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
sn 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, Neutrino Level 0 Instrumentation, Skill: Uncertainty, Waves & Interference 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
tot Signal and Noise: Cosmic Muons

In this introductory tutorial, students learn about how to distinguish muon signals from background and instrumental noise.

Cosmic Ray Level 1 Instrumentation, Quantum Mechanics, Waves & Interference, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
diagram Particle Transformations

Students discover the rules of particle transformations using transformation diagrams.

Cosmic Ray, LHC, Neutrino Level 1 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Standard Model 1, 2, 4, 6, 7
bubble chanber Making Tracks II

Students analyze tracks in a bubble chamber.

Cosmic Ray, LHC, Neutrino Level 1 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Standard Model 1, 2, 4, 6, 7
hexigon QuarkNet STEP UP: Careers in Physics

Lesson #2 in QuarkNet STEP UP Series on encouraging the study of physics.

Level 1
Speedy mnoun How Speedy are These Muons?

In this activity, students use authentic detector data to apply simple 1D kinematics (v=d/t), interpret graphical data, and evaluate measurement uncertainties.

Cosmic Ray Level 1 Kinematics, Nature of Matter, Skill: Graphing, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Stacked Cosmic Watches Cosmic Watch Lab Suite

This Cosmic Watch Suite of data activities describes experiments that can be done either at the singles or two-fold rate.

Cosmic Ray Level 1 Nature of Matter, Quantum Mechanics, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Graphing, Skill: Uncertainty 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
histo Histograms: Uncertainty

Students construct histograms, identify the best value to represent the data, and report the uncertainty in their answers. 

Cosmic Ray, LHC, Neutrino Level 1 Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 4, 5
Hypatia image Angles and Dimuons

This activity is based on the data analysis used for World Wide Data Day,

Cosmic Ray, LHC Level 1 Conservation Laws, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
dpdx 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 Kinematics, Quantum Mechanics, Skill: Coding, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Graphing 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8