Data Activities Portfolio

The Data Portfolio is a compendium of particle physics classroom activities organized by Data Strand, Level of student engagement, Curriculum Topics and NGSS Standards. Follow the links provided for information about using the Data Portfolio to plan your students’ experience. Level descriptions explain the data analysis skills that students apply at each level: tasks in Level 0 are simpler than those in Levels 1 and 2...

Activity Name Data Strand Level Curriculum Topics NGSS Practices
code image Research Using Coding

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

Cosmic Ray, LHC, Neutrino Level 4 Skill: Coding, Skill: Developing Models 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
detector 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 Instrumentation, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
cms-350 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 Conservation Laws, Instrumentation, Nature of Matter, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
This image illustrates the experimental set up. Heisenberg's Laser

The students will investigate the relationship between uncertainty in momentum and the uncertainty in position and how these relate to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.

Cosmic Ray, LHC, Neutrino Level 2 Quantum Mechanics, Skill: Coding, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Graphing, Skill: Uncertainty 4, 5, 8
mltplotlet Mean Lifetime Part 2: Cosmic Muons

Students learn how physicists measure muon lifetime.

Cosmic Ray Level 2 Half-Life/Mean Lifetime, Nature of Matter, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty, Spanish Language, Special Relativity 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
atlaseming 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 Conservation Laws, Instrumentation, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
totem TOTEM 2

Use quantum physics and LHC data to estimate the size of the proton.

LHC Level 2 Instrumentation, Kinematics, Nature of Matter, Quantum Mechanics, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty, Waves & Interference 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
zmass-icon Z Mass Spreadsheet Extension

Students use spreadsheet coding to determine the Z Mass for a large data set.

LHC Level 2 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Skill: Coding, Skill: Histograms, Special Relativity, Standard Model 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
zmass-icon Calculate the Z Mass

Students use conservation laws and vector addition to calculate the Z mass from event displays.

LHC Level 2 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Spanish Language, Special Relativity, Standard Model, Skill: Coding, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
cms data express 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 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8