Edutopia - September 2007 - (Page 54) Little Shop of Physics them to turn five everyday objects into a physics demonstration in a matter of minutes. From his experience leading a workshop in Chile without a translator, Jones came up with the idea for the Language of Physics. (“Speak in Physicist to me,” he’ll say to his undergraduate students, “and I’ll critique you on your grammar and syntax.”) And at St. John’s College, in Belize City, Belize, he even helped professors and undergraduates set up their own teaching lab and advised them on how they might start their own Little Shop of Physics. What did Jones learn in his travels? “Teachers are some of the coolest people in the world.” staff, and not only because it’s gratifying to say things like, “Hey, thanks for the liquid nitrogen” and “Have you seen that box of rainbow 3-D glasses?” on a regular basis. “Everyone on the crew will tell you the same thing: This is the best job they’ve ever had and ever will have,” says Nisse Deen, her face alight. “Because every single day you go home feeling like you made a difference to somebody. That is a very powerful thing.” e As Seen on TV Back at home in Fort Collins, Jones is something of a celebrity, partly because of his TV show. Everyday Science features Jones and several students exploring conceptual physics through hands-on experiments in a studio—hung, of course, with tie-dyed fabric. Most episodes include footage from such physics-filled venues as an amusement park and from vehicles such as a hot air balloon. “It’s our flagship show,” says Herb Saperstone, a lead coordinator for Poudre School District’s Channel 10, a TV station staffed largely by high school students who participate in free after-school filming and editing internships. “It’s kid oriented, it’s colorful, it has a personality. It’s become quite a phenomenon for the community.” The shows—fifteen exist so far—also air on Denver’s PBS affiliate. Clips are available for viewing on the Little Shop of Physics Web site, along with an array of handy try-it-yourself experiments. Spin-offs from the show—sixtysecond physics lessons called Science Minutes, filmed and edited entirely by Channel 10 interns—appear as interstitial programming between Channel 10’s other shows. (Science Minutes are available as free video podcasts, too; search iTunes for “Everyday Science.”). Little Shop resources have become so popular that Jones and Ferguson have begun designing classroom-friendly physics kits for teachers—including lesson plans, materials, teacher guides, and a DVD titled Everyday Science—available for purchase through American Educational Products or other vendors. “There are so many other ways to earn money than doing what I do,” says the indefatigable Jones, whose days are crammed to bursting. As a full-time professor and a full-time Little Shopper, even his weekends are regularly swamped with conferences, workshops, Super Science Saturdays, and other events. “But I’m having so much fun!” So, it seems, are the rest of the Little Shop 54 EDUTOPIA SEPTEMBER 2007 Not Afraid of the Dark: The Little Shop experience includes both a light room and a darkroom. LITTLE SHOP OF RESOURCES For an audio slide show, a Science Minute, a link to the Web site, and other hands-on physics classroom resources, go to www.edutopia.org/classroom-science-littleshop-physics http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-science-little-shop-physics
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