SHAPE
Symposium on Horizons in Astronomy and Physics Education
Department
of Physics and Astronomy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Since 2008 the UNC-BEST program has invited North
Carolina physics (and other) teachers to join us for a symposium on current
advances in physics, astronomy, and the teaching of these subjects in secondary
schools. The symposia feature talks by leaders in the field about
astronomy and physics research, the application of physics in a variety of
contexts, and physics and astronomy pedagogy. There are
also hands-on activities and tours of research labs in the UNC-CH Physics
& Astronomy Department or activities at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Teachers who come to SHAPE have the opportunity
to share ideas and learn from other teachers from across North Carolina in an
informal atmosphere. Those who attend the entire symposium are eligible to
receive Continuing Education Unit credits.
To see list of speakers and hands-on activities from recent symposia, look here.
The titles of the talks presented at the 2019 symposium were:
- Dr. Robert Janssens (UNC-CH) It’s Nuclear: The Hulk, Gamma Rays, the Atomic Nucleus and Shining Stars
- Mr. Michael Wilson (NCSU) Bringing Light into the Light: Redesigning How We Portray Electromagnetic Waves for Better Student Understanding
- Dr. Tom Clegg (UNC-CH) Why is the Globe Warming? How Physics Explains the Earth's Temperature Rise
- Dr. Allison Hartman (Leica Microsystems) A-Scan, B-Scan, Eye Scan: Using Optical Coherence Tomography to Create 3D Eye Images
After lunch there will be a hands-on workshop on "Astronomy by Sight" led by Dr. Dan Young (UNC-CH) followed by a special presentation at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
The symposium will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the Department of Physics and Astronomy on
the campus of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the activities will
end at 5:00 p.m. The registration fee of $20 (payable in advance or at the
start of the symposium) covers all symposium materials as well as lunch.
We look
forward to seeing you at SHAPE 2019!
To register for the symposium, follow this
link. Detailed information about the symposium logistics will be sent to
all registrants.