36
Portland
David Pritchard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
02139;
Colin Fredericks, Saif Rayyan, Raluca Teodorescu, Andrew Pawl, Analia
Barrantes
Modeling Applied to Problem Solving (MAPS) pedagogy applies ideas
from Hestenes’ seminal work on modeling: existing physics knowledge
is cast into core models whose structure (System, Interactions, Model)
parallels the general problem-solving approach students are advised to
use. MAPS generates problem-solving skills that transfer to a subsequent
E&M course and helps students develop more expert-like attitudes toward
science. The workshop goal is to enable participants to introduce some
or all elements of this pedagogy into their courses with the help of our
free Mechanics Online course (
. This
open source mechanics learning environment incorporates MAPS into a
standard introductory mechanics course combining multi-level research-
based homework sets with e-text. Workshop participants are encouraged
to bring their laptops for a hands-on introduction to our course. We seek
users/collaborators for our materials, which can be freely modified. We
acknowledge support by NSF and MIT.
W45: PIRA Lecture Demonstrations II
Sponsor: Committee on Apparatus
Time: 1–5 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $95
Non-Member Price: $120
Location: SRTC 101
Dale Stille, University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa
City, IA 52242;
Sam Sampere, Syracuse University,
We will introduce you to the Physics Resource Instructional Association
(PIRA) and the PIRA 200 during this 1/2-day workshop. The PIRA 200
are the 200 most important and necessary demonstrations needed to teach
a typical introductory physics course. Each demonstration has a catalog
number according to the Demonstration Classification System (DCS); we
will introduce you to the system used to classify these and the bibliography
that details journal articles and demonstration manuals for construc-
tion and use in the classroom. We will show a subset of approximately 50
demonstrations (E&M thru Astro) and explain their use, construction,
acquisition of materials, and answer any questions in this highly interac-
tive and dynamic environment. Ideas for organizing and building your
demonstration collection will be presented. Those teaching high school
physics and faculty members teaching introductory physics will find this
workshop extremely useful! It is recommended you also take PIRA Lecture
Demonstration Workshop I.
W46: Exoplanets
Sponsor: Committee on Space Science and Astronomy
Time: 1–5 p.m. Sunday
Member Price: $70
Non-Member Price: $95
Location: SRTC 162
Mary Kadooka, University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn
Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822;
Edna DeVore
The NASA Kepler satellite has found hundreds of stars that may have
orbiting planets. Could they be terrestrial like the Earth? Astrobiology,
the search for life in the universe, is fascinating to everyone. Since the
1990s when the first exoplanets were discovered, the number of other star
systems found keeps increasing with improved technology. Learn how to
access and use Kepler archived data. You and your students would then be
able to conduct actual research using the transit method of light curves.
A wealth of available online resources such as activities and timelines will
be shared. This workshop is sponsored by the University of Hawaii NASA
Astrobiology Institute team and the SETI Institute, both doing extensive
exoplanet research.
Sunday, July 14 • 8-10 p.m.
Exhibit Hall
AAPT Welcome Reception
and Exhibit Hall Opening
Wednesday, July 17
12-12:30 p.m.
Plaza Foyer Area
Get your raffle ticket from the AAPT
booth and attend this popular event
to claim your book.
G r e a t
B o o k
Giveaway
