How other teachers have managed a CMS project.
Teaching Strategies
Notes - Teaching Strategies - Research Guidance - Sample Classroom Activities
The very nature of the CMS eLab is quite different from traditional labs that can be completed in a lab period or a couple of lab periods. CMS e-Lab experiments typically require a great deal of computer time to analyze data. Extra class time, however, is not something most teachers have in an already full course. You may also wonder how to provide each student time to do an experiment when you have only a few computers.
These are realistic questions. Here are approaches other teachers have used. You may get some good ideas about how to incorporate these experiments into your course but also to help your students discover how particle physics experiments are really done.
Individual or Small Group Long-term Integrated Project
Organize the CMS experiments as a long-term project that spans a quarter or even more. If students work on this project intermittently, you can run these CMS experiments in parallel with your "standard" curriculum with days set aside periodically for CMS eLab work.
After an introduction to particles, the detector and the research questions that physicists ask in this field, have student groups write up a proposal for the study they wish to perform. These studies might include shower depth, lateral size, beam purity or detector resolution. with regard to energy of the beam(50GeV) electrons or with regard to a particular particle (pions)
Groups can analyze their data and visit the "Poster" section of the CMS eLab to research the results of other student groups. Having your students post their work here and/or having them give oral presentations (sometimes with guest physicists!) may make for a great summary to the project.
Contact Lynda Rose for more details.
Collaborative Group Project
Organize the CMS experiments as a short-term class collaborative project that spans a few class periods. If students work on this project collaboratively, you can run these CMS experiments in a few days as part of your "standard" curriculum with days set aside for CMS eLab work. Each of these studies are lengthy. Working in groups may reduce the time needed to complete a study.
After an introduction to particles, the detector and the research questions that physicists ask in this field, have student groups write up a proposal for the study they wish to perform. These studies might include shower depth, lateral size, beam purity or detector resolution. with regard to energy of the beam(50GeV) electrons or with regard to a particular particle (pions).
Divide the study into smaller tasks. Below are some divisions which can be made:
| Types of particles | a) Electrons | b)Pions | c) Muons |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Energy 1 (ex.. 50 GeV) | Energy 1 | Energy 1 |
| ii | Energy 2 (ex.150 GeV) | Energy 2 | Energy 2 |
| iii | Energy3 ( ex.300 GeV) | Energy 3 | Energy 3 |
| etc. | May continue until all available energies have been used (see data) | ||
You may wish to assign each group a single particle (e.g. electron, pion or muon). For even smaller task you may wish to assign each group a single particle at a single energy (electrons at 5o GeV). after their groups have finished their task they can prepare a report(written or oral ) for their colleagues, the remainder of the class. White board or poster presentations for each group are often effective here.
Contact Pat Mooney for more details.
Enter Next Strategy
Contact Lynda Rose for more details