Description of Program

The CSU Physics Van has been operating since Spring 2003 with support from the Illinois Board of Higher Education.  Funding from Physics on the Road Program has allowed the CSU Physics Van to obtain new equipment  that support our current efforts. Funding from the Physics on the Road Program has allowed us to purchase new equipment from PASCO Scientific that will enhance our current efforts.
The three objectives of the Physics Van Program are to (1) develop and utilize laboratory curricula which address the state goals for learning (2) implement a teacher in-service training program for high school physics teachers and (3) provide classroom equipment and support for implementation of the physics laboratory curricula.  These objectives differ from the traditional demonstration oriented program in that the CSU Physics Van program attempts to involve entire classes in activities that promote the development of physics concepts through experiments, observations, and reasoning.
During the first half of the funding period from the Physics on the Road Program we purchased the PASCO interface and probes and have worked with 15 teachers from the Chicago area in using the equipment in Physics Van Activities.  The pictures above show teachers in out summer 2005 summer inservice using the PASCO Glx equipment to analyze motion. In the early activities walk in front of the motion sensor as they focus on the characteristics of the position vs. time graph for constant velocity situations. Teachers then move on to situations in which the velocity is not constant.  They use fan carts and tracks and produce motions in which the acceleration is constant.

Mel Sabella
Chicago State University
Department of Chemistry and Physics
9501 S. King Drive / SCI 232
Chicago, Il 60628
msabella@csu.edu
Phone: 773-995-2172
Fax: 773-995-3809

Gloria A. Pritikin
Physics Van Driver
GAPritikin4128@aol.com
Phone: 708-749-4994

Last modified July 28, 2005

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