomers, these two IAU commissions have been far more active socially beyond the needs of astronomers.

There were several groups focused specifically in Africa: AIMS-Next Einstein, the African Astronomical Society, South African Astronomical Observatory, and there was an artist group doing work in the town closest to the Observatory in Sutherland, South Africa.

I was given two minutes to represent the National Society of Black Physicists. I shared the following:

  • 1. The National Society of Black Physicists is a global professional society based in the United States.

    2. We are active participants in the African Astronomical Society.

    3. We are interested in international scientific collaborations.

    4. We are interested in international exchanges.

    5. We are exploring forming a regional node in the United States. We aren’t the only ones there is also Steward Observatory and the Vatican Observatory.

    6. We have a long-term investment in the development of astronomy in Africa.

    7. We offer our services to help OAD anyway we can.

    • There are three established task forces:

    1. Astronomy for Universities and Research

    2. Astronomy for Children and Schools

    3. Astronomy for the Public

    Today we will be meeting within these task force to brainstorm, keeping in mind the OAD mission: To help further the use of astronomy as a tool for development by mobilizing the human and financial resources necessary in order to realize its scientific, technological and cultural benefits to society. OAD Director Kevin Govender reminds us that astronomy is not the silver bullet to solve all the problems fo the world. We are also to consider the economic impact of our activities.

    Simply Harmonic Jello – Fun Physics for Thanksgiving November 23, 2010

    Posted by admin in : Acoustics (ACOU), Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (CMMP), History, Policy and Education (HPE), Physics Education Research (PER) , add a comment

    Jello is fun and delicious any time of year, and everyone has seen it “wiggling” and “jiggling”.  With a simple stopwatch and counting the frequency of the wiggles, serving jello brings up a special opportunity to work a physics experiment into your snack and dinner menu.

    Those wiggles and jiggles can be described as simple harmonic motion, i.e., the force causing the displacement (motion) is proportional to the displacement itself, F = -kx .

    Consider a square block of wiggling jello on a flat plate.  If the jello is set into vibrating motion by a shear force that acts on the top of the jello, static friction will keep the bottom of the jello fixed in place on the plate.   The displacement (or deformation) of the top of the jello due to the shear force is some distance, x . This displacement divided by the original dimension is called the shear strain.

    From Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers

    If you measure the wiggling rate, i.e., count the number of back and forth excursions per unit time, this frequency can be related to the a physical property of the jello called the shear modulus.

    The shear modulus, G relates the shear force, F , and shear strain, \frac{x}{h}   by  

    G = \frac{Fh}{Ax}   or F = \frac{GAx}{h}

    where  A is the area of the top of the block.

    Because the center of mass oscillates with half the displacement of the top,

    F=\frac{1}{2} k_e x ,

    and the effective force constant is given by

    k_{e} = 2\frac{ F}{x} = \frac{2GA}{h} .

    The frequency of the vibrations for any simple harmonic oscillator is

    f =\frac{1}{2 \pi} \sqrt{\frac{k_e}{m}}

    where m is the  mass oscillating object, in this case the piece of jello.  The piece of jello can be weighed directly (converting from weight to mass) or given by the density of the jello multiplied by its volume m= \rho Ah .

    So the wiggling frequency of jello is  \frac{1}{2 \pi} \sqrt{\frac{\frac{2GA}{h}}{\rho Ah}} or \frac{1}{2 \pi h}{\sqrt{ \frac{2G}{\rho}} .

    Thus the shear modulus of jello can be determined from the measured vibrational frequency by G= 2 \rho ( \pi f h)^2 .

    You can try this experiment at home and even study how the shear modulus changes with how you make the jello, i.e., with water, vinegar, juice, soda, or alcohol. And you can investigate how temperature changes the shear modulus.

    Post your results here as a comment.   Check back for updates and useful data.

    Updates

    Units? When doing any calculation in science it is important to keep in mind the units of the factors in used in the equations.  The units have to be consistent throughout, and the final derived units of your calculation should be consistent with quantity that you are trying to calculate.  It is easy to mix up units if you make length measurements using English units, and mass measurements in the metric system for example.   Even when using the metric system throughout, one could easily make the mistake of mixing CGS units with MKS units.  Always check your units.

    The density of jello? Understanding what jello is and how it is made is an interesting lesson in biochemistry, particularly protein structure and function.

    The more general name for jello is gelatin.  (Jell-0 is a brand name for the foodstuff – edible gelatin – that has become synonymous with the food itself.) Gelatin is made from the connective tissue proteins of cows or pigs. It is made first by breaking down the cellular structure of the connective tissues.  Then collagen proteins from these tissues are isolated, denatured and subsequently rendered to a powdered form.  Sweeteners, flavoring agents, dyes and other additives are added to this powder to make the familiar gelatin dessert.  To make jello you have to add boiling water to the powder which dis-aggregates the proteins.   Cooling the mixture re-aggregates the proteins.   The final jello mold will be a complex solid mixture of proteins, water, air, and chemical additives.

    This leads us to consider the density of jello, which like the biological tissue from which it comes, is mostly water.

    Water’s density is 1 \frac{g}{cm^3} = 1000 \frac{kg}{m^3} .  So the density has to be close to water.  But the various additives result in partial molar volumes that contract or expand the total volume.   The final volume depends on the thermodynamic nature of the additives and their relative concentrations.  So while it is easy to think that in any given volume of jello there are constituents that are heavier than water, and that the density should be greater than 1 g/cm^3 , the complex mixture of additives could result in the overall density being less than 1 g/cm^3 .  The most prudent thing to do is to take a well measured cube of jello, calculate its volume (or use volume displacement), weigh it, then calculate its density.

    Reported densities for  jello have ranged from 0.98 - 1.3 g/cm^3 (with sugar-free variants being on the low end), while for scientific gelatin (without all the food additives) the density has been reported to be 1.3 g/cm^3 .

    IYA2009 Galileoscope Now Available to Order March 21, 2009

    Posted by HPEbLogs in : Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASTRO), History, Policy and Education (HPE) , 2comments

    The Galileoscope — a high quality, easy-to-assemble and easy-to-use
    telescope at an unprecedentedly low price — is now available to order. A
    Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009),
    the Galileoscope was developed by a team of leading astronomers, optical
    engineers and science educators to make the wonders of the night sky more
    accessible to everyone. Orders can now be placed through
    www.galileoscope.org for delivery beginning in late April.

    By encouraging the experience of personally seeing celestial objects, the
    Galileoscope project aims to facilitate a main goal of IYA2009: promoting
    widespread access to new knowledge and observing opportunities. Observing
    through a telescope for the first time is an experience that shapes our
    view of the sky and the Universe. It prompts people to think about the
    importance of astronomy, and for many it’s a life-changing experience.
    Galileoscopes will open up a whole new world for their users and are an
    excellent means of pursuing an interest in astronomy during IYA2009 and
    beyond.

    Galileoscopes are available at the incredibly low price of US$15 per kit.
    Discounts are available for group purchases of 100 or more, bringing the
    price down even lower, to US$12.50 each, reducing costs for schools,
    colleges, astronomical societies, or even parties of interested
    individuals. Never before has such a high quality and professionally
    endorsed scientific instrument been available for this price.

    To further this aim, the Galileoscope Cornerstone project has initiated
    the “Give a Galileoscope” programme. Participants may buy Galileoscopes
    for themselves, their families, or their friends at the regular $15 or
    $12.50 price (depending on quantity) plus shipping, and/or donate as many
    telescopes as they’d like for $12.50 each, with no shipping charges.
    Donated Galileoscopes will go to less advantaged schools and other
    organisations worldwide, especially in developing countries. This will
    help bring a modern education to students in poor schools and empower them
    to pursue science and technology knowledge. Donating Galileoscopes
    increases the project’s global impact and gives people who might otherwise
    never have the opportunity to look through a telescope the chance to join
    millions of skywatchers worldwide in a shared experience of astronomical
    discovery.

    The Galileoscope is named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei,
    who first observed the heavens through a telescope 400 years ago. His
    observations were nothing short of revolutionary and changed our view of
    the world forever. The Galileoscope is optimised to provide views of the
    very same objects that inspired Galileo all those years ago— including
    craters and mountains on the Moon, the rings of Saturn, the phases of
    Venus, a variety of star clusters, and moons orbiting the planet Jupiter.
    Sights such as these astounded Galileo and they are all visible, along
    with countless other objects, through the Galileoscope. Although, with its
    21st-century optics, it will provide a much better observing experience
    than Galileo had!

    Galileoscopes are also invaluable educational tools, tying in with topics
    such as mathematics, physics, history and philosophy. As practical
    instruments they can be used to demonstrate basic optical theory in a
    real-world scenario, a technique often praised by educators and pupils
    themselves. Free educational guides are available on the project’s
    website, providing further information to teachers, students and
    enthusiasts. Experience has shown that the “Wow!”-factor that kids get
    from assembling their own fully functional, high quality Galileoscope is
    unsurpassed.

    “The ability to experiment with lenses while building the telescope offers
    a much more powerful learning experience than receiving a preassembled
    telescope,” says Rick Fienberg, Editor Emeritus of Sky & Telescope
    magazine and Chair of the IYA2009 Cornerstone  project. “Users will learn
    many aspects of optics and even have a chance to construct two types of
    telescopes — a modern one and a more primitive one similar to Galileo’s,”
    adds Stephen Pompea, US IYA2009 Project Director and member of the IYA2009
    Cornerstone project. “Building and using a Galileoscope gives kids the
    feeling that science is fun.”

    Galileoscopes are easy to use, sturdy, reliable and well-designed windows
    to the Universe. Orders are now being taken through the official website,
    www.galileoscope.org. Build one and the stars will be within your reach!

    Worldwide observing projects with small telescopes are a key part of the
    Galileoscope Cornerstone. The “You Are Galileo!” project, organised by the
    IYA2009 Japan National Committee, uses classroom telescopes along with
    worksheets and manuals to form part of a year-long observation programme.
    These are designed for children and certificates are available for
    participants who send records of their observations to the “You Are
    Galileo!” team.

    ###
    Notes for Editors
    The Galileoscope is a high quality 50-mm f/10 telescope, with a glass
    doublet achromatic objective. A 20-mm Plössl-like eyepiece with twin
    plastic doublet achromatic lenses gives a magnification of 25x across a
    1.5-degree field, and a 2x Barlow lens (also a plastic doublet achromat)
    gives a magnification of 50x. The Barlow lens can also be used as a
    Galilean eyepiece to give a magnification of 17x and a very narrow field
    of view to simulate the “Galileo experience”. The standard 1.25-inch
    focuser accepts commercial accessories, and the standard 1/4-20 tripod
    adapter works with any standard photo tripod (not included).

    In addition to the IAU, UNESCO, the IYA2009 Global Sponsors and the
    IYA2009 Organisational Associates, principal sponsors of the Galileoscope
    project include the American Astronomical Society, the National Optical
    Astronomy Observatory, the National Science Foundation, the Astronomical
    Society of the Pacific, Carthage College, Merit Models, Photon
    Engineering, Sky & Telescope, and Galileo’s Place, home of Galileo-brand
    telescopes.

    IYA2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first
    astronomical observations through a telescope. It is a worldwide
    celebration, promoting astronomy and its contribution to society and
    culture, with events at regional, national, and global levels.

    Links
    ·    Galileoscope website: www.galileoscope.org
    ·    IYA2009 website: www.astronomy2009.org
    ·    You Are Galileo! web site: www-irc.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~webadm/Galileo-E/

    For more information:

    Dr. Richard Tresch Fienberg
    IYA2009 Galileoscope Cornerstone Project Chair
    Andover, USA
    Tel: +1 978 749 4753
    E-mail: rfienberg@galileoscope.org

    Dr. Stephen M. Pompea
    US IYA2009 Project Director/Chair, US Telescope Kits Working Group
    National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, USA
    Tel:+1 520.318.8285
    Cellular: +1 520.907.2493
    E-mail: spompea@noao.edu

    Dr. Kazuhiro Sekiguchi
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo
    Tel: +81 42 234 3955
    E-mail: galileoscope@astronomy2009.jp

    Further contacts

    Pedro Russo
    IAU IYA2009 Coordinator
    ESO ePOD, Garching, Germany
    Tel: +49 89 320 06 195
    Cellular: +49 176 6110 0211
    E-mail: prusso@eso.org

    Yolanda Berenguer
    UNESCO Focal Point for the International Year of Astronomy 2009
    UNESCO HQ, Paris, France
    Tel: +33 1 45684171
    E-mail: y.berenguer@unesco.org

    Dr. Karel A. van der Hucht
    General Secretary, International Astronomical Union
    IAU Secretariat, Paris, France
    Tel: +33 1 43 25 83 58
    E-mail: K.A.van.der.Hucht@sron.nl

    Lars Lindberg Christensen
    IAU Press Officer
    ESO ePOD, Garching, Germany
    Tel: +49 89 3200 6761
    Cellular: +49 173 3872 621
    E-mail: lars@eso.org

    Related video available at:
    http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0906/

    See Steve Pompea talk about the Galileoscope at the 2009 Joint Annual Conference of the National Society of Black Physicists and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists
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    Governor Nominates Former NSBP President to the State Board of Education March 21, 2009

    Posted by HPEbLogs in : History, Policy and Education (HPE) , add a comment

    Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has nominated Dr. Sylvester (Jiim)  Gates for a seat on the Maryland State Board of Education.

    In making these appointment Governor O’Malley remarked, “I am especially proud to make a number of appointments to fill key leadership positions on our State Board of Education, the University System Board of Regents and the Community Colleges Boards of Trustees to continue the progress we have made in building the No. 1 ranked school system in America, and making college more affordable for our families.”

    “Getting our members in position to take on key public policy positions like this one has been a key initiative of the National Society of Black Physicists,” says Dr. Charles McGruder, who was the president of the organization when the initiative started.    Jim Gates was the first chair of NSBP’s Public Policy Committee.    Since the initiative began several years ago NSBP has conducted several policy briefings on Capitol Hill and at its annual conference.

    One particular policy issue that NSBP has been discussing is the opportunity for all students to take a physics class when in high school.   High school physics is a gateway course for post-secondary study in science, medicine, and engineering, as well as an essential component in the formation of students’ scientific literacy.  Yet, despite reports to the contrary, the availability of physics as a course for high school students is not equitably distributed throughout the United States.

    “I intend to bring to my State Board of Education a commitment that a solid science education course, including physics, should be available to all
    members of the diverse student population in Maryland,” says Gates.

    “We are very excited about Dr. Gates’s appointment, says Dr. Peter Delfyett, current President of NSBP.    “NSBP stands by to help him, the Board of Education and the Governor make sure that every child in Maryland has access to a first-class science education.”

    The Maryland State Board  of Education  is a 12-member body appointed by the Governor. Members bring to their task a wide range of professional and civic experiences. Members serve staggered four-year terms and may serve two full terms.

    Dr. Gates is a noted theoretical physicist. He  has been featured on NOVA PBS programs on physics, most notably “The Elegant Universe” in 2003. He is currently the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Gates received both his Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry, and is known for his work on supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory. He was President of the National Society of Black Physicists from 1993-1995.