Rachel Richardson, Education & Outreach Coordinator
outreach@snolab.ca

Everybody loves a mystery, and dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in our universe today. SNOLAB is Canada’s deep underground science laboratory that hosts large, international experiments; some of these experiments are designed to help unravel the mystery of dark matter. To celebrate Dark Matter Day, a public outreach initiative celebrated during Halloween, SNOLAB is hosting a creative poster design contest. Students and members of the community are invited to design original, two-dimensional visual artworks, in any medium, exploring the theme of dark matter.

Participants can be as creative as they like, letting their design shine as bright as the stars! Imagine an individual dark matter particle, or how it holds the universe together! They could draw an existing detector, dream up their own cosmic blueprint for an experiment, or travel deep into space following their imaginations into the oldest parts of the universe. Read More...

Tags: Contest, Modern Physics

John Donohue, IQC Senior Manager, Scientific Outreach
jdonohue@uwaterloo.ca

Date: November 18-21, 2024
Location: Online!
Hosted by: Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Ontario

With 2025 announced as the International Year of Quantum Science & Technology, there’s never been a better time to bring quantum science to our students. To help prepare educators no matter where they’re located, we’re excited to host a series of virtual sessions on how to connect quantum technology to the curriculum, hosted by the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo.



These sessions will take content from our long-running Quantum for Educators (QEd) workshop to explore fundamental quantum principles like superposition and entanglement, connect them to curriculum-relevant topics like waves, polarization, vectors, and probability, and show how they are applied in modern and emerging technologies like quantum computing and communication. We’ll also overview affordable hands-on activities that can be done with your classroom. Read More...

Tags: Modern Physics, Nobel Prize, Professional Development, Quantum

Roberta Tevlin
roberta@tevlin.ca

Join us Thursday September 26th from 7:00 to 8:00 PM to learn about the many solutions to climate change, while engaged with other teachers in a role-playing game! By the end of the hour, you will see how climate change is very serious and very complicated — but — it is also something that can be solved. You will leave energized and ready to try out this lesson with your classes the next day. This game would be good for SNC1W, SNC2D, SPH3U, SES4U, many geography courses, or anywhere else you want to discuss climate solutions.

This virtual Physics Hour is run by Roberta Tevlin, Milica Rakic, Iain Braithwaite, Michelle Lee, Tim Langford, Tom Eagan, and Felipe Almeida. Sign up for the event here. Please share this opportunity with others who you think may be interested in joining. The Zoom meeting link will be sent out 48 hours prior to the event. Read More...

Tags: Climate, Destreamed, Energy, Professional Development

John Donohue, IQC Senior Manager, Scientific Outreach
jdonohue@uwaterloo.ca

Date: July 29-31, 2024
Location: Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Ontario

The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 2024 free in-person summer workshop on quantum mechanics and quantum technology.

The 10^th Quantum for Educators (QEd) workshop (formerly known as Schrödinger’s Class) will take place July 29-31 this year. Led by quantum experts from the IQC, QEd will explore fundamental quantum principles like superposition, wave-particle duality, and entanglement and show how they are applied in emerging technologies like quantum computing. Participants can expect to leave with affordable activities and accessible lesson plans with concrete curriculum connections to take back to their classrooms.

Financial support for travel and accommodations is available for Canadian teachers. Applications are due Friday May 3rd.

Tags: Modern Physics, Quantum, Professional Development

Randy Lewis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University
randy.lewis@yorku.ca

All high school physics teachers are warmly invited to York University at 5:30 p.m. on Friday November 3, 2023. Professors in our Department of Physics and Astronomy value this annual event and are looking forward to connecting with high school teachers again this year.

Three York professors will give short talks about their research. You can see our telescope (which is the largest on any university campus in Canada) observing the opposition of Jupiter. Dinner and drinks will be provided, and there will be opportunities for casual conversations with familiar friends and new colleagues. We also have a few textbooks that are no longer needed at York, and we are glad to donate these to any high school teachers who can make good use of them.

Details can be found at this website: https://www.yorku.ca/science/physics/outreach/high-school-teachers-night/

Best wishes for the school year, and we hope to see you at York!

Tags: Astronomy, Cosmology, Professional Development

Eric Haller, Peel District School Board, Editor of the OAPT Newsletter
eric.haller@peelsb.com

It’s the start of another school year and the OAPT is once again looking for submissions for the newsletter. The newsletter is made possible by volunteers who contribute their thoughts and ideas for others to use in their classrooms. Many of our writers are Ontario high school teachers, however some of our writers teach in university, work abroad, work in science outreach, have retired, or have even left the teaching profession for some other career that involves physics. We have numerous writers who pen something for us regularly, but we are always on the lookout for new writers as well (writing for us looks great on a resume).

If you’re interested in writing for us but are looking for inspiration, a topical theme in education at the moment is of course climate change. Destreaming is relevant now too, students who took the destreamed grade 9 science class last year are now taking streamed grade 10 science classes, which has left some gaps in their education, which could be discussed in an article. Many school boards are handling the streamed grade 10 science courses differently as we wait for the grade 10 destreamed curriculum to be released, with some boards still offering SNC2P, and other boards forcing students to take SNC2D. The James Webb Space Telescope has been operational for some time now, some readers might want to know how we can incorporate its findings thus far into our classrooms. And there’s a total solar eclipse coming for some Ontarians on April 8th, 2024, which many teachers will want resources for. A lesson, or possible field trip ideas, would be great to help teachers take advantage of this [roughly] once-in-a-lifetime event. In addition to those topics, many teachers are incorporating indigenous stories, knowledge, and history into their science lessons now, and there is a growing demand for resources to help teachers continue to do so in a meaningful, and respectful way. If none of those topics sparked your interest though, we are always looking for our mainstays, like the following: Read More...

Greetings educators!

Orbax here from the Department of Physics at the University of Guelph.

At the University of Guelph, Physics Education research has long been a field of interest and Science Communication is something we take particular interest in. In 2017 Dr. Joanne O'Meara created a class that is now known as IPS3000, a third year science communication course which is a requirement of all our Physics Undergrads. In this class they focus on, and are required to produce, science communication in all its forms from scholarly essays to podcasts to videos to even newspaper articles!

Over the last couple of years the course has been taught by Dr. Alex Gezerlis and we are looking for high school classes who would be interested in helping our physics students become better communicators. Our undergrads have been honing their public speaking skills and have developed a series of short presentations that they would like to livestream directly to your classrooms.
Read More...

Developed by James Ball, Iain Braithwaite, Michelle Lee, Robert Prior, Milica Rakic, Dale Simnett, and Roberta Tevlin.

Climate Change is moving fast and our window of opportunity to act decisively is shrinking. As science teachers, we can contribute to the solution by making sure that Climate Change is being taught, and taught well. We have been working this summer to develop ready-to-use resources to help you and your colleagues. Read More...

Tags: Climate

John Donohue, IQC Senior Manager, Scientific Outreach
jdonohue@uwaterloo.ca

Date: December 1-3, 2023
Location: Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Ontario

The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) has a free workshop on quantum mechanics and quantum technology taking place December 1-3 on the University of Waterloo campus. Schrödinger's Class will provide you with lesson plans and affordable, ready-to-go activities explained by quantum experts to take back to your classroom. Applications are due Monday October 16th. Financial support for travel and accommodations is available.

Tags: Modern Physics, Quantum

Please join us for our second virtual physics hour March 1^st at 7pm EST. This session will feature a panel from post secondary institutions who will reflect on what first year physics (and science programs) look like post pandemic. If you are interested in joining us, please fill out the google form here. This again is not restricted to OAPT membership so feel free to pass it along to those you feel would be interested!

The OAPT is pleased to return to its traditional 3-day in-person conference in 2023! We are looking forward to connecting with new members and welcoming back returning members. Take advantage to (re)connect with educators from across the province at Perimeter Institute in Waterloo from Thursday May 4 until Saturday May 6.


Read More...

Tags: Astronomy, Conference, Destreamed, Modern Physics, Pedagogy, Professional Development

Jim Chen, Physics Graduate Student, University of Toronto
jim.chen@stemfellowship.org

The Canadian Young Physicists’ Tournament (CaYPT) is a national high school research-based competition that also serves as a selection competition for the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT). In teams of 3-5, students conduct research on 10 open-ended physics problems with no definite solution. Students develop their own theoretical model, apply their physics knowledge and debate with other teams about their solutions to the problems.

CaYPT is looking for jurors to evaluate student presentations and give students a score based on the quality of their theoretical model, experimental results and overall presentation, including their discussion with other students. An honorarium of $70 is provided per half day of juror work. Read More...

Tags: Contest, STEM

The Ontario Association of Physics Teachers (OAPT) is excited to bring back the Virtual Physics Hours series due to popular demand! In addition to our spring conference, the OAPT will be hosting virtual evening PD sessions for educators to drop in, learn, and share with colleagues. Session 1 will be held on Wednesday December 7th at 7:00pm EST.

Our first session will be focused on Destreaming Grade 9 and feature a panel of incredible educators who each are experts in different areas. Andrea McPhee, Sean Jackson , Chris Meyer and Ashley McCarl Palmer will all share insights into their own current grade 9 classrooms and answer your questions.

• Andrea (@ms_mcphee) brings a wealth of knowledge, especially when it comes to bringing technology into the classroom.
• Sean (@mrjacksondotca) is a specialist in teaching tools and is an expert when it comes to choosing the right teaching strategy to engage learners.
• Chris (@ChrisMeyerSci) is well known for his thoughtful scaffolding and collaborative inquiry focused classroom.
• Ashley (@phsyicswithmcp) has done a deep dive into assessment and grading strategies, shifting the focus back on to learning.

Sign up is via this form. Given this session is not primarily physics focused, any high school science educator is welcome to join, so please pass this along to anyone who may be interested. A zoom link will be sent to those that signed up closer to the date.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

The OAPT Physics Hour Committee

Tags: Pedagogy

We are back! The 2023 OAPT Conference will take place May 4-6, 2023 at Perimeter Institute in Waterloo.

The search is on for presenters. Do you have an interesting lesson, a novel teaching idea, a hands-on activity or pedagogical tips that you would like to share? Please consider submitting a proposal for a presentation or a workshop that touches upon any aspect of physics teaching.

The workshops will be offered during four blocks on Friday (two in the morning and two in the afternoon) and two blocks on Saturday morning. Presenters can choose the length of session they want to present in. Please note: Presenters receive a special discounted conference rate.

We offer three formats: 15-minute presentation, 25-minute mini-workshop and 60-minute workshop.

Deadline for presentation proposals: December 10, 2022 Please submit proposals here: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bZIsqp0BBQqHiB3rsi4JagY9HACYg5lQmFLPxNBUVTk/edit

Questions? Contact Saara Naudts or Olga Michalopoulos (Conference Co-Chairs).

Tags: Conference

Randy Lewis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University
randy.lewis@yorku.ca

All high school physics teachers are warmly invited to York University at 5:30 PM on Friday November 11, 2022. This annual tradition has not been possible for the past two years, and professors in our Department of Physics and Astronomy are looking forward to reconnecting with high school teachers this year.

Three York professors will give short talks about their research. Tours of our telescope (which is the largest on any university campus in Canada) will be available. Dinner and drinks will be provided, and there will be opportunities for casual conversations with new colleagues and familiar friends. We also have a collection of textbooks that are no longer needed at York, and we are glad to donate these to any high school teachers who can make good use of them. Read More...

Tags: Astronomy, Modern Physics, Professional Development

Eric Haller, Editor of the OAPT Newsletter, Occasional Teacher with the Peel District School Board
eric.haller@peelsb.com

It’s the start of another school year and the OAPT is once again looking for submissions for the newsletter. The newsletter is made possible by volunteers who contribute their thoughts and ideas for others to use in their classrooms. Many of our writers are Ontario high school teachers, however some of our writers teach in university, live abroad, have retired, or have even left the teaching profession for some other career that involves physics. We have numerous writers who pen something for us regularly, but we are always on the lookout for new writers as well (writing for us looks great on a resume). With COVID precautions being relaxed and hybrid classes in the rear-view mirror for most of us, some of you may need inspiration for what to write an article about this year. Fear not, remember that we are facing the destreaming of grade 9 science, so articles pertaining to destreaming or the teaching of physics content in the new science course would be beneficial to our readership. For further inspiration, here are some other possible topics for articles: Read More...

The annual online physics contest open to ALL Grade 11 and 12 physics students will be occurring on May 25th. The contest is one hour long and is free! The contest will be open to BOTH Grade 11 AND Grade 12 students due to the generous support of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. All physics teachers are encouraged to have their students enroll. Please remind students that it is intended to be a FUN contest and that it cannot impact their mark so that they do not feel intimidated to participate. Read More...

Tags: Contest

It’s the start of another school year and the OAPT is looking for submissions for the newsletter. The newsletter is kept alive by volunteers who contribute their thoughts and ideas for others to use in their own classrooms. Many of our writers are Ontario high school teachers, however some of our writers teach in university, live abroad, have retired, or have even left the teaching profession for some other career that involves physics. We have many writers who pen something for us regularly, but we are always on the lookout for new writers as well (writing for us looks great on a resume if you’re relatively new to teaching). We accept and publish articles year-round. Typically, our articles are aimed at the grade 11 and 12 Ontario physics curricula, however sometimes we publish articles regarding physics in grade 9 and 10 science, or about physics in general. Read More...

On Thursday, November 5, 2020 we hosted our first Virtual Physics Hour. We were pleased with the attendance and the flow of the workshop and we plan to do more in the future. Below is a summary of presentations as well as a link to a Google Folder which contains slideshows and information from each presenter.

Adam Mills: Bringing interaction into the virtual world using Pear Deck, Jamboard and Peer Instruction.

Rachelle Frederick: Using observations and communication as a form of assessment and evaluation.

Ashley McCarl Palmer: Hands on Physics at Home

Chris Meyer: Cooperative Group Learning in and out of Cyberspace.

The Google Folder can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RKyNs2Zeswn7QH9_KBLzKRFs4ASx0vGc

Keep an eye out for our next workshop!

As many of you are aware, we will not be hosting our traditional face-to-face conference this year; however, we will be offering Virtual Physics Hours on a monthly basis! These Virtual Physics Hours will take place in early December, February, March, April and May during the evenings.

We are currently accepting proposals for sessions at a variety of time lengths to be delivered via Zoom during these Virtual Physics Hours. The deadline for proposals is Tuesday, November 24, 2020. If you have something you would like to present please fill out the Google Form.

Looking forward to your proposals,
The OAPT

Tags: Conference

Jim Chen
caypt@stemfellowship.org

I would like to introduce to you a great opportunity for your students, the Canadian Young Physicists’ Tournament (CaYPT).

Unique Competition Style
Every year, the CaYPT Committee selects 10 open-ended physics problems for students to solve. Student form team of 3 to 5 and work for several month to conduct their own research. Unlike other physics competitions, the problems of CaYPT does not have a definite answer, it encourages students to develop their own theoretical model and conduct their own experiments to verify it.

CaYPT 2020 will be held in March at the University of Toronto. Students will present their solution in front of other teams in a thesis defense-like format. Their performance will be graded by professional physicists. The outstanding students will compete in the International Young Physicists Tournament (IYPT) representing Canada.

Great for Students and Teachers
The CaYPT is an exceptional opportunity for students since it allows them to apply physics concepts learned in class to real-life situations. It inspires students to explore concepts beyond the curriculum expectations. Many of the CaYPT problems can be easily converted to classroom demonstrations. This can help teachers attract more student into the school’s physics classes. Since the CaYPT is a team competition, it also makes for a great club activity.

For more information about CaYPT please visit http://stemfellowship.org/caypt/
For details about CaYPT 2020, please visit http://stemfellowship.org/caypt/caypt-2020/
The CaYPT 2020 Problems are available at http://stemfellowship.org/problems/

If you have any questions please contact caypt@stemfellowship.org

Tags: Contest

John Donohue
jdonohue@uwaterloo.ca

Date & Time: November 22-24
Location: Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Ontario

Join us for three days at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) for the fifth Schrödinger's Class teachers' workshop on quantum mechanics. You will have the opportunity to attend lectures and engage in hands-on activities focused on the integration of quantum technology into the current teaching curriculum. We will discuss quantum information science and technology to give you a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics. You will discover how harnessing remarkable quantum phenomena is not only transforming the way we compute and communicate today, but how it will change the technological landscape of tomorrow.

Application Deadline: October 4th 2019
The workshop will run November 22-24 2019

The workshop is open to any Canadian science and technology teacher, with a focus on physics and chemistry. There is no registration fee, and costs of transportation, accommodation, and meals are covered.

More details can be found at: www.uwaterloo.ca/iqc/programs/schrodingers-class

Tags: Modern Physics, Quantum

Courtesy of Rolly Meisel we have a small gallery of photographs from the 2019 OAPT Conference at IQC in Waterloo. Check it out and relive memories (or see what you missed)!

See the gallery…

Tags: Conference

Shawn Brooks, Manager of the OAPT Contest, teacher at UTS
sbrooks@utschools.ca

Sandy Evans, Editor of the OAPT Contest, teacher at Northview Heights Secondary School
Sandy.evans@tdsb.on.ca

This is a reminder about the upcoming FREE OAPT Physics Contest on May 22^nd. This year, for the first time, the contest will be open to BOTH Grade 11 AND Grade 12 students due to the generous support of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Read More...

Tags: Contest

Sandy Evans, Editor OAPT Physics Contest, Teacher Northview Secondary School
Sandy.evans@tdsb.on.ca

The OAPT Contest is a FREE physics contest and will run on May 22nd, 2019. It is free due to the generous support of the Department of Engineering at the University of Toronto.
It is open to all students in currently attending school in Ontario who had not completed 11U Physics in September 2018. There is even a strong possibility that it will be open in a separate division for Grade 12 students this year — more news about this to come! Read More...

Tags: Contest

Canadian Association of Physicists

Nominations are open for the 2019 award. No one won the award in Ontario last year because there were no applications! Let’s not let this happen again.

There are many great teachers in Ontario, but they are too modest. Find one and nominate them. It is good for that teacher, their school and physics education.

The applications are due by Feb. 28, 2019.

More information about the award and a link to register the nomination is here
https://www.cap.ca/programs/medals-and-awards/medals-teaching/hscta/ Read More...

Plans are well underway for this year’s OAPT conference being held May 2-4 at the Institute of Quantum Computing in Waterloo.

Our theme is Entangling Learning. We will be highlighting some of the exciting things happening where physics connects with student learning, as well as how we can entangle different parts of the curriculum.  Physics is more than a body of knowledge — it is a very successful way of approaching a wide variety of problems.

Registration for the conference will open in February. In the meantime, mark your calendars!

Proposals for Workshop Sessions
We are accepting proposals for sessions at a variety of time lengths.  The deadline for proposals is January 25th, 2019. If you have something you would like to present please fill out this Google Form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhiR9elS8i2bmuu0MGiGKIMpQFFAzgtAmuRidztjoqEJjPxA/viewform

Financial Support for Attendees
The OAPT is aware that it can be very difficult for high school teachers to attend the OAPT conference because there is so little financial support for professional development made available by their schools, boards and unions. We encourage teachers to tap into these sources for wherever support is available. In addition we make things easier on teachers’ wallets in four ways. These supports are only possible through the generosity of several organizations.

• Conference fees are kept very low because the host university provides the facilities and many of the speakers at no cost. Our thanks this year go to The Institute of Quantum Computing.
• Residence fees are only $29.99 a night because the real costs are subsidized by the University of Toronto’s Electrical and Computer Engineering. We thank U of T ECE for their many years of support for this and for supporting the OAPT Grade 11 Physics Contest.
• The OAPT believes that encouraging first-time attendance will create a new generation of teachers who will want to attend again and again.  To encourage first time attendees, we will cover their supply teacher costs for Friday May 11th. Please encourage the young teachers at your school to take advantage of this opportunity. You can apply for this subsidy by filling out this Google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSxnP2v3WRYhScNn0tTvVZmjsOUz-kTmMhKYg_qlDWxv5CdQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
• The OAPT recognizes that teachers in northern Ontario lack many of the PD opportunities that are available in the south. They also have much higher travel costs. For the eighth year running, the OAPT will be covering the travel costs for teachers north of Algonquin Park. We would like to thank the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics for helping us to provide this support. You can apply for this subsidy by filling out this Google form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjlQ8mPI_aKT7pRM56b4W8oQHsQyfE-OvjNa11HfO7EfldVA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Quantum mechanics is a complex subject, but its basic concepts are being taught in Canadian physics curricula. To encourage and inspire students to pursue careers in STEM, educators should have access to the tools and resources that reflect the current content and understanding of the field. Who better to help equip them than the experts pioneering the field itself?

Schrodinger’s Class is a 3-day workshop that takes place at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), a scientific research institute at the University of Waterloo. Led by John Donohue, IQC alumnus and now Scientific Outreach Manager, this workshop gives science educators like you the opportunity to attend lectures and engage in hands-on activities focused on the integration of quantum technologies into the current teaching curriculum. Activities include the introduction of quantum superposition using inexpensive light polarizers, as well as using simple physics and math to convey the "spookiness" of quantum entanglement. There will be discussions about quantum information science and technology to give you a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics to bring back to the classroom. You will not only discover how harnessing remarkable quantum phenomena is transforming the way we compute and communicate today, but also how it will change the technological landscape of tomorrow, with your students at the helm.

Here’s what past participants had to say about the event:

• “It was an amazing opportunity to gain a better conceptual understanding of quantum physics: great to fill in some gaps as well as uncover some misconceptions I didn’t know I had.”
• “I enjoyed being treated like a professional. The entire workshop is engaging and interesting. I felt motivated to go back and teach all physics content, not just quantum, after participating in this workshop. In addition, I enjoyed meeting other physics teachers.”
• The activities were “student-friendly” and able to make “quantum tangible” in a time where “there are very few resources out there for quantum mechanics in its modern interpretation.” The collaborative, challenging, and fast-paced environment bolstered their enthusiasm for physics, inspiring them to pass along that passion for to their students.
• “I arrived home from the workshop at 11:00 p.m. Sunday night, and at 11:00 Monday morning, I started teaching my Physics 2 students a series of lessons about Quantum Cryptography!!”
  

There is no cost to the workshop. While there is a $100 deposit require to secure your spot, this deposit is refunded at the end of the event. For those who live greater than 50 km away, accommodations are booked at no cost to you. Applications are open until October 22.

Schrodinger’s Class
November 30-December 2, 2018
IQC, University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON
Free, with $100 deposit

In partnership with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, SNOLAB is hosting a special 2-day workshop for high school physics teachers on October 12^th and 13^th, 2018 in Sudbury.

This free workshop will take place at SNOLAB and consist of hands on teaching resources from Permitter Institute to bring cutting edge research into the high school science classroom with sessions on dark matter, dark energy, exoplanets and more. These workshops will be delivered in English but all resources will be available in both English and French. The second day, Saturday Oct. 13th (which is optional) will include a tour of the underground facility and a lunch and learn with a SNOLAB researcher.

Ontario teachers coverage for the Friday of this workshop is available upon request. Please see the attached poster for more details and feel free to distribute to teachers in your network who may be interested.

Interested teachers can email me at Blaire.flynn@snolab.ca or fill out the registration form here: http://www.pitp.ca/SNOPI-workshop

Let me know if you have any questions at all or would like to discuss this opportunity further!

Many thanks,

Blaire

Blaire Flynn | Education Outreach Coordinator | SNOLAB

705 692 7000 x 2806
www.snolab.ca

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Do you teach 4C physics? The Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics is planning to create a resource tied to 4C physics and wants to know what you think would be most useful. You can help out by filling in this brief (3 minute) survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZM9YYRT If you don’t teach 4C physics, but know someone who does, please pass this on to them.

Exploring Inquiry in Science and Physics
Kingston, July 24-26, 2018

Join James, Roberta and (some surprise presenters!!) for twelve new workshops for physics in grades 9-12. These sessions will include topics such as smart phone apps, gravity assists, modelling particle models and concepts schmoncepts. It will also feature three brand-new resources from the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics on Energy, Waves and Climate Change!

All of the workshops will be fully hands-on and engaging. You will have lots of time to explore the materials and discuss the concepts with other keen teachers like yourself. We will be following a schedule that is quite different from the other OTF camps, but which has worked really well in the past. The first two days will be extra-long so that the last day (Thursday) is just a half-day which will make getting home easier. Because we start bright and early on the Tuesday, we strongly recommend that you ask for the optional accommodation on Monday night.

This camp is fully funded by the OTF and therefore registration is only open to teachers who are part of the OTF. We are sorry that we can’t include private school teachers or teacher candidates.

Registration opens June 1.

Last year, we had more registrants than space — so make sure you sign up early! If you have any questions, feel free to email roberta@tevlin.ca. Please email Roberta after you register, so that she can arrange car pooling and other last minute things.

Check out the agenda for more detailed information.

The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, and Discover the Universe — a national, bilingual program to support the teaching of astronomy in schools — invite you to attend and participate in a FREE one-day astronomy workshop for schoolteachers. The focus will be on the grade nine level, but all interested teachers and education professionals are welcome.

When/Where: Saturday April 28, 2018 from 9 am to 4 pm on the University of Toronto St. George Campus, 50 St. George Street.
Note: the workshop venue is not wheelchair accessible.

The workshop will include curriculum-connected science mini-talks and discussions, a planetarium show, classroom activities and resources, free materials to take back to your classroom, lots of time for questions and discussion, and a chance to talk with astronomers and education specialists.

For more information, and to register, free of charge, go to:
http://discovertheuniverse.ca/workshop/astronomy-workshop-in-toronto-2018/

Discover the Universe (discovertheuniverse.ca) is sponsored by the Dunlap Institute, and the Canadian Astronomical Society.

The Physics Department of York University is hosting a Biophysics contest.

This is a competition open to all Ontario high school students. The contest aims to investigate a rapidly growing frontier of science, and to promote skills in the communication of science. The goal is to demonstrate the interdisciplinary threads that connect together the physical and life sciences, which can seem and feel like disparate areas of science in high school and university! Students must create a poster to visually tell a "story" that relates a fundamental physical concept to a basic biological (or biomedical) topic.

This is a great opportunity to help your students get excited about what is happening where biology meets physics. The first prize is $1250!! The deadline for submission is midnight May1, 2018.

For more information, go to
http://www.biophysics.yorku.ca/contest/

This year’s conference will take place May 10-12 at Western University. The theme this year is Physics at the Boundaries, where we will explore how physics interacts with other disciplines.

There will be over 30 workshops to choose from to support physics education from grade 9 to 12 and post-secondary. It is a great opportunity to share ideas and concerns, make friends and professional connections.

The costs of the conference are very low — especially if you register before the early bird deadline of April 12 — and there are special rates for teachers who are new, retired or from the elementary panel. The accommodation is subsidized ($30 per night including a hot breakfast!) and there are a limited number of subsidies for travel and first-time attendees.

For more information about the conference and to register go to https://oaopt.wildapricot.org/page-18092

Dear STEM Educators,

Greetings from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto. I hope this message finds you enjoying a healthy and productive school year. We are planning a campus event this spring designed to increase the number of young women entering STEM professions in Ontario, and we need your help! We are reaching out to Physics educators to identify top female Grade 11 Physics students to take part in our fourth annual Young Women in Engineering Symposium.

This free Symposium will take place on Saturday, May 5, 2018 and will feature:
• A keynote address from a leading female scientist or engineer
• Hands-on workshops
• An Engineering myth-busters panel
• A luncheon with current engineering female students

Kindly forward this message to your school’s Science Head, asking them to please share the application link below with up to three of their top Grade 11 female students (note that students must be entering their Grade 12 year in September 2018 and be planning on taking Grade 12 Physics):

http://uoft.me/YoungWomenEngineeringSymposium

Students interested in participating in the Symposium are asked to complete their application by Monday, March 26, 2018. Due to limited space, we may not be able to accommodate all applicants, and so we will confirm their participation through e-mail by mid-April.

Thank you very much for your help with this initiative. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or Jessica Chow (jessica.chow@ecf.utoronto.ca) if you have any questions.



All the best,

Micah Stickel

Vice-Dean, First Year
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | University of Toronto
Office of the Dean, 44 St. George Street, BA1009 | Toronto | Ontario | M5S 2E4
Email: cfy@ecf.utoronto.ca, m.stickel@utoronto.ca
Web: www.engineering.utoronto.ca, www.uoft.me/mstickel
Tel 416.978.7805 | Fax 416.946.0371

Plans are well underway for this year’s conference which is being held May 10-12 at the University of Western Ontario.

This year’s theme is Physics at the Boundaries. We will be highlighting some of the exciting things happening where physics connects with astronomy, biology, philosophy and more! Physics is more than a body of knowledge — it is a very successful way of approaching a wide variety of problems.

Proposals for Workshop Sessions:
We are still accepting proposals for sessions, but the deadline of Jan. 26, 2018 is fast approaching. If you have something to present please fill out this form.

Financial Support for Attendees:
The OAPT is aware that it can be very difficult for high school teachers to attend the OAPT conference because so little financial support for professional development is made available by their schools, board and unions. We encourage teachers to tap into these sources wherever possible. In addition we make things easier on teachers’ wallets in four ways. These supports are only possible through the generosity of several organizations.

• Conference fees are kept very low because the host university provides the facilities and many of the speakers at no cost. Our thanks this year go to our host: Western University
• Residence fees are kept to $29.99 a night because the real costs are subsidized by the University of Toronto’s Electrical and Computer Engineering. We thank U of T ECE for their many years of support for this and the OAPT Grade 11 Physics Contest.
• Travel fees for teachers coming from northern Ontario and similar large distances are covered by the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics. (This year, Ottawa will be covered.) To apply to receive this subsidy, please fill in this form.
• Supply Teacher costs will be covered for a number of teachers attending for the first time. This is being offered for the first time this year using profits from our last few conferences. To apply to receive this subsidy, please fill in the following form.
  

Tags: Conference

On Wednesday May 23, 2018, the OAPT is running its annual grade 11 physics contest. The competition is meant to check students’ understanding of the grade 11 curriculum. Students have 60 minutes to answer 30 multiple choice questions.

It takes a team of volunteers to make the contest happen and we want to open it up to the membership to get involved. We are looking for questions. Criteria include: (a) being based on the grade 11 curriculum, (b) mostly conceptual, and (c) original. Whether you have one question or five (or ten), please email it/them to oaptcontest@gmail.com by December 15.

Afterwards, the questions will be made available through the OAPT website as a resource for teachers to use as evaluations or as concept peer review questions. Credit will be given to all contributors.

More info about the contest and FAQ:
http://www.oapt.ca/grade_11_contest/

Signing up for the contest and viewing previous contests:
http://oapt.ece.utoronto.ca

Thank you for volunteering and / or signing up.

Tags: Contest

Chris Meyer will be presenting at the University of Guelph Department of physics this coming Tuesday, January 24. All are welcome.

Title of Talk: Revolutions in Physics Education: Build a Better Student, Build a Better Teacher

Abstract: We live in an exciting time for teaching physics. Over 30 years of education research by physics professionals is transforming physics teaching from a mystical art into a practical science. In the process, many educational myths have been successfully challenged. Research is providing great insight into the cognitive development of our students’ physics understanding and the accompanying physical changes that take place in the brain. As a result, pedagogical techniques have broken free from the traditions and fads of the past, and are now grounded in an empirical understanding of how humans learn. By creating a research-based learning environment, we can literally build better students and build better teachers. In this talk, Chris will share the key results from education research that inspired him to create a lecture-free high school physics program that is now spreading across Ontario.

For more information visit: https://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/events/physics-colloquia/revolutions-in-physics-education-build-a-better-student-build-a-better-teacher

Dr. Jason Cole
Research Scientist, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma)
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

Date: Tuesday February 21, 2017
Location: Durham District School Board, 400 Taunton Road East, Whitby Ontario
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Understanding Earth's climate and factors that affect it is a complex and important issue for society. Models of varying detail and scope are tools that can be used to capture our knowledge about climate and to explore its response to different scenarios. In this talk, Dr. Cole will discuss the basic ideas behind one such model, called an Earth System Model, illustrating how we translate our scientific understanding into mathematical models and in turn use computer technology to solve the mathematics.

Jason Cole is a research scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). He works on development and improvement of atmospheric processes in the Canadian Earth System Model and its evaluation using satellite-based observations. Dr. Cole was granted his PhD and MSc in Meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University after having obtained his BSc in Physics and Atmospheric Sciences from McGill University.

Jan.23 to Feb.10 2017

Is astronomy part of your school curriculum but you feel uncomfortable teaching it to your students? We have the solution! Discover the Universe offers a free online astronomy workshop for teachers. In this workshop, we will cover many astronomy subjects such as phases of the Moon and the Solar system and we will provide material and activities to use in class.

For information and registration: www.discovertheuniverse.ca

This year’s conference is being held at York University from May 11 - 13 and is sponsored by the Lassonde School of Engineering. The theme this year is Affective Physics, Harnessing Passion to Power Physics.

We are now accepting proposals for workshops. If you are interested in presenting, please fill in a proposal at https://goo.gl/forms/D39iNoOEcON6TmEZ2 The deadline for submitting is Jan. 16, 2017.

Are you unsure of why the affective domain is important in physics education? You might want to read this short introduction.

Tags: Conference

July 6 – 8, 2016
London, Ontario
Presented by James Ball, Saara Naudts, Roberta Tevlin
OAPT Physics Teachers

This summer’s physics camp will be three days packed full of physics, pedagogy and professional friendship. The good news is that the OTF will pay for your overnight accommodation, meals and travel expenses. Your only cost is a $50 registration fee, and this is refunded once you complete the course. Registration is only open until June 24 and we usually fill up well before the deadline, so register ASAP. Read More...

May 31, 2016, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Presented by: Lisa Lim Cole Dave Doucette
Ontario Association of Physics Teachers

This webinar examines how the “E” in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) aligns with the inquiry process in the Science, Science & Technology, and Mathematics curriculae. This session will connect both the engineering design process to hands-on, minds-on curricular activities and the engineering innovation mindset to serving individuals, society and our environment. Building structures is just a beginning. Inspired students will build a future.

Audience: K-12 Read More...

Micah Stickel
Associate Professor, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto
Email: cfy@ecf.utoronto.ca, m.stickel@utoronto.ca

We are planning a fall campus event designed to increase the number of young women entering STEM professions in Ontario, and we need your help! We are reaching out to Physics educators to identify top female Grade 11 Physics students to take part in our third annual Young Women in Engineering Symposium.

This free Symposium will feature:
• A keynote address from a leading female scientist or engineer
• Hands-on workshops
• An Engineering myth-busters panel
• A luncheon with current engineering female students

Please share the application link below with up to three of your top Grade 11 female students (note that students must be entering their Grade 12 year in September 2016 and be planning on taking Grade 12 Physics):

http://uoft.me/YoungWomenEngineeringSymposium

Students interested in participating in the Symposium are asked to complete their application by Wednesday, June 22. Due to limited space, we may not be able to accommodate all applicants, and so we will confirm their participation through email by the end of July.

Thank you very much for your help with this initiative. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or Kate Nguyen (kate.nguyen@ecf.utoronto.ca) if you have any questions.

The next STEM Talk, “Demystifying STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” will be held on Wednesday May 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Durham District School Board! It’s FREE! It’s OPEN TO ALL!

Join us as Mark Abbott speaks about STEM Career Pathways!
Read More...

Greg Dick, Educational Outreach Manager, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
contact@perimeterinstitute.ca

No longer a rumour, scientists at Caltech, MIT, VIRGO and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration have confirmed that gravitational waves have been detected! The discovery of these ripples in the fabric of spacetime could revolutionize our ability to understand the workings of the universe.

Perimeter Institute is offering you several ways to share this pivotal moment in scientific history with your students:

• Share the excitement through classroom lessons plans and supplementary information specifically developed to help your students understand gravitational waves and the impact this discovery will have on their scientific future.

• Join us for a live webcast at 1:00pm EST as PI researchers provide an accessible discussion of the meaning and implications of LIGO’s announcement. You can access the webcast live at http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/now-streaming shortly before 1:00pm, or on-demand through the Perimeter Institute website by the end of today.

• Enjoy additional news items and the latest Slice of PI about gravitational waves on Perimeter’s website.

Today, a new window has been opened on our universe. We look forward to celebrating with you.

The OAPT annual conference will be held at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario on May 12-14, 2016.

Registration is NOW OPEN!

The Ontario Association of Physics Teachers works to support science teaching and learning. Physics is a large component of K-12 Science Curriculum. Professional dialogue, tools and opportunities for networking from a wide variety of perspectives is critical in developing strong partnerships that will enhance learning in the classroom. A wide variety of exhibitors will also be present at the conference.

A Northern Teacher Subsidy is also available for the following School Board Districts: Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timiskaming.

Any teachers from the above school boards can apply for funding to cover the cost of travel, accommodation and conference registration at: http://goo.gl/forms/wxesejxdVy. An OAPT Executive Member will be in touch with you once you have applied to confirm your financial support.

Professor Hawking takes us through the history of scientific thinking about black holes, and explains how they have posed tough challenges to conventional understanding of the laws which govern the universe. He also poses (and more importantly, explains) the question: Do black holes have no hair?

Listen to the lectures on the BBC.

Saturday January 30, 2016; 10:30 AM
Room 2005, Faculty of Social Sciences Building, University of Ottawa
Presented by Professor Sir John Pendry

The University of Ottawa Department of Physics is excited to launch a new series of public events to bring cutting edge physics to the Ottawa community. These events are targeted at high school students and their families.

The inaugural Eureka Talk will be on Saturday January 30 at 10:30am in the Faculty of Social Sciences Building (room 2005) at uOttawa. Professor Sir John Pendry will speak on the science of invisibility cloaks, which he described for the first time. We will then have a moderated discussion with Sir John about what it is like to be a practicing physicist, including such topics as decisions he made that went well and perhaps ones that he regrets. Read More...

Host: James Ball
Wednesday January 20th 2016
Room 209 John F. Ross C.V.I. 21 Meyer Drive Guelph, Ontario N1E 4H1
4:00 – 6:00

Come and check out Perimeter's latest resource of black holes. There will be activities that are suitable for the grade 9 universe unit as well as both the grade 11 and 12 physics courses. Please R.S.V.P. to James Ball (james.ball@ugdsb.on.ca) if you are planning on attending.

Wednesday January 20, 2016; 7:00 – 8:00
Room 1011, Durham District School Board (400 Taunton Road East. Whitby)
Presented by Jen Rowsell and Sarah Langer

The Biology of Camel Spiders and Arachnid Fieldwork Adventures

Forensic Entomology: HowInsects Can Help Solve Crimes Read More...

We are excited to announce funding support to Northern Ontario Teachers to attend the OAPT conference at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario on May 12-14, 2016!

The Northern Ontario teacher Subsidy will cover the cost of travel, accommodations, registration, and supply coverage! Don’t miss out!

Fill out the form at: http://goo.gl/forms/qnZ8Jc6uoe

The Definition of Northern Ontario can be found here: http://nohfc.ca/en/about-us/northern-ontario-districts

Contact Lisa Lim-Cole for more information: lisa.cole@ddsb.ca

The TAPT session Physics Games — Phun with Physics has been postponed until after Christmas. We will make another announcement when the new date is confirmed.

May 30-June 10, 2016

Start the summer with a two-week introduction to the theoretical and experimental study of quantum information processing which includes 30 hours in the labs. You will get the opportunity to interact with students from around world, work with graduate students, postdocs and IQC faculty. This program is fully funded — including your accommodations and food. You can also apply for travel bursaries.

Watch this quick video to get a feel for the full experience.

Undergraduate Research Award - all summer
Join us at IQC for the summer through an Undergraduate Research Award and work with one of our researchers – experimentalist or theorist. Not only will you enhance your research experience and prepare for your graduate studies and research career, but you get the chance to attend IQC seminars, lectures, and student talks. This is a unique opportunity to interact with an interdisciplinary research community.

Apply before January 11!
You can choose to only apply to attend USEQIP, to only apply for an Undergraduate Research Award, or apply for both.

• If you want to apply to both, click the USEQIP button. Complete the application and check the appropriate box for the Undergraduate Research Award.*

• If you only want to apply for USEQIP, click the USEQIP button. Complete the application but do NOT check the box for the Undergraduate Research Award.

• If you only want to apply for the Undergraduate Research Award, click the URA button and complete the application

NOTE: session postponed until after Christmas. Will be reposted when date confirmed.

Tuesday December 8, 2015; snacks 4:00, session 4:30 – 6:00
Staff Room, Agincourt CI (2621 Midland Avenue. Toronto)
Presented by Kathy DeNoble and Robert Prior
 
Games can be an excellent way to reinforce student learning. In this session, we will play three different games designed for kinematics, and discuss how they fit into the curriculum.

• KineCards: A card game that builds position-time and velocity-time graphs of an object's motion. Players must play matching D-T and V-T segments while competing to end at different positions.

• The Amazing Rally: An orienteering game that sends students around the school following a trail of clues. Players must draw and follow a vector diagram while maintaining a schedule, neither too fast nor too slow.

• Space Battles: A 2D space miniatures game. Players pilot spaceships which use realistic vector acceleration and movement. Advanced options add combat and relative velocity.

Although this TAPT session focuses (naturally) on physics, we will also have non-physics games on display for those of you teaching other science courses.


As usual, we will have snacks and socializing time from 4:00 – 4:30. Please email Robert (robert.prior@tdsb.on.ca) to let him know that you are coming so we can be sure to have enough food. See you there!

Over the past 18 months the OAPT has been working with Paul Rapovski, CEO of FAST Motion Studios (2 Denison Rd W, Toronto) to develop an experiential field trip for high school physics students. The intent is to reveal the variety of career pathways in the recession-proof business of entertainment production — movies, television and gaming. We successfully tested our model in September with a focus group of physics teachers — including a complement from the OAPT team. This field trip program was revealed at the recent STAO conference and we are extending the offer to our members.

To this end there are three attachments:

• Field Trip teacher's package: contains flyer, instructions and student waiver form.

• Field trip flyer, alone: for distribution to students, parents, admin etc.

• FAST STEM connection: outlines the rich STEM base of the motion picture, television and gaming industry (general info)

Please feel free to pass these along to colleagues. The first step is to identify potential date(s) for the field trip and connect with me to confirm (dave@fastmotionstudios.com). As well, contact me if you require more information.

Thank you for your time and attention to this unique and exciting initiative.

Please share it with educators, students, parents, community members and any STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) enthusiasts! It is a free event and all are welcome to attend! Mark your calendar! Hope to see you there!

Durham District School Board
400 Taunton Rd E.
Whitby, ON L1R 2K6
(905) 666-6384
Toll Free: 1-800-339-6913, Ext. 6384
Email: cole_lisa@durham.edu.on.ca
Read More...

Today the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Canadian physicist Arthur McDonald for his work on neutrino oscillations. Chris Meyer heard about it while driving to work, and talked about it with his first period class, but little did he suspect that before noon he would be interviewed by CBC Newsworld!

Tags: Nobel Prize

This year’s OAPT conference will be held at Wilfird Laurier University, Waterloo form May 12-14 and the theme is Capturing Diverse Perspectives in STEM. See the flyer for more information about the conference.

We are now accepting proposals for workshops up until Nov. 30, 2015. If you are interested in presenting please fill in a proposal at http://goo.gl/forms/F3naNAQMuH

If you are interested in reserving a table in the exhibitor space, please fill in the exhibitor information form at http://goo.gl/forms/8BXlsHlPsl

Waterloo Engineering has partnered with the Goethe Institut to run a new engineering competition this November for girls in grades 10-11 (WE GO Design).

WE Go.DEsign is a two day Engineering Design and Research Competition for women in grade 10 and 11 presented by the Goethe-Institut. The Grand Prize will be a language, engineering and culture trip to Germany during Summer 2016! There are two elements to the competition, a Research Symposium and a Design Challenge. Each element will be judged by Goethe Institut and University of Waterloo faculty and staff, with prizes awarded in each element.

For more information, visit the website:
https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/wegodesign

Hosts: Stephanie Barich and Jeannette Rensink (Pickering High School), Damian Pope and Glenn Wagner (Perimeter Institute)
Contact: Stephanie Barich, barich_stephanie@durham.edu.on.ca

Date: October 9, 2015
Time: 8:30 am - 11:00 am or 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: 180 Church Street North, Ajax, ON

Come explore the Challenge of Quantum Reality, a classroom resource designed by educators in collaboration with Perimeter Institute researchers to introduce senior physics students to the wonder and power of quantum physics. Experience the electron double-slit experiment as you participate in a hands-on classroom activity that will introduce the fundamental concepts involved in wave-particle duality.

Fly through the air with the greatest of ease! Stage epic martial arts battles or use your super powers to save the universe! Find out how they really do these amazing stunts in Hollywood movies! At FAST Motion Studios your students can design their action movie sequence, act it out on camera, and analyze the physics!

Know any students who might want to try that kind of thing? Thought so! Read More...

Learn how to include quantum technology in your curriculum

Apply for the Teaching Quantum Technology workshop (TQT) before October 30

Would you like to deepen your understanding of quantum mechanics and how to convey its beauty and societal importance to your students? The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) has a free workshop on quantum mechanics and technology that will provide you with lesson plans and affordable, ready-to-go activities to take back to your classroom. On December 5 and 6th you will participate in hands-on activities, attend a few lectures and enjoy enrichment activities, as well as take part in roundtable discussions on how to incorporate what you’ve learned into your curriculum.

You will leave this workshop with:

• The ability to teach quantum mechanics beyond the basics and discuss cutting-edge advances in the field

• Lesson plans and other affordable, ready-to-go activities for you to take back to your classroom

• Discussion points about how quantum mechanics can transform society

Space is limited, so apply now for TQT, December 5-6.

If you wish to be added to the mailing list to automatically receive updates about TQT as well as our high school students program, please sign up here giving us the consent to add you to the list.

Host: Jason Harlow
Monday Nov. 9
U of T McLennan Physical Labs, 255 Huron St. Toronto
Room 126
4:00 – 6:00 (Refreshments 4-4:30)

At this session, you will get a chance to visit our new “Practicals” room where our physics majors do their weekly activities. I’ll be sharing my experiences teaching physics by having university students work through activities in teams of 3 or 4 – rather than the lectures that you probably experienced. You will get to play – just as the students do – with three physics toys. Using “Poppers”, you will work through an inquiry-based lesson based on the different forms of energy and how energy can be transformed from one form to another. Next you will try out our good quality yo-yos and work through a lesson based on friction, work and torque. Finally, you will use a Cartesian Diver, to explore pressure, volume and buoyancy force. There will be lot of time for questions and discussions of how to make the high school-university transition smoother for our students.

As usual, we will have snacks and socializing time from 4:00 – 4:30. Please email Chris (christopher.meyer@tdsb.on.ca) to let him know that you are coming so we can be sure to have enough food. See you there!

Date: November 12th-14th, 2015
Location: International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Rd., Toronto

The STAO2015 conference offers many sessions for Secondary school educators. Highlights of the conference include:

• inquiry-based science activities, including technology-enhanced learning ideas

• STAO's 125th celebration with cake and hands-on activities from Mad Science

• Guest speaker, Bob McDonald from CBC's Quirks and Quarks, on Saturday, November 14th

• over 50 daily sessions focused on the science and technology classroom

• The STAO conference itself, along with numerous poster sessions that will inspire you

Please visit stao.ca for more information!

The 2015/2016 school year is starting up and as you start to think about the courses you will be teaching and the work you will do with your students, I encourage you to connect with us as we work together to support physics teaching in Ontario. The OAPT Conference will be held on May 12 – 14, 2016 at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. The conference will provide active learning workshops, collaborative networking opportunities and exploration of current trends in scientific and technological research. This year, the OAPT conference will focus on Diversity in Physics and STEM.

OAPT continues to support physics education at STAO. Workshops will be presented for Grade 7-10 science programs and the OAPT will be present in the exhibit hall. Let your fellow science teachers know!

I also invite you to join the OAPT team. We would love to have you join us as we prepare for this school year. Currently, we are seeking volunteers to help with the organization of the conference, writing articles for the newsletter, preparation of the Grade 11 Physics Contest and graphic design aspects of public communications for OAPT. If you are interested in joining us, contact me at: cole_lisa@durham.edu.on.ca

Looking forward to another great year!
Lisa Lim-Cole, President

Applications are now open for “Science Unlimited Summer Camp” at the University of Toronto! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for high school students to participate in a week of Physics, Astronomy, Earth Sciences, Computer Sciences, Math and Chemistry workshops.

For more information and to register, visit: https://scienceunlimited.utoronto.ca/home/

Early Bird Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2015 Regular Deadline to Apply: June 15, 2015 Read More...

The OAPT Conference is quickly approaching!

Join us at the University of Guelph on May 7-9! Let's explore the exciting world of science and build a network of science and physics educators from K-12 to post-secondary!

Registration is open!

http://www.oapt.ca/conference/Current/register.html

• Keynote by Jay Ingram!
• Active learning workshop by experienced teachers!
• Discussion panels!
• Update from University of Guelph researchers!

JOIN US!

Shawn Brooks, UTS (University of Toronto Schools)

While they are in high school, I encourage all of my students to try their hand at a physics contest — at least once.

However, it must always be seen as a voluntary enrichment activity, as like any adjudicated performance, a contest creates anxiety. To help my student cope with this I share the following advice. First, you can choose your level of preparedness. You can simply show up and write it, or you can prepare, if you wish to. It is up to you. Second, if you are not completely satisfied with your results, you do not need to tell anybody your score. Conversely, take pride in your score if you do well (just don’t forget there was some luck involved). Third, the OAPT contest is linked directly to SPH3U curriculum. It has questions from the 5 units (Kinematics, Forces, etc.) and is a great review for the exam. And, any preparation students undertake in preparation for their final exam will counter the effects of anxiety later on.

I would like to encourage you to think about offering the OAPT contest to your students this year. It is free. It takes 60 minutes of class time and it might be the last physics contest they ever write!
Read More...

Lisa Lim-Cole, President of OAPT

The 2014/2015 academic year has been an exciting one with many new initiatives for the OAPT. The OAPT website has a new look and the upcoming conference hosted by the University of Guelph Department of Physics promises to be another opportunity to obtain inspiration for physics/science teaching and network with educators across Ontario (K-12 to Postsecondary). Additionally, the Newsletter team continues to find ways to improve our OAPT publication. 

Several years ago we shifted from a quarterly print newsletter to an electronic publication, which in addition to being environmentally conscious, allowed us to include colour images, and a greater variety of articles. The latest rendering of the newsletter offers the same articles, but with greater immediacy as you will no longer have to wait quarterly for your fix of physics! Articles will be published at newsletter.oapt.ca, and archived by date of publication. Categories and tags will enable you to quickly find articles of interest to you; and, the complete set of past issues are readily available. As we move to a more dynamic platform to share upcoming events, news and resources, we encourage all of you to contribute to the Newsletter!