Constructing Physical Science

Adam Johnston

introductions

One of the very first tasks of this course is “introductions.” All the students in the class write a quick description of who they are, and I’m always impressed with people who can play water polo or bowl competitively; people who have complicated family lives that are really relatable or totally di…

journals and wonders

Where do we start to do science? I think this is a good question because it is one of those that seems like it should have an obvious, maybe trivial answer. There’s this presumption that “science is nothing more than a refinement of every day thinking,” as Einstein is frequently quoted with saying. …

Science & Arts Integration

For follow-up conversations or other resources, please contact me: Adam Johnston, Weber State University ajohnston@weber.edu, 801.626.7711 physics.weber.edu/johnston Follow up resources to workshops/activities: Making meaning: Words How do we construct and create ideas? How are there parallels in sc…

Astrophotography

Note: This is just a quick tutorial on astrophotography. For other astronomy resources, take a look at this collection I've been compiling. (And let me know if there's something more that you are looking for.) Disclaimer: I'm not an astrophotography expert. I just get the basic idea and I like to me…

analysis of motion

In our work on elevators, we measured the forces that were responsible for changes in motion. In summary, we found that an extra force ("net force") is necessary only if there's a change in motion. This is Newton's 2nd Law of Motion. Now we'll look at measurements from a slightly different angle. In…

Astronomy

Here's a collection of resources I use for astronomy workshops with teachers. Let me know about your experience with this material or about anything else I should add. Overviews: This is my introduction to all the stuff and space of astronomy, called "You Are Here." It probably (hopefully) make…

an elevator investigation

Investigate Find yourself an elevator that's reliable and, ideally, not too busy. Actually, the "too busy" part isn't that important. It's more fun to do this when others are watching. Bring a standard bathroom scale on an elevator. The scale should be able to show you a continuous readout, so typic…

Subscribe