The New Jersey Section
of the
American Association of Physics Teachers

The New Jersey Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers is a professional organization whose focus is on physics education and educational research. The majority of NJAAPT members are high school and college faculty teaching in New Jersey. Activities include a Newsletter, Workshops, Conferences, Meetings, Sharing Sessions, Lectures and a Website.

NJAAPT Executive Board Meeting
Monday, May 12th
Room 112 Serin Building at Rutgers at 5 PM
Rutgers University

[Food will be provided!]

NJAAPT Sectional Meeting at Princeton
 March 2008


Nima Arkani-Hamed
Institute of Advanced Study - Princeton

 "Fundamental Physics, Cosmology & the Large Hadron Collider”


Chris Tulley
Princeton University

“The Worlds Largest Digital camera: Images the Large Hadron Collider”


Bruce Mason
University of Oklahoma
Director of Compadre
"Sharing the Wealth of Physics and Astronomy Teaching Resources"


Dr. Steve Schnetzer
Rutgers University

"Probing the structure of Matter: a History of Fundamental Particle Physics"


Demo Show - Waves


Saturday Morning


Demo Show - Waves


Demo Show - Waves


Cloud Chamber

[Click HERE to download Dr. Schnetzer's slideshow on the
history of particle physics!]

The 2008 Henry R. and Gladys V. Irons Lecture
in Physics and Astronomy

[Click on the above to link to video and audio files from the lecture!]

Dave's Dazzling Demos February 2008


Newton's Laws in Action

Physics Olympics January 2008

Team First place - Madison

Second Place - Bernards

Third Place - Manchester


Individual First Place Winners

Fermi - Bergen

Catapult - Chatham

Cartesian Diver - Freehold

Gyroscope - Red Bank Catholic

Wind Power Lifter - Manchester

Marble Coaster - Bernards

         The annual Physics Olympics was held at Monmouth Regional High School on January 12, 2008. Thirty-five six-member teams from 21 High Schools participated. Many schools brought student and parent observers to cheer on their school's team. Over 200 hundred students, teachers and parents joined together to do physics on a beautiful Saturday. The students competed in six events consisting of: the Fermi Question, the Catapult, the Cartesian Diver, the Marble Coaster, the Long Lived Gyroscope, and the Wind Power Lifter. The first place winner overall was Madison HS, second place went to Bernards HS, with Manchester HS placing third. First place teams in each event are as follows: the Fermi Question-Bergen HS, the Catapult –Chatham HS, the Cartesian Diver-Freehold, the Marble Coaster-Bernards HS, the Long Lived Gyroscope-Red Bank Catholic HS, the Wind Power Lifter-Manchester HS.

         This year Congressman Rush Holt came to cheer the students on.  He spoke briefly to the students about the importance of science education and watch many of the students compete in the different events.  Many teachers took the opportunity to share educational concerns that they wanted him to bring back to Washington.  The students and teachers were very appreciative that he took the time to attend the Olympics.  Thank you David Pinkus for helping to plan his visit.

        Sponsored by NJAAPT since the mid-1970s, the event was organized by Dr Fred Pregger and Mr. Jud Fink, two retired physics professors from The College of New Jersey, and was held there until the mid-1990s when it moved to Rutgers University. From 2000 until the present, Monmouth Regional HS has sponsored the event. For information about the New Jersey Physics Olympics contact Jessie Blair or John Valente.

Click on any image above to see a larger picture!

NJAAPT ANNUAL SPRING MEETING
MARCH 14-15, 2008

President's Message

January 2008

         With the arrival of 2008, the work of the NJAAPT will springs back into action with a number of activities for the long winter months. I am grateful to the Physics Olympics committee for the time and effort expended in organizing and running the program. This is an event that just doesn’t happen, but begins with the planning of the competitions in the summer prior to the Physics Olympics, a good six months ahead of the projected date.    

         Under the guidance of John Valente and Jessie Blair, this yearly gathering of high school physics students has been one of our most successful and well-attended activities for the membership and their students. The newsletter should arrive in time for you to plan on attending Dave’s Demo Night so see some very interesting and thought provoking physics demonstrations for you to use in your classes. We have been very fortunate to have members who heed the call to present their versions of demonstrations to engage students in understanding fundamental principles. If you want to participate in the NJAAPT’s commitment to physics teaching, this is your opportunity to get involved. You may think that everyone has seen one of your favorite demos, but there are some who have not. Be active – overcome the inertia to sit back and watch by showing off your greatest attribute, your teaching skill.

        And then we come to the Spring Section Meeting at Princeton University. We see many of the same faces each year and a few new ones. How about getting out to attend the meeting and exchange some ideas with your fellow physics teachers. Certainly no of us last year expected the turnout when that freak ice storm hit, but out attendance was better than usual. If Saturday is not a possibility, how about joining us Friday evening for dinner, a chance to hear a speaker, and if the weather cooperates, a viewing at the Princeton Observatory.

        Lastly, as I write these thoughts, I and others are preparing for the AAPT Winter Meeting in Baltimore. This meeting will be a lot of fun especially in light of the fact that one-day is designated to honor the high school physics teachers in the Mid-Atlantic region for their efforts to educate students in physics. Bravo to all of you out there who dare to be different and bring the principles that govern the universe into your classrooms.

                                                                    Ray Polomski

Click HERE to see the latest NJAAPT Newsletter in its entirety!

"Holiday Treats" -  December 2007

Click on any thumbnail above to see a larger image!

Our own Dave Maiullo makes the New York Times!
Click HERE!

Bergen County Community College Meeting &
Telescope Observation Event

October 2007

New Jersey Science Convention
 October 2007

The Demo Den

NJSC Awards Dinner


Joe Spaccavento

"In Grateful Appreciation for Outstanding Contributions to Physics Education"


Jim Kovalcin


Dave Bandel


Dick Hodson

The Convention Floor

Demo Den Documents - Work, Power & Energy

Cosmic Ray Detector Workshop
September 2007
 

Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image!
If you would like me to send you a Hi-Res copy of one or more images above
feel free to E-mail me at JimTHX@comcast.net!

Click HERE to see some video of the AAPT Summer Meeting in Greensboro!
[Provided courtesy of Arbor scientific]

JOSEPH SPACCAVENTO
NJSELA TEACHER GRANT AWARDEE!

A grant application from Joseph Spaccavento, of North Arlington School District, has been approved for the 2007-2008 school year in the content area of Physics.
Joseph has been involved with the QuarkNet project and Fermilab for the past seven years and continues to work with the QuarkNet group at Rutgers University.

One of the goals of QuarkNet is to promote the teaching of Modern High Energy Particle Physics in the HS. The program has begun to move into a second stage involving the selection of 50 QuarkNet Teaching Fellows from the over 600 lead teachers trained.
Joseph has been selected as a QuarkNet Teaching Fellow for NJ and the Rutgers QuarkNet center. In this role he plans to work with Dr. Steve Schnitzer and Dave Maiullo of Rutgers and Ken Ceceri of Hampton University and the rest of the QuarkNet team to provide a service to Nj Teachers. The NJSELA Grant will be used to purchase a non-dry ice diffusion cloud chamber for the purpose of viewing tracks of cosmic ray decays and other radioactive particles. One of the keys to grasping modern physics is the concept of detectors and this is one of the few visible examples of particle detection. This unit would be housed North Arlington High School and used with his students. It would be used at the NJSC workshop on cosmic rays, and would
also be made available for loan to other Physics teachers. Previously the school has received funding from QuarkNet, NJAAPT, AAPT and Rutgers to have teachers build 10 coincidence cosmic ray detectors to bring back to their classrooms. (See NJAAPT.org webpage under QuarkNet)

Joseph has done sessions on Cosmic Rays at the NJSC the last couple of years and would love to add the cloud chamber detector, to the other coincidence detector. There is nothing like visually seeing the tracks. At these sessions there is interest to build additional coincidence detectors and we are seeking funding from QuarkNet, NJAAPT, AAPT Bouder Fund, and Rutgers to build an additional 6 to 8 coincidence detectors for HS teachers, and possibly upgrade
several of the old detectors with a new data collection board that can be wirelessly connected to the QuarkNet e-lab site for data sharing across the country and the world.

Joseph plans to do a workshop at the 2007 NJSC regarding cosmic rays, show both detectors, and recruit individuals who are interested in building their own coincidence detector. Look for the exciting presentation by Joseph at next October’s NJSC!

NJAAPT Steamboat Trip Down the Delaware River

Click HERE for a slideshow!

NJAAPT Spring Meeting 2007


Edward F.(Joe) Redish University Of Maryland ” New Directions in Physics Education Research”


Alan van Heuvelen
“Physics Education and the Needs of the Future Workplace”
 


Ray Polomski
President NJAAPT

 


Eugenia Etkina
Rutgers University
” Investigative Science Learning Environment"
 


Rachel Scherr
University Of Maryland ”Recognizing Valuable Student Thinking in Physics”


Toufic Hakim

Executive Director
of the AAPT
 


Bob Goodman

NJ Teacher of the Year 2005-06
 


Michael Lawrence
West Orange HS ”Physics Education Research: Theory into Practice””


The Audience


The Presenters!


The Audience


Dr. Steve Schnetzer
Rutgers University


Alan van Heuvelen Rutgers University

For many more interesting images from the spring meeting click HERE for a slide show!

The annual spring meeting of the New Jersey Section of the American
Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) focused this year on Physics Education
Research (PER) and its impact on teaching and learning processes. Six speakers ..... 
[click HERE to continue]

Dave's Dazzling Demos February 2007

 
Physics Olympics January 2007
 


Barge Building 1st Place


Bernouli Ball 1st Place


Egg Catcher 1st Place


Fermi 1st Place


Wind Power 1st Place


1st Place Madison HS!


Caldwell HS 3rd Place

Roller Coaster 1st Place


Chatham HS 2nd Place

Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image!

 

Click HERE to find out more about "Physics First"!

Click HERE for links to national and statewide physics competitions!

NJAAPT Registration Form.
 
 

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