Abstract:

We describe the QuarkNet Data Portfolio, an online collection of proven instructional activities developed around strands based on authentic data from contemporary physics research. Currently, the data come from a network of student cosmic ray detectors and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) and ATLAS experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and seismic data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

The Data Portfolio organizes activities by data strand and level of student engagement. Activities differ in complexity and sophistication—tasks in Level 1 are simpler than those in Levels 2 and 3. While each level can be explored individually, students who start in one level and progress to more complex levels experience increasingly engaging and challenging tasks. This allows them to gradually deepen their use and understanding of science and engineering practices. Teachers select activities to offer a learning experience of an appropriate length and level for their students and one that allows their students to become more independent and self-directed as they progress.

At beginning levels students are introduced to the data. They apply physics concepts they have already learned to topics in contemporary physics, explore some basic physics at the heart of modern instrumentation and learn techniques for analyzing data. These activities prepare students to answer their own questions in Level 3 guided by project milestones that take them through a scientific investigation. Students lead; teachers guide at this level.

We discuss the conceptual framework for the portfolio and follow a data strand to demonstrate the increasing engagement and challenge of the activities. We provide examples of how teachers have used the activities to engage their students with this authentic data.

Keywords:

Instructional materials, authentic data, building understanding.