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
QuarkNet: Changing the Culture
Lesson #1 in QuarkNet STEP UP Series on diversity and inclusion.
Level 0
Research Using Coding

This activity provides techniques for guiding students doing an independent research project.

 
Cosmic Ray
LHC
Neutrino
Level 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Rolling with Rutherford

Students use statistics to make an indirect measurement they can easily confirm.
Cosmic Ray
LHC
Level 1
1
3
4
5
7
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
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
The Case of the Hidden Neutrino

Students use momentum conservation to examine the decay of top-antitop pairs to determine what is missing from the event.
LHC
Neutrino
Level 1
2
4
5
6
7
TOTEM 1

Students use TOTEM data to determine if protons (quantum objects) obey classical conservation of momentum.
LHC
Level 1
4
5
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
What Heisenberg Knew

Heisenberg knew that, at the quantum level, we cannot know everything, at least not all at once. Students explore uncertainties in measurements of complimentary variables to find this out for themselves.
Neutrino
Level 1
2
4
5
6
7
8