Quest for Physics

We had a colloquium talk yesterday from the very energetic Jessica Clark of the American Physical Society's outreach office who talked about the many things that the APS does to bring positive physics experiences to a wide audience. It was a terrific talk, and brought to my attention a couple of programs I hadn't heard about before, aimed at introducing physics to a younger audience.

One of these, aimed at middle-school students and teachers is the "Physics Quest" puzzle activities:

PhysicsQuest is a middle school competition that consists of four physical science experiments centered on a mystery. The experiments are designed to be done by small groups in a classroom or after school setting. Each of the experiments gives students a clue that they need to solve the mystery. Classes can submit their answers online and be entered into a random drawing for prizes. PhysicsQuest kits are provided free to registered classrooms.

The mysteries are built around colorful historical physicists-- so far, they've done Einstein, Ben Franklin, Marie Curie, and Nikola Tesla-- so there's really something for everyone. Detailed instructions on how to do the experiments from past kits (including parts lists) are on the Physics Central site, so you can download them if you like. Anyone teaching science to middle-school kids should definitely take a look at this program, which is a friendly and accessible way to get kids interested in some difficult concepts.

The other program is pitched even younger: the Color Me Physics coloring and activity books. Think Highlights magazine, only with science content. Jessica left us a few copies, which were quickly snapped up by the adult physicists in attendance, ostensibly for their kids, but you can download the materials from the web site as well, and get your 4-to-8-year-old hooked early...