Spring 2001 meeting of ISAAPT at Principia College

Spring 2001 Meeting of the Illinois Section of the AAPT

Novel Methods for Physics Teaching
including ideas for lecture, discussion, assessment, and laboratory.

Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

April 20-21, 2001
Physics Department, Principia College
Elsah, Illinois 62028

Program Details Registration Meeting Links Photographs

Invited Presentation -- Friday at 7:30 pm
"Teaching General Relativity to Undergraduates: Some Worked Examples"
Clifford M. Will, Dept. of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis

International Space Station

Viewing coordinates for anywhere are at heavens-above.com

Good fortune has it that, if the sky is clear, we will have spectacular naked-eye views of the International Space Station from Principia College on both evenings. For comparison, here are some other magnitudes: Polaris 2, Vega and Arcturus 0, Sirius - 1.4, Jupiter - 2.
Date	Magnitude	Starts			Maximum Altitude			Ends
Date	Magnitude	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.
April 20	0.1	9:39:53	10	WNW	9:42:32	53	W	9:42:32	53	W
April 21	- 0.2	8:40:51	10	NW	8:43:58	51	NE	8:45:54	20	ESE

Here are the workshops that are being held. The first four will be on Friday morning. The last three will be on Saturday afternoon. Lab space is limited so advanced registration is recommended. At their conclusion, participants may apply to receive Continuing Professional Development Units for these workshops. Click here for workshop details.

W1. "LabVIEW for Physics", Ravi Marawar, National Instruments

W2. "When Lightning Strikes: Problem-Based Learning", Diana Roth, Lanphier High School

W3. "Just-in-Time Teaching and Peer Instruction", Carl J. Wenning, Illinois State University

W4. "Cooperative Group Problem Solving", Tom Foster, Southern Ill. Univ. at Edwardsville

W5. "Using Toys to Teach Physics, a PTRA Workshop", Jodi and Roy McCullough

W6. "A Taste of the Modeling Method of Teaching Physics", Rex and Debbie Rice

W7. "Observational Astronomy Simulations in the Instructional Laboratory", Dick Cooper

Contributed papers including those of the Student Research Symposium will be scheduled on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Principia College has a new observatory which will be open for viewing.
We will also have the opportunity to check out their newest solar car, Ra IV.
Special Event - Dave Cornell Retirement Celebration

Meeting Links

Letter of Invitation

Call for papers	online	mail or FAX
Registration form	online	mail or FAX

The program chair and local contact for sending forms by regular mail or FAX and for checking on classroom and lab facilities is:	If you have any problems with submitting information via the online forms or if there are corrections to be made, contact the person who maintains these pages:
David Cornell Department of Physics Principia College Elsah, IL 62028 Phone: 618-374-5293 (office) Phone: 618-374-1006 (home) Paul Robinson, Jr.: 618-374-5292 Benjamin Brown: 618-374-5272 College FAX: 618-374-5122 (cover page should specify David Cornell) dcorn@prin.edu	David R. Renneke Department of Physics and Astronomy Augustana College Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 Phone: 309-794-3403 Department: 309-794-3377 FAX: 309-794-7722 phrenneke@augustana.edu