Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Teaching with the Big Bang exhibition

The CERN travelling exhibition in Denmark

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

The CERN travelling exhibition - ”Accelerating Science” - Copenhagen September 2010 – January 2011

Budget: 1.2 M DKK = 160 k€

• The Experimentarium had around 100.000 visitors during this period - but mainly kids and families

• Exhibition – • is more suited for high school students• cannot stand alone very well

We tried to use it for teaching

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Using the exhibition in physics teaching

•Aim: getting at least one class from every high school within 1 hour distance

•Web sitehttp://www.experimentarium.dk/undervisning/udstillingerne/saerudstillinger/big-bang/ - graphics by the Experimentarium

Content:Various materials (”Toolbox for teachers”) - lecture notes; - reprints of articles - posters; - videos; - exercises and project suggestions; - simple question sheet

•Course for teachers•Guided tours for classes•Young to young

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Course for teachers Early september (to use it as part of the promotion)

Free one day course, including visit to the exhibition

Morning: 3 lectures - The standard model - Experiments at the LHC - Cosmology todayAfternoon: - Workshop 1: Hands on CERN (incl. ATLAS) - Workshop 2: teaching cosmology

Final lecture on Particle physics, cosmology and human understanding

50 participants, very well received.

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Guided tours for classesBooking system for guided tours set up by the Experimentarium

NBI provided the guides (HEP teachers and students) 2 tours/day x 3 days/week

70 tours – 1500 students

(~ one class /high school within reasonable distance)

Evaluation from schools: •Very positive, but guides were essential to the succes. •Students liked to walk around the exhibition with the guide after tour(esp. the girls!).•Suggest more interactivity, more hands-on.

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Young to young High school students teach younger students particle physics by guiding them through the exhibition.

HS students divided in 8 teams, two teams for each of four modules.Visitors divided in four groups – rotate through pavillons.

Preparation at school:Each team prepares a 10 min presentation – should encourage dialogueThey are given material on physics content, speaking points and advice on speaking to less knowledgeable (a new experience to them!).

At exhibition:The HS students are given a guided tour in advance and possibility tocheck out their understanding with a particle physicist.

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Worked extremely well - but quite heavy to arrange (managed only 5 times).

I tried it – and my students were high afterwards!

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

Particle physics in the curiculumIn the Danish high school curriculum

- 20% of the lectures should be on subjects beyond the core content particle physics can be a topic

- at A-level one course (15 hrs) must be ”Physics in the 21st century”. Topic varies from year to year (e.g. 2007 – 09: Lasers; 2009 – 12: The dynamic stars)

Particle Physics is likely to be the topic in 2012 – 14. Working group has started: - Booklet (50-80 pages) - Courses for teachers - Must be able to show that meaningful exam assignments can be defined - Teaching a moving subject – and securing the needs of the students

Rasmus Møller, IPPOG, Kosice, 14-16. April 2011

NBI Colliderscope

A light-artwork placed on the facade of the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen

http://colliderscope.nbi.ku.dk/english/