This project brings together the needs of local physics teachers, a local resource (Bates Linear Accelerator Center) with an international reputation, master teachers and research scientists. In Phase I the Project Director, Dr. Ernst Moniz will outline a teaching manual focused on modern particle and nuclear physics. Working from the outline three master teachers and the Program Coordinator will put together a lecture series program to be delivered by research scientists from the Bates Laboratory. Phase II is the lecture series delivered between September 1990 and December 1990. Phase III is to refine the teaching manual using participant feedback followed by its distribution to teachers. The core of this project is the teaching manual and its use in the in-service sessions. Because of the lack of current material in high school texts regarding modern particle and nuclear physics the first section will contain modern particle and nuclear physics teaching topic "work-ups." In addition to background content, it will contain classroom demonstrations which have been tested and are written in a form useable for teachers. A second section will consist of brief biographies of physicists including minorities and women. The intent is to provide role models for students. The third section will be a bibliography of textbooks, "popular physics books", young adult book and other resource books. Following the Fermilab model it will be a three-ring loose leaf manual so it is a "living" body of work. The early draft of the manual will be the template for the lecture series. The revised manual will also be a valuable resource for Boston area teachers planning a field trip to the Bates Laboratory. Project participants will be high school teachers from public and private schools in the area served by the North Shore Physics Teachers Association, from southern New Hampshire to Boston. The project provides opportunities for three-master teachers and 20 additional teachers via the lecture series. The master teachers may earn 5 quarter hours graduate credit and underprepared teachers 4 quarter hours graduate credit. Cost sharing in an amount of $16,000 equals 26% of the NSF award.
