use of cosmic ray elab to teach the research process deborah roudebush oakton high school 2900...
TRANSCRIPT
Use of Cosmic Ray eLab to Teach the Research Process
Deborah RoudebushOakton High School
2900 Sutton RoadVienna, VA 22181
AAPT 2009 Winter MeetingFebruary 15, 2009Chicago, Illinois
What is QuarkNet?
• http://quarknet.fnal.gov/
QuarkNet provides professional development and on-going support for physics teachers
My Role in QuarkNet
• Lead Teacher Hampton University Center– 2000 – Present– Conduct research at Hampton University– Work with teachers to develop lessons on
particle physics for the classroom– Work high school students with research
projects related to Particle Physics
What is eLab?
Muon Detectors in High Schools
Oakton High School
• Bringing teachers and students together as researchers…
Some were Experimentalists…• Muon detector construction underway at
Oakton High School:
…and Some Were Theorists• Tutorial in data mining using muon data
stored in eLab:
Calibrating• Students performed the calibration
studies on the Oakton High School Muon Detector:
Uploading Data• Data collected overnight and uploaded via
eLab:
Running a Performance Study• Performance study to determine if the our data
should be “blessed”:
Using Flux Studies• Flux studies are important for developing
research questions:
Science Fair Projects• Christina and Richa are
studying flux as a function of altitude and ground temperature :
•Scott is in charge of calibration and “Blessing Data”:
•Rachel is studying Flux vs Time of Day
Long Term RunsGoal: • Run 24/7 and upload every three to five
days• Teams of students responsible for
uploading and “blessing” data• Students develop sophistication in data
mining and develop significant research questions such as the possible role of muon activity in triggering thunder storms
The Future
• Detectors in more schools in Fairfax County, VA, to establish a detection grid for shower studies
• Develop collaboration groups for students across the county and across the country
• Provide opportunities for high school students to be directly involved in new research.
