The Oklahoma Center for High Energy Physics, a consortium made up of OU, OSU, and LU, will present the workshop: “Making Particle Physics Relevant and Accessible”, June 7-11, 2010. The workshop is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy through its Ouarknet Project and through the EPSCoR program, with the intent of exposing high school science teachers to the field of elementary particle physics. Goals of the workshop include:
1. Enhancing the teachers’ understanding and appreciation of elementary particle physics.
2. Enriching the teachers’ understanding of how science is actually performed in the laboratory.
3. Equipping teachers to incorporate the subject of particle physics into their curriculum.
4. Developing partnerships between high school science teachers and university physics professors.
Teachers will spend time learning about current theories and research in particle physics, as well as discussing how scientific theories are developed based on experimental results. Emphasis will be placed on making particle physics relevant and accessible to your students. The workshop will run daily from 9:00 to 4:30 at the University of Oklahoma. Participants will receive:
• $500 stipend.
• $250 for classroom supplies.
• Support for travel.
• Professional development points (if desired).
• Activities to take back to the classroom.
• Particle physics curriculum plan which can be used in the classroom.
Through this workshop, the excitement and wonder of physics at the frontiers of knowledge can be brought into your class room. There are a limited number of positions so please apply before April 15, 2010. Notification of acceptance into the program will occur approximately May 1. For more information or to apply to this program, please contact Professor Mike Strauss at strauss@nhn.ou.edu.
To apply by mail, fax, or email, send the following information: 1) Name, 2) School name and school address, 3) Home and work phone, 4) Subjects currently teaching, 5) Length of time teaching at the high school level 6) Highest degree and subject, 7) E-mail address, and any additional information we should know