Introducing RT;DL Virtuals: A Pithy Matter and Electroscopia

In the throes of my panicked pandemic preparation for my Physics and AP Physics courses, I tried to preserve as much of the flavor of the in-person courses as I could. But with students online at home rather than in class with hands on apparatus, what to do? This was just one of the ongoing challenges of remote teaching/distance learning (RT;DL).

I opted to record observations for students to watch as they worked through lab activities. Students worked together in lab group Zoom breakout rooms. There are obvious downsides, and there were no doubt creative and innovative ways to leverage benefits (?) of the Zoom medium. But I'm just not that clever. Keeping head above water was challenge enough.

The upside to this approach was that the lab activity instructions needed only moderate modification. And that matched my goal. So the eventual post-lab quizzes required very little adjustment (if any).

Here are two of the products of that redesign process, now polished for distribution in my Lessons of Phyz store at Teachers Pay Teachers. These are devoted to electrostatics. Details are in the product descriptions.

The activities are written much as they would be for in-class, hands-on experiences. But students access the videoclips of procedures to make their observations. And there are special Instructors' Only videoclips to be shone to student groups when they've reached the point in the activity that calls for those observations. I did my best to provide group-specific observations so that inappropriate inter-group collaborations (i.e., cheating) is minimized. 

I'm happy with how they turned out. They may not be as good as Pivot Interactives, but why would you judge me against such a high standard?

A Pithy Matter [Virtual Lab Experiment] at Teachers Pay Teachers

Electroscopia [Virtual Lab Experiment] at Teachers Pay Teachers

Each of these includes:

Student print-friendly Google Docs file

Answer Key (Google Docs)

Access to video observations (link embedded in student file)

Instructor access to special observations (link embedded in the answer key)

Batteries and Bulbs - PhET

When I was frantically redesigning lab activities for remote teaching/distance learning (RT;DL) in 2021, a practical goal was to do so in such a way that my existing post-lab quizzes would require as little modification as possible. No mods would be ideal! 

For this one, I knew I could lean on PhET's Circuit Construction Kit: DC fairly hard, even though I had never previously used it in class. I had always been quite content to do this activity hands-on in class. The opening section had students sketching and labeling the anatomy of miniature incandescent light bulbs, which is very helpful in getting one to light using a battery and some wires.

I maintained that section, using a photo of said bulb. From there, we went into the PhET sim (with a better understanding of why PhET shows the bulb's contact points the way it does). The explorations I previously had students do with real batteries, bulbs, and wires were easy enough to replicate in the sim. I do prefer the in-class, hands-on version of this lab, but that version was not on the menu in Spring 2021.

A favorite moment in this activity is the question of how bright the bulb will light if two batteries are used instead of one. The correct answer is not the intuitive one. Students get a second crack at answering that one after they explore the possibilities. 

In any case, my old post-lab quiz needed very little modification. Now it makes a perfect solution for students who miss the in-class activity. Or however you might envision using it.

Batteries and Bulbs [PhET] at Teachers Pay Teachers

Welcome to Earth

National Geographic · 2021 · Presenter: Will Smith

Darren Aronofsky and Will Smith teamed up in 2016 for National Geographic's One Strange Rock. For that series, US astronauts offered their perspective on the home planet while the storyline focused on the things that make life possible and enduring on Earth. The photography is stunning. The locations and people are captivating. And the astronauts hold the narrative together, along with Will Smith. I created questions sets for all the episodes. To me, the mix of earth science and biology made One Strange Rock a natural fit for the NGSS course, The Living Earth.

Sources on the Internet indicated that a second season had been green lit. But ... crickets ... then the pandemic. I had given up by the time promos appeared. Seems like I only knew of it weeks before Welcome to Earth premiered on Disney+.

In this series, Will Smith wants to be an explorer. A team of explorers take him to the ends of the earth and beyond. Aronofsky's cinematographers continue to shine. Most episodes clock in at 40 minutes or less (episode 1 is 44 minutes). The academic content is less dense than it was in One Strange Rock. The unexpected bonus is great representation, including a blind wilderness explorer and an agile amputee.

Welcome to Earth on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. THE SILENT ROAR
On a remote island in the Pacific, Will Smith descends into the heart of an active volcano to investigate sounds beyond human hearing. Will discovers that everything on our planet creates its own unique sound—even if we can’t always hear it. With the help of technology, we can tune into the hidden sounds of our planet, from the pull of the moon on our mountains and cities to a silent rumble so deep and powerful, it can move the earth around it. 

Shooting locations include Tanna in Vanuatu, the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, San Juan de la Vega in Mexico, Öran in Sweden, and The Dolomites in Italy. Explorers include Erik Weihenmayer, Jeffrey Johnson, Diva Amon, Cory Richards, and Michel André.

Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

BBC · 2011 · Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili

Until recently, electricity was seen as a magical power. It could slay the living, revive the dead, and bend the laws of nature. It is now the lifeblood of the modern world, fueling our lives and underpinning every aspect of technological advancement. Without it, we would be lost. Professor Jim Al-Khalili tells the electrifying story of our quest to master nature's most mysterious force.

Al-Khalili takes us on a journey from the pioneers of electrostatic demonstrations to the age of electromagnetic waves. It's a human story of the history of electricity, with twists and turns I did not know.

Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. SPARK
This episode presents a nice history of early electrical devices and practitioners. Professor Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of our quest to master nature's most mysterious force - electricity. Episode one tells the story of the very first `natural philosophers' who started to unlock the mysteries of electricity. They studied its curious link to life, built strange and powerful instruments to create it and even tamed lightning itself.

Atom

BBC · 2007 · Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili

The story of the discovery that everything is made from atoms, one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history, and the brilliant minds behind it.

Atom on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. CLASH OF TITANS 
The modern understanding of the atom unfolded in the early years of the twentieth century. Baffling discoveries made by ingenious experimental scientists challenged the foremost theoretical physicists of the era. Rival factions fought over competing models. The players were human, with human strengths and weaknesses. Hard-fought victories were matched by crushing defeats. At the end of it all, a contemporary model of the atom emerged. Heads up: the expletive abbreviated “BS” is uttered in this episode.

Featured scientists: Ludwig Boltzmann, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, and Max Born.

Universe Revealed

PBS NOVA · 2021 · Narrator: Talithia Williams

 

In this five-part series, NOVA delves into the vastness of space to capture moments of high drama when the universe changed forever. State-of-the-art animation gives us astonishing, photo-realistic glimpses of the birth of a star in a stellar nursery, the chaos created as two galaxies collide, and the power of a super-massive black hole as it flings a star across space so violently that it's still traveling 10 million years later. NOVA even takes viewers back on the ultimate time travel voyage, to witness the birth of space and time itself. Informed by huge advances in scientific understanding, the series brings us face-to-face with the most surprising characters in the cosmos and reveals how their fates are intertwined with our own. Take a ringside seat for the greatest show in the universe.

I confess feeling simultaneous embarrassment and exhilaration while watching this series, as I learned something I did not know in each episode. Don't get me wrong: you could fill the Grand Canyon with Things I Don't Know, even if you limit it to Things I Should Know. I'll take the hits to my ego to add "Fermi bubbles" to my vocabulary. 

I think this series incorporates nicely into NGSS Physics of the Universe. Especially Segment 6. And there is a refreshing diversity among the on-screen content experts that has been missing from astronomy documentaries of yesteryear.

Watch this on the biggest screen you can manage. The visuals are gorgeous, and the sounds fill the room.

Universe Revealed on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. AGE OF STARS
The sun is our life-giving source of light, heat, and energy, and new discoveries are unraveling its epic history. Join NOVA on a spectacular voyage to discover the sun’s place in a grand cycle of birth, death and renewal that makes this the age of stars. Witness how stars of every size and color came to populate our universe; how stars stage a dramatic exit when they explode as supernovae, which can outshine an entire galaxy; and how, billions of years in the future, the age of stars will lead ultimately to an age of darkness.

Featuring Gibor Basri, Sownak Bose, Emma Chapman, David Charbonneau, Christopher Chen, Payel Das, Courtney Dressing, Rana Ezzeddine, Lucie Green, Ghina Halabi, Nia Imara, Kelly Korreck, Philip Muirhead, Eugene Parker, Raman Prinja, Grant Tremblay, and Anjali Tripathi.

Beyond the Elements

PBS NOVA · 2020 · Presenter: David Pogue

Picking up where he left off in NOVA's popular special, Hunting the Elements, David Pogue sets out on a worldwide quest to find the key molecules and chemical reactions that have paved the way for human civilization, life, and even the universe as we know it. And along the way, he uncovers the simple principles that produce such a dizzying diversity of matter from elements on the periodic table.

Beyond the Elements on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. REACTIONS
Just about every solid, liquid, or gas in the world as we know it begins with reactions between individual atoms and molecules. Host David Pogue dives into the transformative world of chemical reactions, from the complex formula that produces cement to the single reaction that’s allowed farmers to feed a global population by the billions—a reaction that when reversed, unleashes the powerful chemistry of high explosives.

Featuring Eric Buchanan, Edward Cussler, Joseph Franek, John Goetz, Juliette Gorson, Theodore Gray, John Hayes, Mandë Holford, Cory Marquart, and Tom Pleva.

Hunting the Elements

PBS NOVA · 2011 · Presenter: David Pogue

HUNTING THE ELEMENTS

Where do nature's building blocks, called the elements, come from? They're the hidden ingredients of everything in our world, from the carbon in our bodies to the metals in our smartphones. To unlock their secrets, David Pogue, technology columnist and lively host of NOVA's popular "Making Stuff" series, spins viewers through the world of weird, extreme chemistry: the strongest acids, the deadliest poisons, the universe's most abundant elements, and the rarest of the rare—substances cooked up in atom smashers that flicker into existence for only fractions of a second.

Hunting the Elements on Teachers Pay Teachers

Student document and answer key are provided as a Google Docs on Google Drive.

Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC · 2010 · Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili

Series in which Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of how the elements, the building blocks that make up our entire world, were discovered and mapped.

Chemistry: A Volatile History on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. THE DISCOVERY OF THE ELEMENTS

The story of how the elements were discovered and mapped begins with the alchemists who questioned that the world was made up of earth, air, fire and water.

2. THE ORDER OF THE ELEMENTS 

Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks at how the early scientists' bid to decode the order of the elements was driven by false starts and bitter disputes.

Earth Science 6: Astronomy Beyond the Solar System

Earth Science 6: Astronomy Beyond the Solar System on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. LIFE AND DEATH OF A STAR

Ignited by the power of the atom, burning with light, heat and wrath, stars are anything but peaceful. They collide, devour each other, and explode in enormous supernovas.

2. INVISIBLE UNIVERSE REVEALED 

Twenty-five years ago, NASA launched one of the most ambitious experiments in the history of astronomy: the Hubble Space Telescope. In honor of Hubble's landmark anniversary, NOVA tells the remarkable story of the telescope that forever changed our understanding of the cosmos. But Hubble's early days nearly doomed it to failure: a one-millimeter engineering blunder had turned the billion-dollar telescope into an object of ridicule. It fell to five heroic astronauts in a daring mission to return Hubble to the cutting edge of science. This single telescope has helped astronomers pinpoint the age of the universe, revealed the birthplace of stars and planets, advanced our understanding of dark energy and cosmic expansion, and uncovered black holes lurking at the heart of galaxies. Join NOVA for the story of this magnificent machine and its astonishing discoveries.

Earth Science 5: Astronomy in the Solar System

Earth Science 5: Astronomy in the Solar System on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. METEOR STRIKE 

Scientists hunt for debris from the 7,000-ton asteroid that crashed in Russia, searching for clues to its origin and makeup; a review of past explosions, from Tunguska to the asteroid that extinguished the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

2. FINDING LIFE BEYOND EARTH Part 1: ARE WE ALONE? 

Scientists are on the verge of answering one of the greatest questions in history: Are we alone? Finding Life Beyond Earth immerses audiences in the sights and sounds of alien worlds, while top astrobiologists explain how these places are changing how we think about the potential for life in our solar system. We used to think our neighboring planets and moons were fairly boring—mostly cold, dead rocks where life could never take hold. Today, however, the solar system looks wilder than we ever imagined. Powerful telescopes and unmanned space missions have revealed a wide range of dynamic environments—atmospheres thick with organic molecules, active volcanoes, and vast saltwater oceans. This ongoing revolution is forcing scientists to expand their ideas about what kinds of worlds could support life.

Earth Science 4: Tectonics, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes

Earth Science 4: Tectonics, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. COLLIDING CONTINENTS 

The history and a projection of the future of the Earth's land masses caused by continental drift is explained by the theory of plate tectonics.

2. How Earth Made Us | How the Earth Changed History

Professor Iain Stewart examines the role of geology in the history of mankind in this documentary program. Each of the classical elements plays a role - for instance, he points out that mankind has been drawn to fault lines for centuries, since this is the best place to find minerals, oil, soil suitable for farming, etc. But with these riches comes great danger, of course, since locating communities on the fault lines makes them vulnerable to earthquakes. Subsequent episodes review the cycle of freshwater, the force of the wind, and fire both as a source of energy and a terrifying force of nature. From crystal caves in Mexico to holes in the Iranian desert and a mysterious lake in Oregon, Stewart travels the globe to hammer his point home.

Earth Science 3: Climate Change and Human Impact

Earth Science 3: Climate Change and Human Impact on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. BEFORE THE FLOOD

A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.

Using his celebrity status to draw attention to the problem of global warming, one of the most important and pressing issues of our time, actor and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Leonardo DiCaprio, travels the globe to witness firsthand the effects of an impending environmental disaster. By visiting ancient melting glaciers and leveled Indonesian tropical forests, DiCaprio unearths an urgent situation and the world's dependence on fossil fuels, going as far as to visit President Obama himself for an in-depth interview. But, can this crusade inspire the climate-change deniers?

Earth Science 2: Atmosphere and Weather

Earth Science 2: Atmosphere and Weather on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. OUR ATMOSPHERE

In the empty blackness of space, surrounded by hostile planets and freezing vacuum, planet Earth is an oasis of life. And all because of our protective cocoon of gas. This blanket of air shapes everything we see on Earth. It protects, insulates, and sustains us. It carries water around the globe and shields us from cosmic impacts and killer radiation. It’s time to uncover the invisible wonder that is our atmosphere.

Earth Science 1: Science, Mapping, and Water

Earth Science 1: Science, Mapping, and Water on Teachers Pay Teachers

P R O G R A M S

1. SECRETS OF THE PSYCHICS

Can psychics predict the future? Many people seem to think so. Others argue that, in most cases, so-called psychic experiences are really misinterpretations of events. In this episode of NOVA, magician and confirmed skeptic James Randi challenges viewers to weigh the evidence for and against the existence of psychic phenomena.

How Earth Made Us | How the Earth Changed History

BBC · 2010 · Presenter: Iain Stewart

Professor Iain Stewart examines the role of geology in the history of mankind in this documentary program. Each of the classical elements plays a role - for instance, he points out that mankind has been drawn to fault lines for centuries, since this is the best place to find minerals, oil, soil suitable for farming, etc. But with these riches comes great danger, of course, since locating communities on the fault lines makes them vulnerable to earthquakes. Subsequent episodes review the cycle of freshwater, the force of the wind, and fire both as a source of energy and a terrifying force of nature. From crystal caves in Mexico to holes in the Iranian desert and a mysterious lake in Oregon, Stewart travels the globe to hammer his point home.

How Earth Made Us | How the Earth Changed History on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. DEEP EARTH | Beneath the Crust 
In this first episode, Iain explores the relationship between the deep Earth and the development of human civilisation. He visits an extraordinary crystal cave in Mexico, drops down a hole in the Iranian desert and crawls through 7,000-year-old tunnels in Israel.

His exploration reveals that throughout history, our ancestors were strangely drawn to fault lines, areas which connect the surface with the deep interior of the planet. These fault lines gave access to important resources, but also brought with them great danger.

Our Planet

Netflix · 2019 · Narrator: David Attenborough 

Share the wonder of the extraordinary place we call home. Utilizing the latest technology Our Planet was filmed entirely in Ultra High Definition in over 50 countries. From exotic jungles to the deepest seas, open your eyes to the connections we all share.

Just some of the buzz for Our Planet:

'Our Planet' Is A Remorseful Call To Arms [NPR's Fresh Air - 26 April 2019]

Staggering, Marvelous Our Planet Is the Nature Show We’ve Been Waiting For [Variety - 9 April 2019]

Our Planet Is a Beautiful but Punishing Glimpse of Earth’s Worst-Case Scenario [Vulture - 25 April 2019}

Our Planet on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. ONE PLANET 
The habitats that make up our planet are connected and reliant upon each other. The astonishing diversity of life on earth depends on these global connections. Witness the planet's breathtaking diversity—from seabirds carpet-bombing the ocean to wildebeests eluding the wild dogs of the Serengeti.

2. FROZEN WORLDS 
Our poles are some of the earth's last remaining wildernesses. And yet just as we are beginning to understand these extraordinary places, they are changing fast. On the unforgiving frontier of global warming, polar bears, walruses, seals and penguins find their icy Edens in peril.

Conceptual Physics Alive!

Arbor Scientific · 1991 · Presenter: Paul Hewitt

Master teacher Paul Hewitt teaches noncomputational Conceptual Physics. Observe Hewitt teach in a classroom with real students, using engaging demonstrations and artwork.

Years ago, I found myself serving jury duty during my unit on waves. I had the substitute show the Mechanical Universe episode on waves, and a Conceptual Physics Alive episode on waves. When I returned, I asked my students which video they preferred. To my surprise, they preferred Hewitt's videotaped classroom lecture over the slickly produced television program. That's not to take anything away from the massive accomplishment that is The Mechanical Universe. Rather, it speaks highly of Hewitt's extraordinary ability to connect to students.

Conceptual Physics Alive on Teachers Pay Teachers

SETS AND EPISODES

Set 1: Motion
1. INTRODUCTION
Author Paul Hewitt describes the perspective taken in the Conceptual Physics program and offers a preview of things to come. The program begins with a description of how the video series came to be. Enjoy the clips from the “old days” going all the way back to 1974!

2. LINEAR MOTION 

In this lecture, Paul Hewitt describes the relationship between distance, speed, and time for objects moving at constant speed. He then discusses how accelerated motion is different. Lastly, he shows how to determine “how fast” and “how far” for objects in free fall.

3. VECTORS AND PROJECTILES 

In this lecture, Paul Hewitt reviews uniform motion and accelerated motion. He then combines those ideas to explain the nature of projectile motion. 

 

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

PBS BBC · 2018 · Narrator: Patrick Stewart

Take a mind-blowing journey through human history, told through six iconic inventions that modern people take for granted, and see how science, invention, and technology built on one another to change everything.

This series spotlights the history of engineering, which aligns nicely with the NGSS emphasis on engineering. While Patrick Stewart narrates, there is refreshing representation among the various presenters who appear throughout the series.

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the Word on Teachers Pay Teachers

E P I S O D E S

1. THE TELESCOPE 
Episode 1 tells the story of the development of the telescope, from a stone-age observatory to the space-based telescopes of the future.

Scholars Derrick Pitts (The Franklin Institute), Brett Salmon & Dan Coe (Space Telescope Science Institute), Fabio Silva (Bournemouth University), Shelley James (Glass Artist), Jim Al-Khalili (University of Surrey), Binh Danh (San Jose State University), and Lindsay Smith Zrull (Harvard Observatory) tell us the story of the telescope.

It entails long-abandoned Stone Age dolmens once used as celestial calendars, how Venetians made glass transparent, the optics of a medieval Persian camera obscura, a Dutch lens maker’s wartime breakthrough and a Venetian math teacher’s advancement of it, a Parisian invention improved by a spilled bottle of mercury, a team of women known as human computers who were armed with fly spankers, an athlete-turned-astronomer working high above Los Angeles, and telescope in space that will allow us to see as far as physics will allow.

Episode 1 "breakthrough celebrities" include Galileo Galilei, Edwin Hubble, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Louis Daguerre, Hans Lippershey, and Ibn al-Haytham.

The Mechanical Universe: College

Annenberg CPB · 1987 · Presenter: David Goodstein

The Mechanical Universe...and Beyond is a critically-acclaimed series of 52 thirty-minute videotape programs covering the basic topics of an introductory university physics course. The series was originally produced as a broadcast telecourse by the California Institute of Technology and Intelecom, Inc. with program funding from the Annenberg/CPB Project.

Each program in the series opens and closes with Caltech Professor David Goodstein providing philosophical, historical and often humorous insight into the subject at hand while lecturing to his freshman physics class. The Mechanical Universe contains hundreds of computer animation segments, created by Dr. James F. Blinn, as the primary tool of instruction. Dynamic location footage and historical re-creations are also used to stress the fact that science is a human endeavor. 

The series has been broadcast as a telecourse over the PBS television network and can still be seen on many PBS stations. The Mechanical Universe is arguably the most successful attempt to date to use video technology in the presentation of rigorous physics instruction.

Index of all episodes of The Mechanical Universe: College Editions and High School Adaptations.

The Mechanical Universe on Teachers Pay Teachers

EPISODES

1. INTRODUCTION

This preview introduces revolutionary ideas and individuals from Copernicus to Newton, and links the physics of the heavens and the earth.

2. THE LAW OF FALLING BODIES

Galileo's imaginative experiments proved that all bodies fall with the same constant acceleration.

3. DERIVATIVES

The function of mathematics in physical science and the derivative as a practical tool.

4. INERTIA

Galileo risked his favored status to answer the questions of the universe with his law of inertia.