This educator guide provides background information on Wilbur and Orville Wright and activities on aeronautics that provide templates for building the 1900, 1901, and 1902 Gliders and the 1903 Flyer. Activities include: (1) Early Aviation; (2) Your First Interview; (3) Your First Report; (4) Build a Model of the 1900 Glider; (5) Questions on the…

Physics competitions for high school students focus on experimental measurements using fundamental physics principles. Reports on how Yale University's physics department organized a day-long event for approximately 100 high school students. (CCM)

Describes an experiment producing a visible spectrum with inexpensive equipment available in the physics classroom. Discusses some related equations, apparatus settings, and instructional methods. (YP)

Describes a program where high school students developed a science presentation consisting of 10 demonstrations on wave motion. It is noted that the presentation was highly sought after by other schools. (MVL)

Proposes the science show as a means to increase science awareness and interest among middle school students to increase future student enrollment and interest in high school science. Provides eight steps to help ensure a successful program. (MDH)

This book is organized around a set of simple observational physics activities that stimulate questioning and answering and encourage the generation of answers to stimulate individual creativity. The activities integrate drawing, counting, measuring, predicting, recording, hypothesizing, and verifying. The activities are designed to sharpen…

This book shows how physics relates to daily life. Chapters included are: (1) "Physics of Fun" (dealing with the concepts of friction, Bernoulli's principle, lift, buoyancy, adhesion, cohesion, surface tension, gas expansion, waves, light, mirror images, and solar cells); (2) "Physics of Nature" (illustrating the concepts of inertia, static…

Discusses the general construction of an air track. Describes three demonstrations including elastic collision, forced oscillators, and coupled oscillators. Provides a diagram and four pictures. Suggests how a similar exhibit could be constructed with a modest budget. (YP)

Presents a collection of suggestions, ideas, and reminiscences relating the first-day classroom activities of 13 different teachers at high schools and colleges. (YP)

Proposes that physics teachers play the role of Galileo. Describes historical resources, costumes, materials, makeup, and objectives of the role-play. Provides three references on Galileo. (YP)

Describes a run test of automobiles for applying Newton's second law of motion and the concept of power. Explains some automobile thought-experiments and provides the method and data of an actual coast-down test. (YP)

Presents strategies aimed at increasing physics enrollment by creating and advertising a physics program that appeals to the majority of students but sacrifices neither rigor nor content. Involves extensively publicizing the class at school and moving the course out of the classroom and into the home. (JRH)

Discusses the science used in the war with Iraq. Explains principles of mechanics and feedback systems, and describes how they were used in war technology. Explains the need for engineers to know physics and chemistry, to understand the capabilities and limitations of their equipment, to make accurate measurements, and to work in teams. (PR)

Discusses laser demonstration for invoking interest in science, especially physics. Describes some examples, such as diffraction, scattering, expansion by diverging lens, internal reflection in a light pipe, and illumination through optical cable. Provides some practical hints for the demonstration. (YP)

Introduces three laboratory exercises which develop an understanding of principles of mechanics by using examples of bicycle operation: Newton's laws, statics and dynamics, and energy relationships. Describes related theory and laboratory procedures with diagrams and pictures in each exercise. (YP)