Throughout the summer, the UBC Physics and Astronomy Outreach team will be introducing physics and astronomy activities that can be easily done at home and adapted for online teaching & learning. Accompanied with extensive tutorials and detailed instruction guides, the Phenomenal Physics & Astronomy at Home program is an ideal resource for teacher candidates to explore and potentially incorporate into curriculum planning. This blog post will provide an overview of this exciting outreach initiative and highlight two specific challenges that have been shared so far.
Some physics and astronomy concepts you can expect to encounter in the activities:
- Conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy
- How to build momentum
- Transmission of vibrational energy in sound waves
- Structure of the solar system (e.g., the Sun, planets, comets)
- Gravitational force
Where science meets technology… digital technologies featured in these activities include:
- Scratch
- Science Journal (resource post coming soon)
- And many more
While many classes and summer camps may not be held in-person at this moment, the commitment to providing high-quality education does not waver. Evolving with the current situation, the UBC Physics and Astronomy Outreach program provides an excellent array of ideas for teacher candidates to facilitate experiential and play-based learning. Given that so much teaching is conducted across a screen, more than ever can students benefit from applying learned concepts to hands-on activities. For more information about play-based learning and the integration of digital technologies, check this blog post written by Yvonne Dawydiak, Learning Design Manager in the UBC Faculty of Education.
In addition, the Phenomenal Physics & Astronomy at Home program engages students in challenge-based learning. Known for its interdisciplinary approach, challenge-based learning promotes collaboration between teachers and students and invites learners of all levels to tackle real-life problems through designing, articulating, and implementing their own solutions. Rather than focusing on whether their work meets certain standards, students can unleash their creativity and build connections across different subject areas — something that’s not always inherently evident in content-specific learning. Not only can students deepen their understanding of the course content and develop problem-solving skills, they also have the opportunity to showcase their work! The UBC Physics and Astronomy Outreach Team loves to hear from participants and regularly features project submissions on their website and social media platforms.
- Check out Phenomenal Physics & Astronomy at Home
- Select a challenge that you are interested in.
- Browse through the selection of Youtube videos and online interactive activities for inspiration!
- For teacher candidates, the “build your own” section might be of special interest as it outlines specific physics and astronomy concepts related to the activity.
- If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the outreach team! Your questions will be answered by a team of dedicated physicists and astronomers.
Activity Spotlight: Build a “Rube Goldberg Machine”
This fun activity allows students to integrate different physics concepts (e.g., levers, pulley, momentum) and design a unique machine! Yes, that’s right – a unique machine. From a dog treat dispenser to a complex machine serving cake, the possibilities are endless.
Suitable for all grade levels, this activity invites students above grade 8 to complete independently, students in grades 3-7 to seek some guidance from the activity worksheet, and those under grade 3 to coollaborate with parents/teachers.
For more information, please visit the “Build a Rube Goldberg Machine” activity page. Here is a video of Alex showing how his dog treat dispenser works!
Activity Spotlight: Build your own solar system
It’s time to build your own solar system! While we love using those colorful fruits to represent Mars and Venus, we are also excited to share with you how to create a virtual simulation of the solar system. For teacher candidates, this activity can be a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to the basics of coding. Scratch is a simple programming language that enables students to design their own projects and experiment with different features. From adding a few comets to altering each planets’ orbital period, each student can create a unique solar system.
Similar to the challenge above, the Physics and Astronomy Outreach team has prepared activity worksheets accomodating various age levels.
For more information, please visit the “Build you own solar system” activity page. Below is a video demonstration of setting up a solar system on Scratch. Details on how to get started with Scratch can be found here.
