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
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
Mass of U.S. Pennies

Students create and interpret a histogram of penny masses.
Cosmic Ray
LHC
Level 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
ATLAS Z-path Masterclass

Students are physicists for a day at a university or lab where they work with physiists to how to analyze real particle physics data in the form of event displays.

 
LHC
Level 2
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
TOTEM 2

Use quantum physics and LHC data to estimate the size of the proton.
LHC
Level 2
2
4
5
6
7
8
CMS Data Express

CMS Data Express is a short investigation in which students inspect and characterize W or Z events from the LHC.
LHC
Level 2
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
CMS e-Lab

Students have an opportunity to learn how to analyze data to calibrate the CMS detector and participate in discovery science (as particle physicists do).
LHC
Level 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cosmic Ray e-Lab

Students experience the excitement of scientific collaboration in this series of investigations into high-energy cosmic rays.
Cosmic Ray
Level 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Making it ‘Round the Bend - Qualitative

Students explore the effects of electric and magnetic fields on particles. 
LHC
Level 1
1
2
3
4
6
7