This resource is composed of materials from Wayne State University's professional development workshops which are designed to introduce educators to hybrid electric and electric vehicle fundamentals. Included materials are an event agenda, faculty presentations, and fliers.

This web site hosts the materials for an annual middle school competition that consists of four physical science experiments centered on a mystery. The experiments are designed for small groups in a classroom or after school setting. Each of the experiments gives students a clue to solve the mystery. The current year's competition is available to join and the materials from previous years are available for download.

This web site has links to the materials for the 2006 Physics Quest middle school competition, hosted by the APS. The 2006 lesson covers static electricity, conductors and insulators, heat, and optics. These are connected to the life and science of Benjamin Franklin. The experiments are designed for small groups in a classroom or after school setting. Each of the experiments gives students a clue to solve the mystery.

This four credit course offered by Macomb Community College provides practical training in the theory and basic design aspects of electric vehicle propulsion systems and is a required course for MCC's Electric VehicleDevelopment Technology Certificate. Primary subjects covered include rationale forelectric vehicles(EVs), safety, battery technologies, basic battery testing, electric machine (motor) types, electric machine operation, power management, power inverters, DC to DC converters, accessory systems, and potential future technologies. Educational materials included arethe first day handout, detailed course outcomes, homework (no solutions), labs, pre/post assessments, presentations, sample quizzes/exams, syllabus, and more. If you're an instructor and need access to homework solutions or complete exams/quizzes, please contact theCAAT. This course is composed of nine modules thatcan be used to supplement existing courses or can betaught together as a complete course.These modules are The Need for EVs, EV Safety, Introduction to Battery Chemistry, Battery Pack Integration with Vehicle Systems, Electric Machines (DC Motors, AD Induction Asynchronous Motors, Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor, and Switched Reluctance Motors), Power Inverter/Electronic Motor Controls, DC to DC Converters, Vehicle Accessory Systems, and Introduction to Advancing Technology (Fuel Cells, Ultra Capacitors, and Hydraulic Propulsion)

This module introduces the concept of biological absorption, storage and distribution of chemicals.

This module provides an intrioduction to acid and base chemistry. The Arrhenius and Bronsted-Lowry concepts of acids and bases are discussed as well as the pH scale and neutralization reactions.

The following module consists of a PowerPoint presentation, two lab sheets, and a syllabus for modifying automotive engine courses to include HEV technologies and was developedthrough a seed grant from theCAAT. The PowerPoint discusses the application of variable valve timing (VVT) and Atkinson cycle principals to HEVs, and the extra hydrocarbon capturing devices added to HEVs due to the use VVT and Atkinson principles. The lab "Compression Testing VVT systems" reinforces the ideas of the presentation illustrating engine malfunctions caused by a faulty VVT system. For additional insight on HEV engine service procedures, an oil change lab sheet for HEVs is included. For educators looking to modify current courses, the syllabus has highlighted fields where HEV technologies were incorporated to an engines course at Lewis and Clark Community College.

In this unit, students learn about the form and function of the human heart through lecture, research and dissection. Following the steps of the Legacy Cycle, students brainstorm, research, design and present viable solutions to various heart conditions as presented through a unit challenge. Additionally, students study how heart valves work and investigate how faulty valves can be replaced with new ones through advancements in engineering and technology. This unit demonstrates to students how and why the heart is such a powerful organ in our bodies

These modules were originally presented to First Responders during a two-day workshop at the North Carolina Solar Center (now known as the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center) and were taught by National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium trained instructors. Three separate modules were used to educate them on the properties, technology, and safety precautions to take when working with alternative fuel vehicles utilizing gaseous fuels, biofuels, and electric drivetrains.

These materials are written to supplement the book Amusement Park Physics, 2nd Edition by Clarence Bakken. They include descriptions of contests, projects, and demonstrations related teaching physics through amusement park rides. There is also a set of short histories of Physics Day at four amusement parks to provide ideas for improving these events, examples of data taken on amusement park rides, and a Powerpoint presentation on vertical loops on roller coasters. The Amusement Park Physics book will be available from the AAPT store in the Spring of 2011.

After gaining skill through analyzing a historic and contemporary speech as a class, students will select a famous speech from a list compiled from several resources and write an essay that identifies and explains the rhetorical strategies that the author deliberately chose while crafting the text to make an effective argument. Their analysis will consider questions such as: What makes the speech an argument?, How did the author's rhetoric evoke a response from the audience?, and Why are the words still venerated today?

In the first of two sequential lessons, students create mobile apps that collect data from an Android device's accelerometer and then store that data to a database. This lesson provides practice with MIT's App Inventor software and culminates with students writing their own apps for measuring acceleration. In the second lesson, students are given an app for an Android device, which measures acceleration. They investigate acceleration by collecting acceleration vs. time data using the accelerometer of a sliding Android device. Then they use the data to create velocity vs. time graphs and approximate the maximum velocity of the device.

Through this earth science curricular unit, student teams are presented with the scenario that an asteroid will impact the Earth. In response, their challenge is to design the location and size of underground caverns to shelter the people from an uninhabitable Earth for one year. Driven by this adventure scenario, student teams 1) explore general and geological maps of their fictional state called Alabraska, 2) determine the area of their classroom to help determine the necessary cavern size, 3) learn about map scales, 4) test rocks, 5) identify important and not-so-important rock properties for underground caverns, and 6) choose a final location and size.

This lesson introduces J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron and E. Rutherford's planetary model of atomic structure. This is the first in a series covering modern atomic theory.

This module provides information on the content and writing style used in writing a Visionlearning teaching module.

This lab manual describes Franklin's thoughts on the electrical nature of lightening and the use of lightening rods. It includes descriptions of historical experiments and studies and electrostatic experiments with simple and inexpensive generators and Leyden jars.

The Biofuels vs Fossil Fuels unit has students explore the similarities and differences between fossil fuels and biofuels. In the process, students investigate the carbon-transforming processes of combustion, photosynthesis, fermentation and respiration. They apply their knowledge of these processes to the global carbon cycle to examine how use of fossil fuels and biofuels have different effects on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and consequently global climate change. Students use their understanding of the global carbon cycle to study the claim that biofuels, such as ethanol made from plant material, can help reduce the rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In addition, students examine the environmental impact of biofuels agriculture.

Overall, this unit has three important goals. These focus on: Matter and energy changes associated with the carbon-transforming processes, the effects of the use of fossil fuels and biofuels on the global carbon cycle and global climate change, and a cost/benefit analysis of the production and use of biofuels.

This activity is designed to introduce students to geologic processes on Earth and how to identify geologic features in images. It also introduces students to how scientists use Earth to gain a better understanding of other planetary bodies in the solar system.

Students examine an image produced by a cabinet x-ray system to determine if it is a quality bone mineral density image. They write in their journals about what they need to know to be able to make this judgment. Students learn about what bone mineral density is, how a BMD image can be obtained, and how it is related to the x-ray field. Students examine the process used to obtain a BMD image and how this process is related to mathematics, primarily through logarithmic functions. They study the relationship between logarithms and exponents, the properties of logarithms, common and natural logarithms, solving exponential equations and Beer's law.

Students are introduced to some basic civil engineering concepts in an exciting and interactive manner. Bridges and skyscrapers, the two most visible structures designed by civil engineers, are discussed in depth, including the design principles behind them. To help students visualize in three dimensions, one hands-on activity presents three-dimensional coordinate systems and gives students practice finding and describing points in space. After learning about skyscrapers, tower design principles and how materials absorb different types of forces, students compete to build their own newspaper towers to meet specific design criteria.The unit concludes with student groups using balsa wood and glue to design and build tower structures to withstand vertical and lateral forces.

This page from CERES (Center for Educational Resources Project) features classroom-ready lessons for K-12 classes, developed by a team of master teachers, NASA researchers, and university faculty. The activities are designed to integrate themes and unifying concepts in science with astronomy objectives, and provide concrete experiences for observation, comparison, and organization of data about our solar system and the Milky Way galaxy. Lessons are organized by grade bands: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Some integrate NASA data to allow students to construct first-hand knowledge of the universe. All lessons are aligned to the NRC National Science Education Standards.

The COUNTDOWN web site features more than 800 instructional QuickTime math videos and 350 companion worksheets that are devoted to the demonstration and support of effective mathematics instruction. These multi-indexed math movies are organized according to content standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics allowing viewers to explore specific math concepts at their own pace. Whether you are an educator brushing up on formulas, a fifth grader figuring out equivalent fractions, a grad student completing a methods assignment or a concerned parent seeking an electronic math tutor for your child, this site is a rich math resource available free of charge for your repeated use. The video clips found on this site have been edited from hour-long interactive weekly TV broadcasts on Channel 21 in Chicago.

This module provides an introduction to the concept of carbohydrates as a macronutrient. The biochemical structure of simple sugars and complex carbohydrates are compared and contrasted.

This module provides an overview of the biogeochemical carbon cycle. Major sources and sinks of carbon are discussed as well as the impact of human activities on global carbon levels.

This overview presents key concepts that students often do not learn from standard textbook presentations and suggests a sequence of learning activities to help students understand how the parts of a cell work together to accomplish the multiple functions of a dynamic living cell. Suggested activities also reinforce student understanding of the relationships between molecules, organelles and cells, the diversity of cell structure and function, and the importance and limitations of diffusion. This overview provides links to Web resources, hands-on activities and discussion activities.

This lesson introduces the cell as the basic structural unit of life, and details modern cell theory.

This overview of energy, cellular respiration and photosynthesis summarizes important concepts and common misconceptions. It also suggests a sequence of learning activities to overcome misconceptions, develop student understanding of important concepts, and relate these concepts to familiar topics such as breathing, food, body weight, and plant growth.

This is the second in a series of modules which detail the research of Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory. This module continues with a discussion of the processes that led to Darwin's formulation of the theory of natural selection.

This module introduces Darwin's Galapagos travels and an introduction to the theory of evolution as a force for biological change and diversification. This is the first in a series of modules which detail the research of Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory.

It discusses the process of equation writing and balancing chemical equations in perspective of the chemical changes that take place during a reaction. This module is the third in a series on chemical reactions.

It introduces the concept of electron exchange and briefly explains exothermic and endothermic reactions. This is the first in a series of modules on chemical reactions.

This is a 10-day multimedia unit for grades 9-12 that explores the fundamentals of electric circuits in a web-based, interactive format. Students explore digital circuit simulators, animated tutorials, and problem-based labs where they are asked to solve real-life problems related to electricity. The web resources used in this module were all compiled from items cataloged in The Physics Front. Links are provided to background information, historical context, student reading, lesson plans, lab guides, and interactive tutorials for students needing additional help.

Students are challenged to design a method for separating steel from aluminum based on magnetic properties as is frequently done in recycling operations. To complicate the challenge, the magnet used to separate the steel must be able to be switched off to allow for the recollection of the steel. Students must ultimately design, test, and present an effective electromagnet.

This is the overview ppt for the workshop at the MIAAPT section meeting March 28, 2008

In Spring 2007, introductory mechanics students at Cabrillo College used Tracker to compare 2D particle models with videos of real-world motion. After doing a traditional motion video analysis lab, students used both analytic (position functions) and dynamic (force functions and initial conditions for numerical solvers) models to draw overlays directly on their captured videos. The video thus provided a "reality check" while students explored different models, parameters and algorithms. In addition to the visual overlays, the models generated "experimental data" for graphing and analysis just like experimental (student-marked) tracks. This paper will describe my own and my students' experiences with this first exposure to computational physics in the curriculum. Tracker is a JAVA video/image analysis tool developed by the Open Source Physics Project. The Open Source Physics project is supported in part by the National Science Foundation grants DUE-0126439 and DUE-0442481.

These worksheets provide student exercises in finding and evaluating web resources for physics classes. The activities include web searches on particular topics or questions that arise in class and careful evaluation of web resources identified by the instructors. Students are encouraged to consider issues such as the author, hosting organization, time of updates, and functionality of the web site. General questions about information reliability on the web are provided in the final assignment. An assignment on plagiarism is also included. These materials were developed for a class in Mechanics, but could easily be modified for any topic.

These worksheets provide student exercises in finding and evaluating web resources for physics classes. The activities include web searches on particular topics or questions that arise in class and careful evaluation of web resources identified by the instructors. Students are encouraged to consider issues such as the author, hosting organization, time of updates, and functionality of the web site. General questions about information reliability on the web are provided in the final assignment. These materials were developed for a class in Thermodynamics and Electrodynamics, but could easily be modified for any topic.

The Cornell Science Inquiry Partnerships (CSIP) fellowship program builds partnerships between Cornell University graduate students and secondary school teachers with the goals of enhancing inquiry-based learning and updating science and engineering content taught in rural and urban schools. Students work with partner teachers to design inquiry-based activities that will meet the needs of each participating class. These include open-ended research (original research projects designed by students); structured investigations (short-term investigations designed by the student-teacher team to teach specific concepts); and activities focusing on the nature of science and scientific research. The CSIP web site features curriculum resources developed by program participants, program publications, information on state and national education standards, and links to related programs.

This experiment explores the behavior of a pair of loosely coupled compass needles in air with weak damping. The needles are far enough apart that the magnetic interaction between their magnetic dipoles is much weaker than their interaction with the Earth's magnetic field. The resulting motion displays beats--when one compass is momentarily at rest, the other oscillates with maximum amplitude.

This lesson asks students to explore the motivation behind characters' actions in To Kill a Mockingbird. Students first engage in a freewrite activity. They then do research and creative thinking to design a poster and plan a presentation representing a psychological profile for a selected character, while determining what specific factors (such as family, career, environment, and so forth) have the greatest influence on the characters' decision making throughout the novel. The groups present their findings to the class by assuming the persona of their character and explaining the psychological factors influencing their behavior in the novel.