the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
This is a set of six student investigations developed to support core proficiencies via use of data available through national laboratories. Investigations appropriate for high school include: Searching for the Top Quark Mass, Investigating Special Relativity, Cosmic Ray e-Lab, and Search for Higgs. Investigations for both middle school and high school include: Sloan Sky Server Projects and Simply Prairie. All data is freely available for download, with explicit instructions provided in the teacher's guide. The package includes student activity pages and an online homepage for learners. A goal of the project is to promote the teaching of modern physics topics, using data analysis as the framework for study.
Fermilab is a national science laboratory whose primary focus of research is high energy physics. It is the home of the Tevatron, the world's second-largest particle accelerator.
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9-12: 1A/H1. Science is based on the assumption that the universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are everywhere the same and that the things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are comprehensible through careful, systematic study.
3. The Nature of Technology
3C. Issues in Technology
6-8: 3C/M7. Societies influence what aspects of technology are developed and how these are used. People control technology (as well as science) and are responsible for its effects.
4. The Physical Setting
4D. The Structure of Matter
9-12: 4D/H5. Scientists continue to investigate atoms and have discovered even smaller constituents of which neutrons and protons are made.
4G. Forces of Nature
9-12: 4G/H6. The nuclear forces that hold the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom together are much stronger than the electric forces between the protons and electrons of the atom. That is why much greater amounts of energy are released from nuclear reactions than from chemical reactions.
10. Historical Perspectives
10C. Relating Matter & Energy and Time & Space
9-12: 10C/H3. The special theory of relativity is best known for stating that any form of energy has mass, and that matter itself is a form of energy. Even a tiny amount of matter holds an enormous amount of energy. This relationship is described in the famous relativity equation E = mc2, in which the c in the equation stands for the immense speed of light.
9-12: 10C/H5. Einstein's development of the theories of special and general relativity ranks as one of the greatest human accomplishments in all of history. Many predictions from the theories have been confirmed on both atomic and astronomical scales. Still, the search continues for an even more powerful theory of the architecture of the universe.
12. Habits of Mind
12C. Manipulation and Observation
9-12: 12C/H5. Develop simple computer databases to store and retrieve information.
12D. Communication Skills
9-12: 12D/H7. Use tables, charts, and graphs in making arguments and claims in oral, written, and visual presentations.
12E. Critical-Response Skills
9-12: 12E/H3. Consider whether some event of interest might have occurred just by chance.
%0 Electronic Source %A Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, %D May 31, 2010 %T Fermilab: Data-based Investigations %V 2016 %N 11 February 2016 %8 May 31, 2010 %9 text/html %U http://ed.fnal.gov/data/
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