AAPT Section News, July 2013
—Page 2
APS PAIR pilot program pairs physicist with HS teacher
providing physics content / materials support. Effectiveness
of PAIR experiments (Water Rockets, Hot Air Balloons,
Bumper Cars) evaluated by pre- and post-ACT physics and
science-process assessments.
Simple Speed of Sound
Julie Covin, The University of Alabama
Penni Wallace, co-presenter
A simple speed of sound lab done outside with cell
phones or walkie talkies and an air horn. Instructions will
be given for collecting data, calculating actual speed of
sound based on temperature and helpful hints on marking
distance (or asking JROTC to do it for you!)
The closing session was an open forum which included
a brief presentation by Tom Nordlund, University of
Alabama in Birmingham, on teaching physics to non-
traditional audiences. Jaime Demick gave a presentation on
working with elementary-age students. During the business
session that followed, Jaime was elected president-elect
of the section. Tommi Holsenbeck was re-elected to the
Secretary/Treasurer position , and Stan Jones was re-elected
as Section Representative. Justin Sanders assumed the
presidency and announced that the 2014 meeting will be
held in Mobile.
—Stan Jones, Section Representative
Alberta Section
The Alberta, Canada section of AAPT held 3 meetings in
2012.
1. Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at Physics Department,
University of Alberta with approximately 19 in
attendance. Program presented by Dr. Andrzej
Czarnecki, Department of Physics University of Alberta
i. Revisions to the International System of Units (SI)
ii. Participating in the Alberta and International Physics
Olympiad
2. Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at Physics Department,
University of Alberta with approximately 20 in attendance.
Program: Elections to Executive Committee Talk:
Searching for Dark Matter at SNO-LAB
by Dr. Carsten
Kraus, Department of Physics,University of Alberta
3. Physics Teachers Day: Friday Dec 7 2012 at Physics
Department, University of Alberta with approximately
62 in attendance. Program: Our speakers for the day
included Dr. Craig Heinke (
The Deaths and Afterlives
of Stars
), Dr. Richard Marchand (
Space Exploration
and Enviroment
), and Drs. Peter Mahaffy and Brian
Martin (
Global Warning(s) – What the Earth is Trying
to Tell Us
). Two workshops were held including
Using
visualizations of the science behind climate change
to change the climate of science teaching
with Drs.
Brian Martin and Peter Mahaffy and a
Make-and-Take
Workshop
with Laura Pankratz and Jeff Goldie.
For 2013 and beyond the Alberta section will develop new
bylaws and a financial model; involve more of the physics
teachers throughout the province; and renew memberships
as many of the older members are leaving.
—Terry Singleton, Section Representative
British Columbia Section
The May 2013 Annual General Meeting of the British
Columbia Section of the AAPT (BCAPT) was held on
May 3rd as part of the Surrey, BC Teacher’s Association
(STA) Annual Convention
ca/
). This year, for the first time, the STA Convention ran
a Science Focus meeting at Fraser Heights Secondary
School. The BCAPT arranged for many well-received
physics workshops at the meeting including: “Student
Preconceptions and Motion and Force” by Dan Phelps,
“Fifty Shades of Physics ...” by Peter Hopkinson,
“Environmental Physics” by Susan Hunter-Jivung,
and “Junior Physics (Grades 8-10)” by Edel Vo. All of these
presenters are current members of the BCAPT Executive
Committee.
In addition to the workshops, the Annual General
Meeting of the BC Section was held during the “Physics
Teachers Lunch, AGM and Sharing Session”. During the
AGM, the 2011-2012 Financial Statement was presented
and approved. In addition, elections were held for the 2013-
14 BCAPT Executive Committee:
President:
Edel Vo
Vice-President:
Louay El Halabi
Past President:
Bev McLeod
Treasurer:
Mike Hengeveld
Secretary:
Terry Coates
AAPT Section Representative:
Sarah Johnson
BCAPT Web Designer:
Marina Milner-Bolotin
Members-at-Large
Paul Cheng, Mike Coombes, Philip Freeman, David
Harding, Michael Hasinoff, Peter Hopkinson, Susan
Hunter-Jivung, Michael Jackson, Rachel Moll, Dan
Phelps, Takashi Sato
Congratulations to all of our new Executive Committee
Members, especially Louay El Halabi who is new to the
BCAPT.
—Sarah Johnson, Section Representative
Colorado/Wyoming Section
The spring meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Section was
held on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at Valor Christian High
School in Highlands Ranch, CO. This year attendance was
over 50 people representing 11 different colleges and 17
high schools.
