One of the most recent things I have been involved in is working up demonstrations that we can take into Elementary school environments. Andy Rundquist and I have been inspired by the work of the Physics Force. This group of High school and college level Physics teachers has put together some very fun and amazing Physics demos. Andy and I are committed to (or should be committed) to developing our own set with our own brand of humor for schools. Here are a few examples of what we have put together so far:

• Air in Motion. Our first example deals with how sound and waves travel.
• Point of Impact. Here we talk about forces and th distribution of forces as they apply to car crashes and other collisions. This one features the Bed Of Nails!!!
• Vacuum Sucks! An exploration of the power of vacuum! See just how much it really sucks! We also have a Magdeburg Sphere (actually a Magdeburg Plate) and a vacuum fountain.
• Speed Up, Pressure Down! A leaf blower does have a good use! See the atomizer on a really big scale! A few fun Bernoulli-principle inspired demonstrations!
• Spin Cycle Why you can balance on a moving bicycle... the seasons explained... This, and much more, as the Piper Physics Patrol explores Angular momentum.
• Another Hot Topic Temperature is the theme today as we discuss temperature, temperature scales and cloud formation. We even make a nice sized cloud indoors. Check it out...

The other projects I have been invloved in include Workshop Physics, video and its uses in introductory labs, and computerized data acquisition in the labs. I have also tried many differnt learning techniques throughout my teaching career. Interestingly enough, many of the most effective techniques in teaching dancing also apply to teaching science. Probably a lesson to be learned there somewhere.

Here are some of my favorite Links concerning pedagogy and teaching:

Pedagogy References:

• Here is a copy of the new standards for Initial Teacher licensure in Science for the State of Minnesota.
• Teacher Certification requirements for all 50 states. Here is a page with links to all of them.
• The American Physical Society's Education page
• Hamline has introduced Digital Video Processing to its undergraduate Physics laboratories. Here are some of the things we have developed which might be useful to you if you are thinking of implementing video in a laboratory setting. Listed below are the macros we use in conjuction with NIH Image or their FTP site. NIH Image is a wonderful and easy to use program developed by Wayne Rasband at the National Institutes of Health (Your tax dollars at work!). Also included here are some videos we have taken of ordinary kinematic events. Before you downloading these, be warned that these movies are not ".mpg" movies, but stacks or sequences of TIFF images. You will need a program like NIH-Image to view them. Also note, that they are somewhat large!! You have been warned!
  • A set of Kinematics macros for use with NIH Image. These macros provide a way to sort stacks of images, split odd/even frame images (for fast moving objects) and acquire data points from them. There are also a few macros which make using the stacks (of images) easier. (7KB)
• A set of Simulation programs in quantum mechanics. Lots of fun and some good explanations of confusing physics.
• Project Kaleidascope
• The NSTA (National Science Teachers Association).
• Or The MSTA (Minnesota Science Teachers Association).
• Interested in the National Conferenes on Undergraduate Research? NCUR has a home base here where one an find out whats up for this year,etc...
• A set of resources for Physics Education.
• Context Rich Problems in kinematics and dynamics from the University of Minnesota.
• The University of Minnesota Physics Education Group home page. Here is where to find the most recent updates to context-rich problems, and group problem-solving techniques.
• A computer-supported learning environment idea CPU (Constructing Physics Understanding).
• Museums and magnet schools. A gathering of schools and science musemus (mostly) which have formed the "Science Learning Network". This is a collection of some of their resources.
• The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse. This is a collection of lesson plans, materialsand resources for science and math education at the K-12 level.
• The Contemporary Physics Education Project CPEP. A listing of internet resources for teaching science.
• The Teachers Guide. A comprehensive list of resources related to standards, grants, and services provided by the US Dept. of Education. Included is much of "Goals 2000".
• VPW. Video Placement Worldwide provides free educational materials to teachers in the form of video tapes, manuals, lesson plans, etc. Go here to register if you are a teacher.
• The Comprehensive Conceptual Curriculum for Physics or (C3P) is a project for alternative types of conceptual physics curricula.
• Here is SciMath MN. A collaboration in the State of Minnesota to look at teacher certification and other issues as they effect Science and Math.
• Interested in the Fulbright scholars program?
• Here is a site for The Modeling Workshop Project. A collection of stuff related to helping High-school physics instruction (other disciplines too!)
• A great Teachers (and student's) reference: The Why Files. This is a collection of information on a variety of science-related topics of interest to just about anyone.
• CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research)
• Here is a listing of a large number of Lecture Demos compiled by folks at the University of Maryland. Lots of cool ideas.
• An NSF funded project, the NSTA's Scope, Sequence & Coordination Project is a set of micro units for high-scool instruction.
• Here is a collection of electronics experiments compiled by HP. Lots of stuff from basic to very advanced.
• Even more links to educational resources.

  Workshop Physics:

• Want to build your own Karate Test Stand? Here are some photos of the one Jim Pridgeon (our Lab Supervisor) and I designed. Feel free to write us with questions about it.
• How about visiting the Workshop Physics homepage? Find out what is new in this unique curriculum.
• Here is Vernier Software. They manufacture probes, software and interfaces for activity-based labs.
• PASCO is one of the largest manufactures of hardware for introductory labs. Here is their web page.