Physics Teacher SOS
NEW TEACHER WORKSHOP


Welcome to the PTSOS website. We focus on content useful for teachers new to
teaching physics at the high school and community college level.

Dan Burns
Workshop Leader
Los Gatos HS (retired)
PASCO Scientific and LLNL

Dan has been teaching high school physics since 1992. He has been a member, officer, and contributor with NCNAAPT. He works with the SETI Institute, USGS, AAPT, SJSU, and serves as the Faculty Scholar at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Recently, Dan has accepted a position with PASCO Scientific as their new Physics and Physical Science Curriculum and Training Developer.

Tom Shefler
Workshop Leader
Granada HS, Livermore


Tom teaches physics, math, engineering, and astronomy at Granada High School in Livermore. He has a physics degree from Western Michigan University and a Masters in astronomy from Cal. While working on his Masters, Tom discovered Supernova 1998DT. Tom works as a Faculty Scholar at LLNL where he helps conduct the Fusion/Astrophysics Teacher Research Academy and the popular Science on Saturday program.

Abigail Plemmons
Outreach Coordinator

Photo and bio coming soon.

PTSOS is made possible by a grant from The Karl L. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.
*Food, beverages, and snacks are provided by a grant from Joe Marasco.


Join the PTSOS Group

Get the latest announcements and updates on PTSOS! For more information email
Abigail Plemmons:
PTSOSrocks@gmail.com


PTSOS is brought to you by The Northern California and Nevada Section of The American Association of Physics Teachers.

Photos of Past Workshops
PTSOS Workshop 1/31/09
PTSOS Workshop 1/22/11

PTSOS Founders

Paul Robinson
Former Workshop Leader
San Mateo HS
(Retired)

Paul taught high school physics from 1974 to 2011. He is a long-time member of and contributor to NCNAAPT having served as Program Chair, Historian, and Section Representative for many years. He is the author of the Conceptual Physics lab manuals and the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 1987.

Stephanie Finander
Former Outreach Coordinator
Woodside High School


Stephanie has taught high school physics since 1990. She is a long-time member of and contributor to NCNAAPT. She is a principal founder and organizer of the PTSOS New Teacher Workshop, and was moderator of the PTSOS discussion group.

PTSOS Homepage | Workshop 1 | Workshop 2 | Workshop 3


       

Workshop #1: September 16, 2023

The Gravity of the Matter (Mechanics)

Files and Resources by Dan Burns

 


To download files...

MAC/PC: right-click on the file and follow the prompt.


  Newton's Laws
[download folder NewtonsLaws.zip (1.14GB)]

BlinkyLED-Slo-Mo.mov

DragRace.doc

Elevator2.ds

Elevator2Key.ds

ElevatorHandout.docx

ElevatorLabNew.docx

 

  Elevator Slides

Elevator.mp3

Elevators.pptx

SpeedElevator.mov

Wonkavator.mov

forc017.pdf

forc034.pdf

Fun-things-to-do-in-an-elevator.docx

FuN.mov

JohnnyCarsonEggTrick.mov

MotorcycleTablecloth.mov

Newton1-Hewitt-Qs.doc

Newton1-Hewitt.mov

Newton1ShoppingCarts.mov

 

  Newton 1 Slides

5kgShake.mov

5kgShake2.mov

5kgShake3.mov

Anvil.mov

CarCrash.mov

Carcrash2.mov

Clay.mov

Clay2.mov

coin3.mov

egg-overhead.mov

Egg-side-slo.mov

FeynmanBall-Wagon.mov

Hoop.mov

hoop4.mov

Newton1.pptx

table2.mov

TableCloth.mov

tablecloth5.mov

TPRoll.mov

wagon1.mov

 

  Newton 3 Slides

EarthMoon2.mov

GunRecoil.mov

lamborghini.mov

Newt3ForceProbe.mov

Newton3.pptx

NoSail.mov

rad_elmo.gif

Sail.mov

Swim-slo-mo.mov

NewtonFirstLawTeacherGuide.doc

OMSBurn.mov

TableClothFail_copy.mov

The_Newtonian_Shot.pdf

 

  Kinematics
[download folder Kinematics.zip (235.3MB)]

AccelerationSlides.pptx

Ball-FeatherRealTimeClip.mov

Ball-FeatherRealTime.mov

Freefall-IntroSlides.pptx

MagicBee.pdf

MBL-D_copy.pptx

physics500.doc

ReactionTime-Moon.doc

SuperUltimateGraphing.doc

TowerofPisa.mov

  

  Physics Posters
[download folder PhysicsPosters.zip (28.9MB)]

Ad1-Expectation.pdf

Ad2-Wonder-3.pdf

Ad3-Do_This_Thing-2.pdf

Ad4-Lies-2.pdf

Ad5-SCiSYHP.pdf

AP_Brochure.doc

PhysicsPoster1.pdf

PhysicsPoster2.pdf

PhysicsPoster3.pdf

PhysicsPoster4.pdf

PhysicsPoster5.pdf

TakePhyzA.pdf

TakePhyzB.pdf

TakePhyzC.pdf

TakePhyzD.pdf

TakePhyzE.pdf

TakePhyzF.pdf

  

  PTSOS_1.pptx

  

  Road Runner
[download folder Road Runner.zip (44.5MB)]

BallonAnvil.mov

FanPoweredSail.mov

GiantRubberBand.mov

HumanCannonball.mov

Intro.mov

LogTunnel.mov

OutboardMotor.mov

Pendulum.mov

RoadRunner.ppt

RockFall.mov

RollingBoulder.mov

SpringLaunch.mov

SpringPunch.mov

  

  Vectors & Projectiles
[download folder Vectors_Projectiles.zip (244.1MB)]

BallisticCart.mov

DroppedBullet.mov

HighDive.mov

Monkey-Hunter.mov

MythBuster-DroppedBullet.mov

ProjectileIntroSlides.ppt

VectorPhETApplet.doc


  Center of Gravity
[download folder CenterOfGravity.zip (3.2MB)]

BikeOnRail.mov

  

  Circular Motion
[download folder CircularMotion.zip (80.8MB)]

2001.mov

AllObjectsSloMO.mov

BowlingBallGrandPrix.pdf

BowlingBallGrandPrixAnswers.pdf

BowlingBallGrandPrixQs.pdf

BroomBall.pdf

broomball1.mov

broomballcourse.jpg

FlyingPigLab.doc

Rotor.mov

RotorSlomo.mov

SkylabCan.mov

TheRotorRideLab.doc

TheRotorRideLabnoOmega.doc

  

  Energy
[download folder Energy.zip (77.5MB)]

BowlingBallPendulum.mov

BungeeJumpLab.doc

ElasticCollisions.ppt

feynman.mp3

FeynmanBallWagon.mov

FeynmanLecturesonPhysicsChap4.pdf

GoldeneyeBungee.mov

HopperPopperSlomoShort.mov

HoppingToy.mov

HoppingToySlomo.mov

NewElasticCollisionDemoLab.doc

ResurrectingFeynman.doc

  

  Gravity
[download folder Gravity.zip (90MB)]

CavendishLab.doc

Freefallcup.mov

GravityLabMySolarSystem.doc

MySolarSystem.doc

VomitComet.mov

  

  PTSOS_2-new.pptx

 

  Momentum
[download folder Momentum.zip (14.9MB)]

2DpLab.doc

2dplab1.mov

BreakingBadBoards.mov

CokeVsDiet.mov

CokeVsDietCokeDemoLab.doc

InelasticCollisionDemo.doc

rocketlab1.mov

rocketlabDataStudio.doc

  

  Peer Instruction
[download folder PeerInstruction.zip (17.7MB)]

InteractiveTeachingDVD.mov

readme.txt

 

  Concept Tests Powerpoints

CT_ac_circuits.ppt

CT_dc_circuits.ppt

CT_dielectrics-capacitors.ppt

CT_electrodynamics.ppt

CT_electrostatics.ppt

CT_energy_work_conservation
_of_energy.ppt

CT_fluid_statics.ppt

CT_forces.ppt

CT_gravitation.ppt

CT_inertial_mass_momentum
_collisions.ppt

CT_interactions.ppt

CT_kinematics.ppt

CT_magnetism.ppt

CT_modern_physics.ppt

CT_optics.ppt

CT_oscillations.ppt

CT_reference_frames.ppt

CT_rotations.ppt

CT_sound.ppt

 

  Resource Material PDFs

CEQ.pdf

CT.pdf

FCI.pdf

FlashCards.pdf

MBT.pdf

Questionnaires.pdf

RQ.pdf


Abigail Plemmons, PTSOSrocks@gmail.com | Dan Burns, danburns22222@gmail.com | Tom Shefler, tshefler@lvjusd.org