HR: 11:20h
AN: ED51D-05    [PDF]
TI: The QuarkNet Collaboration
AU: * Erzberger, A
EM: ALErzberger@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AB: QuarkNet is a long-term high school education project, supported by NSF and DOE and carried out by a collaboration of university and laboratory research groups. These research groups are part of major international particle physics experiments, including those at CERN in Switzerland, Fermilab in Illinois, and SLAC in California. Goals and Objectives:\\ A major goal is to engage students and teachers in authentic scientific research; they gain a first-hand understanding of research and its application in the inquiry method of learning. Teachers enhance their content knowledge, increase their abilities to solve science-related problems, engage students in scientific inquiry, and develop responsibility for their own professional development. Students learn fundamental physics and are motivated by current research questions as they analyze real data. A second goal is to engage particle physicists with current issues in science education, including their understanding of the National Science Education Standards and local science education needs and what constitutes age-appropriate content. Project Design:\\ Working with physicists nationwide, we have established a project framework with three program areas-teacher research experience, teacher development programs, and online resources and inquiry-based activities. Eight-week research appointments allow teachers to experience scientific research first-hand. In teacher institutes the next summer these teachers and scientists lead a group of teachers through a short research scenario lasting two to three weeks and assist them in creating similar scenarios for their students. When fully implemented QuarkNet will support centers associated with 60 particle physics research groups at universities and laboratories in the U. S. The QuarkNet website provides:\\ - Experimental data for use in inquiry-based activities.\\ - Opportunities for communication and collaboration among physicists, teachers and students.\\ - A place for students to publish and share their ideas.\\ - Resources including background information, simulations, ideas for data analysis, inquiry activities, etc. Future Scope:\\ Many students are engaged in research in their schools, but in the second five years, we will add a student component to the summer research experience.
UR: http://QuarkNet.fnal.gov
DE: 2104 Cosmic rays
DE: 2451 Particle acceleration
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting