From pen@aip.org Tue Feb 28 18:01 PST 1995
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 17:14:40 EST
From: pen@aip.org (AIP listserver)
To: pen-mailing@aip.org
Subject: PEN: February 1995, No. 2
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 4556

PHYSICS EDUCATION NEWS (PEN)
February 1995, No. 2

An electronic newsletter of the AIP Education Division

CELEBRATE THE FIRST-EVER NATIONAL PHYSICS DAY IN APRIL
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has designated Wednesday,
April 26th as the first-ever national "Physics Day."  It will be
celebrated as part of National Science and Technology Week (NSTW),
April 21-29, 1995.  The special "Physics Day," along with several
other exciting new developments, ensures that NSTW 1995, "Explore
New Worlds Through Science and Technology," will be one of the most
intriguing ever.  As an associate sponsor of NSTW, AIP encourages
all Chapters of the Society of Physics Students (SPS), and all
physics departments around the country to become involved. 
Possible activities include hosting open houses for local high
school physics students and/or teachers, contacting a local school
and volunteering to visit, arranging physics demonstrations at
local shopping malls, coordinating free public lectures, working
with other science departments for campus-wide science events, or
other endeavors that engage the public's interest.  This is a
unique opportunity to focus public attention on both the
contributions and the excitement of science.  The public
information office at your institution should be able to help you.
(If you need further ideas or assistance, please contact:  Joan
Wrather, Manager, AIP Public Information Division, telephone:  301-
209-3093; e-mail: jsw@aip.org; or Ed Neuenschwander, Manager, AIP
Education Division, telephone:  301-209-3010; e-mail:
deneuens@aix1.ucok.edu)

NSTW NETWORK ESTABLISHED TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION
To help spread the news about NSTW, the Oregon Museum of Science
and Industry (OMSI), through a grant from the NSF, has recruited 46
partners to establish the NSTW Teacher Training and Materials
Dissemination Network.  Network partners include science museums,
universities, teacher training centers, and community
organizations.  These groups have agreed to distribute NSTW
materials, hold hands-on training workshops throughout the year,
and host public events in communities across the country to
celebrate NSTW.  An activity packet for teachers is available from
the Network Partner closet to you.  The packet has six activities
marked for grade level, areas of science involved, and
interdisciplinary connections.
(For more information about the network, contact David Heil or Lynn
McKay at OMSI, telephone:  503-797-4509)

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK GOES ON LINE
The SOUNDPRINT Media Center has collaborated with the NSF to bring
this year's NSTW educational activities to students, teachers, and
parents around the country via Internet.  You can get utilize
"Explore...On Line" in several ways.  To receive the teaching
activities through automatic e-mail response, send e-mail to:
"NSTW@soundprint.brandywine.american.edu", and use the keyword
"EARTHDAY" in the subject line.  You'll receive a guide to hands-on
activities on an environmental topic for children in pre-K through
grade 8, sent automatically to your e-mail address.  To use the
interactive version of "Explore...On Line," use your World Wide Web
(WWW) browser to connect to:  "http://soundprint.brandywine.
american.edu/~nstw/".  There you can access the teaching activities
and participate in experiments and data sharing via Internet. 
There is also an on-line discussion area that teachers and students
can use to share their ideas and the results of their in-class
experiments.  There are five different listserv discussion groups: 
NSTW1-2 for 1st & 2nd graders; NSTW3-4 for 3rd & 4th graders;
NSTW5-6 for 5th & 6th graders; NSTPARE for parents; and NSTEACH for
teachers.  Use e-mail to join a listserv, by sending an e-mail
message to: "listserv@soundprint.brandywine.american.edu".  In the
body of the message, write:  "subscribe [name of listserv] [your
name]".
(All of the SOUNDPRINT Media Center's NSTW on line activities are
available free of charge to all users beginning March 1, 1995.  For
more information, contact:  Sabra Aaron, SOUNDPRINT Media Center,
telephone:  202-885-1287)

*****************************
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American Institute of Physics
Education Division
Editor:  Mr. Tracy Schwab
tschwab@aip.org, 301-209-3008
*****************************