INTERACT Presentation

Birmingham University

14th September 2017

Rae Hoole and John Teasdale

Project Title

MEITNER DAY -‐-‐-‐creatively exploring science

MEITNER DAY -‐-‐-‐Extending educational opportunities

A day-‐-‐-‐long participatory programme designed

to fit into the five lessons of a school day:

• Workshops and experiments in the morning

• The Lise Meitner Story play in the afternoon

• Concluding with a plenary session

MEITNER DAY -‐-‐-‐Who is it for?

A vertical study group of students aged 13-‐-‐-‐18

showing an interest in or particular promise

in Maths and Physics

(maximum 30 students selected from years 9-‐-‐-‐13 )

Aims

• to inspire more young girls to want to pursue Physics and to see it as an attractive option at ‘A level’ and at University

• to tell the story of Lise Meitner (1878 – 1968) through a play set in a science lab

• to bring an understanding of the Maths and Physics used to explain nuclear fission to participating students

• to creatively partner a local state-‐-‐-‐funded secondary schoolto share in the production process (working with students and teachers)

Our Partner School

Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, Crediton

• provided space to rehearse -‐-‐-‐a science lab

• access to teachers and pupils to trial workshop materials

2 Pilot days happened in October 2016

• at Queen Elizabeth’s Academy on 6th October

• on Ada Lovelace Day at Sidmouth College on 11th October as part of

Sidmouth Science Festival

Science and story intertwined

Invitations and presentations followed

• an invitation to appear at the Festival of Physics in November 2016 -‐-‐-‐an Institute of Physics and Exeter University joint initiative

• Rae Hoole presented at Exeter University’s EU funded CREATIONS Action research project with six pairs of art/science teachers from across the UK, on 1st March 2017

with a positive response

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you for yesterday. Your contribution to the day was both inspiring and provocative and I know it gave the researchers a lot to think about. I could certainly sense parts of what you had done coming through in their planned actions for their research”.

Dr Kerry Chappell

Senior Lecturer , MA Education Creative Arts Pathway Leader

and Dance Lecturer

Who was Lise Meitner?

Timeline of Lise Meitner’s life

Born in Vienna 1878

Becomes Dr Lisa Meitner 1906(first woman to gain a doctorate in Physics from Vienna University)

Arrives in Berlin 1907

Outbreak of First World War 1914

Works with Otto Hahn 1907 – 1938(professor at Berlin University)

Marie Curie dies 1924(Marie Curie was a contemporary of Meitner)

Hitler comes to power 1930

Flees Germany 1938

Discovers the theoretical explanation of splitting the uranium atom Christmas 1938

Outbreak of Second World War 1939(whilst in exile in Sweden)

Hahn awarded the Nobel prize 1945

Moved to England 1960

Died

(buried in Hampshire, England)

1968

Meitner discovered ‘nuclear fission’ – the dramatic splitting of the atom

She used and applied her knowledge of

Einstein’s famous equation

E = mc 2

Lise Meitner

was a hard working, skillful and intuitive scientist

She was a great role model

with a story which extends educational opportunities

• through it’s richness

• it’s relevance

• her passion for Maths and Physics

Her discovery, set against a compelling historical

backdrop, changed the world…

a familiar school lab

transforms into a theatre set

Games assist learning

Set 2 from ‘HAPPY PHYSICIST FAMILIES’

Worksheets introduce and consolidate the Maths and Physics

Standard Form equations are practised

A reminder of the Table of Physical Constants

a ‘Legacy Booklet’

A derivation of E=mc2

The legacy booklet

Probing questions are put in the plenary

What were the dilemmas that Lise Meitner faced in Berlin in the 1930’s. What do you think of the choices she made?

“A scientist cannot hold back his discoveries for fear of what the world will do with them.”

Robert Oppenheimer

Discuss

Lise Meitner faced many difDiculties in getting a University education because she was female. What are the similarities and differences that female students face today in getting a university education?

Student feedback

• It’s been very interesting learning about someone I didn’t know about previously and what a big influence she’s had

• With different ages of students in there... it was more well rounded and interesting

• It’s inspiring to know that anyone can discover something like she did

• I was surprised I didn’t know about her considering how significant she has been to science

EVALUATION

Drawing from quantitative data collected via surveys and questionnaires and qualitative data from semi-‐-‐-‐structured and one-‐-‐-‐to-‐-‐-‐one interviews, written and verbal feedback from teachers, actors and students we have begun to evaluate to what extent the projects’ overriding mission to inspire more young girls to study physics to a higher level is being achieved.