NJAAPT Newsletter

September 2019

Greetings NJAAPT Members:

Welcome back to a new school year! Time certainly seems to speed up in the summer, but after a few days back, we hope you are getting back into the groove. The NJAAPT calendar is already filling up with exciting events for the 2019-2020 school year, so please check out what we are planning and join us. NJAAPT activities are a great way meet and collaborate with other Physics teachers from our area and to learn new things!

We are kicking off the school year with Dave's Demos- an awesome Physics Demo show at the Bush Campus of Rutgers University on September 20th. Registration is now open for this event. Hope to see you there!

In case you weren't aware, there is a plethora of information for physics teachers on our our website. We have a calendar of upcoming events, links to important announcements and will be updating the pages for our yearly events, like Physics Olympics in the upcoming months as we plan.  Check out the Teacher Resources tab on our NJAAPT homepage for links to helpful websites, virtual labs, etc.  NJAAPT has also decided to increase its presence on social media, as well.  Like our NJAAPT Facebook Page and you will see updates for our upcoming events on your Facebook feed!

Also, please share this information with your physics colleagues who may not be members of the NJAAPT.  We want to reach as many New Jersey Physics educators as we possibly can!

This year, we are specifically looking for schools to host a few workshops. If you think your school would be willing to let us use a room for a workshop on a Saturday morning or after school someday, let us know.  We have the ideas and will run things, we just need a space to do it in! Of course, if there is a specific type of workshop you would like to see, let us know about that as well.

Here are the members of the 2019-2020 NJAAPT Executive Board:

Officers:

Jim Ferrara--President 

John Valente-- Vice-President

Daniel Kaplan--Treasurer

Randy Pratt -- Secretary

Board Members at-large

Please consider helping us in our mission to support and enrich Physics Education in New Jersey by being part of the Executive Board.  You don't need to be Einstein, it is not a huge time commitment, and you will be helping other Physics teachers. Anyone is welcome!

Have a great school year!  

Upcoming Events:

September 2019

9/20/19  Kickoff with Dave's Demo Show and Treats,  Rutgers Univ.

October 2019

TBA     Make & Take Foutan Circuit

10/22-23  NJ Science Teachers Convention,   Princeton NJ

November 2019

11/7/19   Bridges of NYC Boat Trip 

January 2020

1/18/20   Physics Olympics North & South

Recent Physics News

Can a Huge Impact Explain Jupiter's Quirky Core? Observations from NASA's Juno space probe about the distribution of heavy elements in the gas giant can be explained by a early collision with another developing planet, according to simulations run by researchers at Sun Yet-sen University in China. 

Scientists have come up with a way to store and release mechanical waves with no energy loss. Using a carbon steel bar, and a process they call "coherent virtual absorption", researchers at CUNY say they envision their findings may have applications in quantum computing and testing the structural integrity of bridges more effectively. 

Plan Ahead -- Ideas

Apply to Become an AP Reader! Every June, hundreds of physics teachers gather in Kansas City to grade the free response portion of the different AP Physics exams. It is an incredible professional development opportunity, and you get paid! Get info and apply here.

Start planning to participate in the NJ Physics Olympics, to be held on a Saturday in January, 2020.  Events will be announced in soon!

Join our national professional organization, AAPT  (NJAAPT is the local section).  You'll get access to resources on the AAPT website,  and to the national meetings (summer/winter), where you can meet and hear from Physics teachers from all over the country.  Information here.

Physics History on TV and in the Movies

First Man (2018 Film) This movie is a riveting account of the personal and professional life of Neal Armstrong, including his amazing ability to engineer in life-threatening situations. 

Chernobyl (2019 HBO Miniseries) Emmy-nominated miniseries dramatizing the 1986 disaster, from the perspective of a politician and a nuclear physicist assigned to investigate the incident.

The Physics Phunnies

NJAAPT Listserve

NJAAPT has a listserve for members.  You can ask/answer questions about Physics, teaching ideas, unidentified equipment, etc. 

To send a listserve message, send an email with your question to:  njaapt@mail.aapt.org   and it will be sent out to members.

If you do not wish to be on the listserve, please contact Nancy Michaelsen (hhsphyics@comcast.net) & Daniel Kaplan. (DKaplan@marsd.k12.nj.us)