QuarkNet Data Portfolio

A collection of proven instructional activities developed around data strands that help students develop an understanding about how scientists make discoveries. 
The Data Portfolio organizes activities by data strand and level of student engagement. Activities differ in complexity and sophistication—tasks in Level 1 are simpler than those in Levels 2 and 3. While each level can be explored individually, students that start in one level and progress to more complex levels experience increasingly engaging and challenging tasks. Teachers select activities to offer a learning experience of an appropriate length and level for their students.

A collection of proven instructional activities developed around data strands that help students develop an understanding about how scientists make discoveries.

The Data Portfolio organizes activities by data strand and level of student engagement. Activities differ in complexity and sophistication—tasks in Level 1 are simpler than those in Levels 2 and 3. While each level can be explored individually, students that start in one level and progress to more complex levels experience increasingly engaging and challenging tasks. Teachers select activities to offer a learning experience of an appropriate length and level for their students.

Activity Name Data Strand Level Curriculum Topics NGSS Practices Topic
Signal and Noise: Cosmic Muons

In this introductory tutorial that, students learn about how to distinguish muon signals from background and instrumental noise.
Cosmic Ray
Level 1
4
5
6
7
8
Signal and Noise: The Basics

Students analyze signals and noise first in audio and video forms and then look at signals and noise from physics measurements.
Cosmic Ray
LHC
Level 0
4
5
6
7
8
Mapping the Poles

Students explore some basics of magnetic fields that can be related to experimental particle physics.
LHC
Level 0
2
4
6
7
Making it ‘Round the Bend - Quantitative

Students measure the effects of electric and magnetic fields on particles. 
LHC
Level 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Shuffling the Particle Deck

Teams of students organize cards depicting fundamental particles based on their characteristics. This activity is a foundation for learning about the Standard Model and parallels the methods used by scientists to organize the elements into the period table.
LHC
Level 0
1
2
4
5
6
7
CMS Masterclass J/Psi

Students are physicists for a day at a university or lab where they work with physicists to learn how to analyze real particle physics data in the form of event displays.
LHC
Level 2
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
ATLAS W-path Masterclass

Students are physicists for a day at a university or lab where they work with physicists to how to analyze real particle physics data in the form of event displays.
LHC
Level 2
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
Mean Lifetime Part 2: Cosmic Muons

Students learn how physicists measure muon lifetime.
Cosmic Ray
Level 2
2
3
4
5
7
8
ATLAS Data Express

ATLAS Data Express is a short investigation in which students inspect and characterize Z events in the LHC and distinguish muons from electrons.
LHC
Level 2
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
Dice, Histograms & Probability

Students roll dice, record the resulting individual values as well as the sum of the values, create histograms of the data and develop insight into the concept of “degrees of freedom." 
Cosmic Ray
LHC
Level 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8