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• Christmas lectures for schools
• Multimedia presentations on astrophysics
• RSE Schools' Lectures
• Personal visits to the department
• Pupil work experience
• Advanced Highers - Teaching aid CD-ROM
• Physics update workshops
• Saturday masterclasses for tomorrow's scientists
• Physics teachers summer school
• Advanced Highers - Rolling cylinders
• Advanced Highers - Equipment loan / laboratory sessions
• First-year lab scripts

Christmas Lectures for Schools

Each December we organise in the department a free lecture for schools on an exciting current topic in physics.  Recent examples were entitled Extra-Terrestrial Life: Is There anybody Out There?, Here is the Weather (presented by Heather Reid), and Kelvin's Legacy (featuring 500,000 Volt of electricity).

Multimedia Presentations on Astrophysics

We can offer multimedia talks describing some of the hottest research topics in astrophysics today - all linked to the physics taught in the school curriculum.  Topics covered include:

• Newton's laws and the rockets of the future
• Understanding how stars and planets form
• Atomic spectra and the search for ETs
• The Big Bang and the runaway Universe
• Einstein's relativity, black holes and space warps

To arrange a talk at your school, or to access copies of the presentations, contact Martin Hendry or click here for more details.

RSE Schools' Lectures

Members of our department are involved in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's schools' lectures. The speakers visit secondary schools in Scotland, talking on topics such as

• Colder than Cold,
• Big Bang Science,
• Black Holes and White Rabbits, and
• Hubblevision

To arrange a talk for your school contact Dr Harinee Selvadurai of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Personal Visits to the Department

At most times of the year it is possible to spend a few hours in the department to see what it is like being a student here.

If you are interested in a visit, please contact Andrew Davies.

Pupil Work Experience

Every year we offer a number of work-experience places, targeted at pupils who want to find out more about the daily work of a University physicist or astronomer. Pupils spend up to a week in technical support roles in the teaching and research of the department. Visits are arranged throughout the school year, by mutual agreement.

To find out more, or to arrange a work-experience placement, contact Dr Lyndsay Fletcher.

Advanced Highers - Teaching Aid CD-ROM

This CD-ROM, produced by staff and students in the department, contains computer-generated animations aimed at facilitating teaching of 'difficult' areas of physics. Topics covered:

• gravity
• photoelectric effect
• polarisation
• wave-particle duality
• light interactions

Contact Lucy Murray to order a free copy.

Physics Update Workshops

The department runs annual 'Physics Update Workshops' for teachers. These workshops inform of forefront research areas in Physics in a manner that is accessible and may provide useful background material for teaching of Advanced Higher Physics. In recent years topics have included Gravitational Waves (effects of gravity), Magnetic fields on the Sun and Semiconductor Nanotechnology.

To be included in the mailing list for the next workshop (spring / summer 2004) please send your name and school affiliation to Lucy Murray.

Saturday Masterclasses for Tomorrow's Scientists

In conjunction with the Royal Society of Edinburgh the department runs series of Saturday morning masterclasses, aimed at 12-14 and 16-17 year-olds. Topics are

• How to be a Weather Forecaster (hosted by Heather 'the Weather' Reid),
• How to be a Particle Physicist,
• How to be a Bridge Designer,
• How to be an Astronomer, and
• How to be a Rocket Scientist.

For further details of the next events contact Dr Harinee Selvadurai of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Physics Teachers' Summer School

For the past number years we have assisted in running a 5-day summer school, based in Edinburgh, for Physics Teachers within Scotland. Typically with attendance of 25-35, these weeks have included laboratory updates, industrial visits, and keynote speakers. Supported by the IoP, they are excellent opportunities to meet teachers throughout Scotland, exchange ideas and discuss future options.

This year, the event will take place in Glasgow from 27 June to 1 July 2005. A brochure about the event can be downloaded here. For further details and booking please contact Lucy Murray.

Advanced Highers - Rolling Cylinders Demonstration

This demonstration involves different cylinders rolling down a slope. Depending on their moment of inertia, they accelerate at different rates.

Download a PowerPoint presentation explaining the experiment.

Contact Lucy Murray to order a free set of cylinders.

Advanced Highers - Equipment Loan / Laboratory Sessions

The advent of advanced higher has seen the need for new experiments, often involving expensive or difficult-to-maintain pieces of equipment. During May to September it may be possible to borrow some of these items from our own undergradute laboratory. Alternatively, the department will be delighted to host laboratory sessions (10-20 pupils + teacher) within our laboratory throughout the year (Thursday/Friday). Topics include

• motion of charged particles in EM field (e.g. fine beam tube)
• interference effects (Newton's rings, air wedge)
• polarisation (Brewster's angle, micro-wave polarisers)

To discuss your requirements / arrangements please contact Peter Barbour.

First-year lab scripts

Recently some of our school colleagues expressed interest in being able to look at our first year lab experiments in order to stimulate ideas for Advanced Higher experimental programmes. This PDF of our first-year lab scripts (270k) is drawn from our course guide and gives an indication of some of what we ask our first year students to do in the practical class.

Contact

Contact Prof. Miles Padgett with your comments, suggestions, ...