eNNOUNCER March, 2009

WM2009 Chicago Highlights

AAPT joined AAAS in Chicago this year for the Winter Meeting. David Cook, Program Chair, and Gordon Ramsey, Local Host Chair, provided an outstanding learning opportunity. The sharing of sessions, plenaries, hotels, and exhibit space provided extraordinary opportunities to attendees from both organizations. Approximately 1,000 registered AAPT participants benefited from an outstanding and diverse program that included invited and contributed paper sessions, poster presentations, workshops, and plenary sessions. Enjoy some of the meeting highlights at http://www.aapt.org/Events/wm09highlights.cfm

AAPT Executive Board Develops and Approves Diversity Statement

During their meetings in Chicago the AAPT Executive Board approved the following official policy statement on diversity: The American Association of Physics Teachers is committed to making physics more accessible to everyone. We support efforts to encourage greater participation from members of all under-represented groups in every part of the physics community. We strive to provide open access and employment opportunities to all without discrimination. In this commitment we join other organizations engaged in physics and physics education: government agencies; K-12 institutions; colleges and universities; national laboratories and industry.

High School Photo Contest

Every year, AAPT holds a contest for the best physics-based photos. The contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12 (or equivalent international grade level). Photos may be entered in one of two categories: Natural and Contrived. Submit your entries online now! http://www.aapt.org/Contests/photocontest.cfm

U.S. Physics Team 2009

Congratulations to the top 400 students chosen to advance to the Quarter-Final round of U.S. Physics Team selection. Nearly 4,000 students participated in the Fnet=ma Exam in January. The top 400 students have been posted by AAPT at www.aapt.org/physicsteam/quarterfinalists.cfm. It is easy to support the U.S. Physics Team. Visit the Team home page at http://www.aapt.org/physicsteam/index.cfm and click on donate to make your contribution.

PHYSICSBOWL 2009

Attention: High School Physics Teachers!
Enter your students in PHYSICSBOWL 2009 and receive national recognition for your school, your students, and your teaching excellence. http://www.aapt.org/Contests/physicsbowl.cfm

Save 50% on AAPT Physics Bowl (CD-PBER) practice exams from years 2001-2006. Exams are available on CD in .pdf and .doc formats. Member price: Was $19.95, now $10.00. Non-Member Price: Was $29.95, now $15. FREE shipping. Order online at http://www.aapt.org/Store/

Visit AAPT in New Orleans!

March 19-22, 2009 AAPT will participate in the exhibit show at the NSTA National Conference in New Orleans, LA. Please visit booth #1515 and explore our exciting selection of resources and publications designed to strengthen and support your physics instruction. Don’t forget to pick up some exciting giveaways and enter to win the AAPT gift basket.

Team America Rocketry Challenge: Do You Have a Winning Lesson Plan?

AAPT invites you to participate in the 2009 TARC lesson plan Contest. Submit your lesson plans or similar documents describing your team’s activities, planning, and experiments undertaken while preparing for the 2009 TARC competition and you could win a prize! http://www.aapt.org/Contests/rocket.cfm

Physics Day at Six Flags America

Join us at Six Flags America for hands-on learning, thrills and fun on April 24, 2009! http://www.sixflags.com/america/events/physicsday.aspx

Save the Date! AAPT Summer Meeting 2009 in Ann Arbor

The AAPT 2009 Summer Meeting will take place at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, July 25-29. The theme is "Discovering the Universe: Democritus and Galileo to Fundamental Particles and Cosmology." Committee meetings, sessions, and workshops will occur across the grounds at UM. Detailed information will soon be available on the AAPT website at http://www.aapt.org/Events/sm2009/index.cfm.

We are currently accepting abstract submissions for the 2009 Summer Meeting. For more information, please go to http://aapt.org/Events/abstractForm.cfm. The deadline is March 6.

 

Check the events calendar for future meetings.
http://www.aapt.org/Events/calendar.cfm

2009 Topical Conference on Advanced Labs

The Topical Conference on Advanced Labs will take place before AAPT's Summer Meeting on July 23-25, 2009 at the University of Michigan. This two and a half day meeting will cover techniques, experiments, and curricular ideas for post-introductory undergraduate labs, whether they are independent or tied to a lecture course. The conference will include invited speakers on a variety of topics, presentations by commercial vendors, and lots of opportunities for hands-on experiences with experimental equipment. For more information, please go to http://www.aapt.org/Events/topical_conference.cfm

Research Experiences for Teachers

PTEC, a project led by AAPT, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute of Physics, maintains a list of Research Experiences for Teachers, or RETs. These programs give in-service teachers an opportunity to spend part of their summer participating in cutting-edge physics research. http://www.ptec.org/rets/map.cfm

The Physics Source

The Physics Source is a collection of websites where you can learn physics on your own, through games, webcasts, and online exhibits and activities. Also included are physics-on-the-road programs, which bring demonstration shows, and in some cases hands-on activities, to you, the audience. To find the resources you want, you can browse the collection and search our database by content topic, resource type, and grade level.
We encourage your involvement in The Physics Source. Once you have registered and signed in, which requires only a username and password, you can build a personal collection, share your comments about resources already in the comPADRE collection, and suggest resources for us to add. http://www.physicssource.org/

New Member and Journal Subscriber Benefit

Did you know that AAPT has implemented a new Table of Contents Alert (TOC) system for The Physics Teacher(TPT) and American Journal of Physics(AJP)? http://scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/AJPIAS-home/alerts/

Chautauqua Short Courses

Using Research-Based Curricula and Tools to Promote Active Learning in Introductory Courses

June 29-July 1, 2009 at University of Oregon in Eugene, OR, instructors Pricilla Laws, David Sokoloff, and Ronald Thornton will lead a hands-on course designed for those interested in making learning in their introductory course more active either within the traditional course structure of lectures, labs, and recitation hours, or by re-structuring their course (e.g., into a workshop or studio course). http://uoregon.edu/~sokoloff/chaut1.htm

AIP Announces Winners of 2008 Science Writing Awards

The American Institute of Physics (AIP) announced the winners of its 2008 Science Writing Awards today. The winners—two scientists, a journalist, a children’s book author, and a public television producer—will receive four prizes of $3,000, engraved Windsor chairs, and certificates of recognition. http://www.aip.org/press_release/09writingawards.html

AIP Announces Deadline for Meggers Project Award

The William F. and Edith R. Meggers Project Award of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a biennial award designed to fund projects for the improvement of highschool physics teaching in the United States. The Award consists of $25,000 to be awarded biennially for two to five outstanding projects in the competition. Deadline: April 15, 2009. http://www.meggersaward.org/

IYA2009 Announces Galileoscope.org

At Galileoscope.org you can now order your very own Galileoscope. IYA2009 is still actively seeking contributions from corporations and individuals to help deliver Galileoscopes to under-served populations worldwide. Every $1,000 raised allows 50 telescope kits and additional teaching materials to be delivered to classrooms around the world. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is a global effort initiated by the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO. https://www.galileoscope.org/gs/

The 3rd Annual Meeks Memorial Acoustics Workshop

This workshop will be offered in late June or early July 2009 at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN. The main workshop emphasis is on acoustics experiments that are simple to do and easy to interpret. For more details and registration information, visit: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~moloney

Astronomy Education Review Online

Astronomy Education Review (AER), the web-based journal/magazine about astronomy education and outreach, announces the on-line publication of its 14th issue, now complete on the web at http://aer.noao.edu/. There is no charge for reading or downloading the full articles in the journal.

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