Related papers: Mathematical Insights in the Pioneering Educationa…
We mathematically investigate four molecular models of buckminsterfullerene (C60) discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each, and a new orthorhombic 20-dodecahedron model is proposed to replace the traditional truncated icosahedron…
The Buckminsterfullerene is an inorganic molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms in the shape of a soccer ball. It was used in [Juhas et al., Nature 2006] to showcase algorithms that find the correct shape of a protein from limited data…
This presentation starts with the regular polygons, of course, then with the Platonic and Archimedean solids. The latter ones are whose symmetry groups are transitive on the vertices, and in addition, whose faces are regular polygons (see…
Since 2006, forty students from high school are selected to attend a full immersion summer school of physics in the Pigelleto Natural Reserve, on the south east side of Mount Amiata in the province of Siena. Topics are chosen so that…
Since 2017 the Italian Space Agency (ASI) participates to so-called "Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro" (i.e., "school-work synergy") outreach projects promoted by the Italian government, and the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC) actively…
A fullerene, or buckyball, is a trivalent graph on the sphere with only pentagonal and hexagonal faces. Building on ideas of Thurston, we use modular forms to give an exact formula for the number of oriented fullerenes with a given number…
We describe a variant of the popular game "Pictionary" based on terms used in elementary and high school physics. We believe that drawing of physical terms helps students develop a deeper understanding of physical concepts behind them, as…
In the years 2015-2018, the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Italian Ministry of Defense proposed the joint initiative "Space for Your Future. The ISS: Innovatio, Scientia, Sapientia" in partnership with the…
Studies in Physics Education Research show that interdisciplinary approaches in education foster students' motivation, creativity, curiosity, and interest in physics. We discuss their features and potential role in bringing contemporary…
In the context of the European Erasmus+ project Teaching ASTronomy at the Educational level (TASTE), we investigated the extent to which a learning module at school and a set of activities during a planetarium visit help students to gain…
The growing interest of people in science events, the projects supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research to foster STEM teaching in different levels of the education system and the introduction of modern…
To increase public awareness of theoretical materials physics, a small group of high school students is invited to participate actively in a current research projects at Chalmers University of Technology. The Chalmers research group…
Teaching modern physics in high school is of increasingly importance as it can offer students a more realistic and updated vision of the world, and can provide an opportunity to understand the most recent scientific discoveries. In this…
To contrast the phenomenon of false positives in the diagnoses of dyscalculia in Italy, among 3rd grade children, a 3-year project (2011-2014), built upon a collaboration between psychologists and mathematics educators, was carried out.…
The Engage to Excel (PCAST) report, the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education, and the Next Generation Science Standards all call for transforming the physics classroom into an environment that teaches students…
We report on a laboratory activity carried out together with secondary school (high-school) students, with the aim of increasing their interest toward historical scientific instruments and stimulate their approach to scientific knowledge.…
Given R\subset N, an (R,k)$-sphere is a k-regular map on the sphere whose faces have gonalities i\in R. The most interesting/useful are (geometric) fullerenes, i.e., (\{5,6\},3)$-spheres. Call \kappa_i=1 + \frac{i}{k} - \frac{i}{2} the…
This work stages Foosball as a versatile platform for advancing scientific research, particularly in the realm of robot learning. We present an automated Foosball table along with its corresponding simulated counterpart, showcasing a…
This paper reports the use of Tracker as a pedagogical tool in supporting effective learning and teaching of toss up and free fall motion for beginning grade 9 students. This is a case study with (N=123) students of express-pure physics…
When talking to secondary school students, first impressions are crucial. Accidentally say something that sounds boring and you'll lose them in seconds. A physical demonstration can be an eye-catching way to begin an activity or spark off a…