Maple Syrup. Champion of breakfast, the perfecter of pancakes. Sweet addition to butter, beans, and even bacon. But how does that treat travel from tree to table? Phenomenal physics is in no short supply, and Abby van den Berg, a Research Associate Professor at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center, shares her joy and her expertise. She discusses the wonder of sap flow, long-term tree health, production methods, and the pigments associated with autumn foliage.
Full show notes at:
www.physicsalive.com/maple
Episode notes and resources:
Where to go for all your maple news?
Start at the Proctor Maple Research Center website:
Also visit other University of Vermont webpages:
Other links Abby suggested:
Today's Guest:
Abby van den Berg is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center. Her areas of expertise and research include plant physiological ecology and maple syrup chemistry.
She writes: Much of my research focuses on the ecophysiology of maple sugaring, including the effects of tapping and carbohydrate extraction on tree growth and health, the physiology of stem pressure and carbohydrates in xylem sap, and ultimately on helping to develop management practices and tapping guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of maple syrup production. Recently, my work has expanded to include studying the physiology of stem pressure development in birch trees, and investigating sap yields and the potential profitability of adding birch syrup production to existing maple operations in the Northeastern US.
This only scratches the surface of Abby's work. Learn more about her work:
The universal design for learning (UDL) framework is an approach based on educational research that can guide the development of flexible learning environments that are supportive of and accessible to all learners. I’m speaking with Melissa Eblen-Zayas and Kristen Burson, authors on a recent paper describing their efforts to implement UDL and promote student mental health. They specifically focus on physics course modifications that provide multiple means of engagement.
Go to the full episode show notes at:
Today's conversation is with Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Professor of Physics at Carleton College, and Kristen Burson, Associate Professor of Physics at Grinnell College. They author a paper, along with Danielle McDermott, titled "Course Modifications to Promote Student Mental Health and Move toward Universal Design for Learning." Their paper appeared in the November 2022 issue of The Physics Teacher.
You can access the paper below:
The CAST website provides great resources for Universal Design for Learning. CAST's mission is to transform education design and practice until learning has no limits.
Other resources that were recommened:
Learn more about today's guests:
What if I told you that you could do velocity, acceleration, friction, rotations, impulse and momentum, pressure, sound, color, and magnetic field labs all with a single measurement device? And what if I told you that almost every student is walking into the classroom with their own device already in hand? Welcome to Physics with Phones curriculum. Each lesson details activities using built-in smartphone sensors to illustrate key physics concepts, including elevation, g force, and angular velocity. David Rakestraw, a senior science advisor at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, has put together many lessons that are freely available online. He’s here to talk about how he got involved with this technology, what sensors our students can access, and how we can use these in our classes.
Full show notes available at:
Webpage for Physics with Phones
Phone apps to try out:
David Rakestraw is a senior science advisor at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) in California. A multi-program national security laboratory, its primary stated mission is to enhance the nation’s defense and reduce the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Prior to LLNL, he spent 12 years at Sandia National Laboratories, where he engaged in a wide range of research and development activities. He even co-founded a company that specialized in applying microfluidics for chemical analysis.
Today, he’s not going to talk about any of that! Instead, this conversation will be all about doing physics with phone sensors. Physics with Phones is a series of presentations outlining a wide range of experiments that are well-aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. These were developed for the classroom, but many can be done by students in their own homes.
Learn more about David from his alumni biography:
Webpage for Physics with Phones
See even more opportunities at LLNL's Teacher Research Academy
The Physics Alive podcast is on the road this week! A busy semester has made it challenging to produce new episodes, so your host has taken his microphone on the road, recording while driving. Hear updates about Brad's classes and experiences this semester at his new teaching institution, Plymouth State University. The ups, the downs, the good, the frustrating -- the teacher's journey.
ISLE, the Investigative Science Learning Environment, is an intentional holistic learning environment for physics. It addresses two main goals: to help students learn physics by engaging them in the processes that mirror scientific practice and to improve their well-being while they are learning physics. Eugenia Etkina started this approach nearly 40 years ago and has been an ardent teacher educator in the years since. This interview with Eugenia provides the educational philosophy behind ISLE, specific examples of how the approach works, and the support network that can get you started.
Show notes: www.physicsalive.com/ISLE
Learn more about Eugenia and her work:
You can email Eugenia at:
ISLE website:
Join the Facebook group -- Exploring and Applying Physics
ISLE resource page on PhysPort
ISLE Implementation Guide on PhysPort
Articles:
In this episode, I talk about DNA: a simple DNA diffraction and interference experiment using the spring from a pen, and the DNA, the structure of my introductory physics class during the spring '22 semester.
Full show notes at:
DNA Diffraction and Interference Lab and/or Demonstration
Figure 1: X-ray diffraction pattern of B-DNA labeled Photo 51 by Rosalind Franklin.
Figure 2: Interference pattern from a pen spring. Pattern produced from a red diode laser passing through the spring from a pen. Projected on a screen 8 meters away.
Here are the articles I referenced about DNA interference and diffraction experiments:
X-ray diffraction and DNA optical transform from the ICE (Institute for Chemical Education) Online store at wisc.edu
DNA of Brad's introductory physics class (Spring 2022)
Star grading system:
Here's the entire syllabus for the spring 2022 semester of PHYS 105: Survey of Physics II for life science majors:
Specifications grading:
Sara Seager is Professor of Planetary Science and Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on discovering new exoplanets and characterizing their atmospheres. She hopes to find and identify another Earth and searches for signs of life. In this episode, Sara describes how we find planets around other stars and how we can possibly know how their atmospheres are composed.
Check out the full show notes at:
www.physicsalive.com/exoplanets
Learn more about Sara and her work:
Here are some of the great resources that Sara Seager suggested!
Discover some of the great exoplanets we've found at:
For instance, you can check out the travel posters for some new worlds you might like to visit.
The NASA website is full of great information.
You can also learn more about Sara's Venus work:
For some great images, a tutorial on light curves, and the data from my transit classroom experiment, go to the full show notes at:
www.physicsalive.com/exoplanets
Jeff Young is an editor and reporter focused on technology issues and the future of education. He is currently the managing editor at EdSurge and the producer and host of the EdSurge Podcast, a weekly look at the future of learning. We talk about developments he’s seen throughout his career reporting on education, MOOCs and their place in education, the themes of the EdSurge podcast, and his take on the future of education. Check out the EdSurge Podcast!
Go to today's Show Notes at:
EdSurge reports on the people, ideas, and tools shaping the future of learning. EdSurge is at the forefront of reporting on changes in education and their consequences. They do this through award-winning journalism, research and analysis. They share stories that elevate the voices and experiences of educators, entrepreneurs, researchers and other stakeholders working to support equitable opportunities for all learners.
Check out some of Brad's recent favorite episodes of the EdSurge Podcast:
Jeffrey R. Young is an editor and reporter focused on technology issues and the future of education. He is currently the managing editor at EdSurge and the producer and host of the weekly EdSurge Podcast about the future of learning.
Learn more about Jeff and his work:
In this episode, I summarize four articles from the Winter 2022 issues of The Physics Teacher: reflecting on a difficult year, group work equitability, lab activities on temperature and thermodynamics, and polarimetry measurements for food science. I also reflect on the purpose of this podcast, the many types of episodes you can expect to hear, and how I might better support you - the listener, the educator - to put new ideas into practice. Also, Physics Alive is now on Slack!
www.physicsalive.com/tptwinter22
Physics Alive is on Slack. Join the Slack workspace.
You can also leave comments and share discussion on the Physics Alive Twitter feed.
Journal: The Physics Teacher
Article #1:
Article #2:
Article #3:
Article #4:
Wouter Hoogkamer, Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is the director of the UMass Integrative Locomotion Lab. He studies human locomotion, integrating neurophysiology, biomechanics and energetics. In today’s episode, learn about his research on running economy and breaking the two-hour marathon mark. Plus, we’ll take his expertise and distill it down to some experiments and concepts that we can use in the high school and college intro physics classroom.
Show notes: www.physicsalive.com/running
Learn more about Wouter and his work:
The University of Massachusetts Integrative Locomotion Lab (UMILL)
National Biomechanics Day
Video analysis software
Force plates
Selected articles written by or quoting Wouter Hoogkamer
More articles at Media Coverage on the UMILL website
The Underrepresentation Curriculum is a flexible curriculum designed to help students critically examine scientific fields and take action for equity, inclusion and justice. I’m speaking with Angela Flynn and Moses Rifkin, two editors for the project who are also developing and using the curriculum in their classrooms. Learn all about the project, the resources you can access, and the community you can join.
Show notes at: www.physicsalive.com/underrep
To learn everything we can about the Underrepresentation Curriculum Project, I’m speaking with Angela Flynn, a teacher at the Gordon School, a nursery-8 independent school in Rhode Island, and Moses Rifkin, a science teacher at University Prep, a 6-12 independent school in Seattle, Washington. They are part of a team of 12 editors for the curriculum.
The Underrepresentation Curriculum website:
Direct links to:
Selected articles written by editors of the curriculum:
Dr. Anne Leak, from High Point University, Dr. Brian Lane, from the University of North Florida, and yours truly reflect and muse on Day 2 of the 2022 American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Virtual Winter Meeting. The discussion includes the plenary talk by Matthew Greenhouse, physics for future careers, equity and diversity, teacher recruitment, making AAPT meetings and membership welcoming for all audiences, and our personal takeaways.
Further details, as available, are included in the show notes.
Dr. Brian Lane, from the University of North Florida, and I reflect and muse on Day 1 of the 2022 American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Virtual Winter Meeting. The discussion includes topics from the Meeting of the Members, the plenary talk by Fred Myers, hand-picked invited and contributed sessions from the first day, and our top picks for future sessions of AAPT meetings.
Further details are included in the show notes:
www.physicsalive.com/aaptwm22_day1
Jamie Vesenka is a Professor of Physics at the University of New England. He’s been using Modeling Instruction in the classroom and leading workshops for over 20 years and was an earlier pioneer in the physics for life sciences world, while also staying active in Atomic Force Microscopy research. We talk about the basics of Modeling Instruction, physics for life science, and his role as a teacher’s teacher.
Show notes: www.physicsalive.com/jamie
Modeling Instruction website:
Selected articles, posters, and presentations by Jamie Vesenka
Jamie's teaching style is strongly influence by research-based "modeling instruction". This approach to physics learning is based on guided inquiry and Socratic questioning, compelling students to confront physics misconceptions and construct knowledge based on the scientific method. Jamie's introduction to modeling came by accident at a half day modeling physics instruction workshop. During the workshop based on the modified Atwood's Machine, Jamie had his epiphany, or "Ah-hah" moment.
He needed to know more, enrolled as the only college professor in Phase III of the NSF sponsored modeling workshops at UC Davis the following summer, and has been a modeling convert ever since. Jamie dove into physics education research recognizing the need to cover fluids in a classroom filled with future medical practitioners. He has been part of the "introductory physics in the life sciences" (IPLS) movement that focuses on conceptual physics essential to students interested in life science careers, which is pretty much most college students taking physics across the country. Jamie rejuvenates his teaching by running summer workshops in which he trains high school and middle school science and math teachers in modeling instruction almost every year since 2000.
Learn more about Jamie Vesenka and his work:
Whether you climb mountains or hike on local trails through the woods, trekking poles can benefit your knees, improve your balance, and give you the confidence to navigate the natural world. Lindy Smith, a personal trainer and associate of the pole manufacturing company LEKI, shares her knowledge, experience, and stories about biomechanics, pole anatomy, and the joys of walking. With physics at the forefront, we explore the world of hiking with poles.
Show notes at:
Today's Guest:
Lindy Smith is energetic, feisty, and a trekking pole expert. She is a certified ACE Personal Trainer and certified AFAA Group Exercise Instructor who teaches in southern Florida. She is also associated with the company LEKI, manufacturers of ski, trekking, and hiking poles and gloves.
Follow her on Twitter:
Or check her out on LinkedIn:
Links:
Visit the LEKI website:
Check out the LEKI Makalu Lite CorTec poles. These are the poles that LEKI provided for my review. Honestly, they are the best poles I've ever owned: lightweight, flexible, easy to adjust, and the egg-shaped top to the grip is probably my favorite part. Such a pleasure on a steep descent.
Here are some articles I read about trekking poles before the interview. Although we did not discuss these findings in the episode, I found them really informative and interesting. If you are a student or instructor, you may find these valuable for your class:
General findings include:
POGIL is an acronym for Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. It is a student-centered, group-learning instructional strategy and philosophy developed through research on how students learn best. Today we learn all about POGIL from Rick Moog, Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Franklin & Marshall College. He is the Executive Director of The POGIL Project and has implemented POGIL learning environments in his courses since 1994.
Check out the show notes at:
The POGIL homepage
Two articles co-authored by Dr. Moog, the origins of POGIL:
Other articles and books
More resources from the POGIL website:
Want to hear more from Rick? Listen to members of the POGIL team interview Dr. Moog on the POGIL Podcast:
An interview with Brad Moser, the host of Physics Alive. This episode was recorded at a live session at the 2021 Florida AAPT fall meeting. The tables have turned, as Brian Lane from Let's Code Physics takes a turn interviewing the host about the show.
Natasha Holmes, Assistant Professor at Cornell University, studies teaching and learning in physics and other STEM courses, especially the efficacy of hands-on laboratory courses. She asks: How do we know what labs are achieving? And, what teaching methods improve outcomes? Today, she’ll share what we should stop trying to do in lab and what we might try instead.
Show notes at: www.physicsalive.com/lab
Selected articles authored and co-authored by Natasha Holmes
Links to other articles and resources mentioned in the episode
Today I’m speaking with Carl Wieman, 2001 Nobel Laureate, Professor of Physics and Professor of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, and recipient of the 2020 Yidan Prize, the world’s largest prize in education. He answers the question: How do people learn to make better decisions? “They practice them, and they get feedback on that practice, and they practice some more. If you practice something very intently, your brain changes the connections to be better at doing it.” We discuss what he has uncovered in his scientific study of teaching and learning.
For today's complete show notes, go to:
Toward the end of the episode, Carl mentions a series of three papers. Each paper discusses courses that are all taught with same set of principles. Those principles are:
Practicing the thinking you want students to do, monitoring that, do timely feedback, and then letting them go back to practicing.
What are some resources for new teachers or a teacher wanting to do something new?
This is part 2 of an interview with Louis Deslauriers, the Director of Science Teaching and Learning and Senior Preceptor in Physics at Harvard University. We discuss two recent publications from his research group. In the first, he finds that students can actually feel like they are learning more while passively listening to a polished lecture than engaging in active learning. We’ll talk about that finding and what that means. In the second, we dive into his latest work on deliberate practice, and how we might take the gains from active learning in the classroom and boost them up even more by transforming homework.
Find the full show notes at:
Articles mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview:
