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...
...While each level can be explored individually, students who start in one level and progress to more complex levels experience increasingly engaging and challenging tasks. These activities are aligned with NGSS Standards, particularly NGSS Practices.
Each Curriculum Topic provides connections between topics routinely covered in physics class and particle physics content and methods. Use the menus to find activities related to the content you are currently covering. Watch this screencast to learn more about sorting these activities.
We are making Spanish Language versions of the activities. To find the activities with Spanish versions, use the Curriculum Topics menu, scroll to the bottom, select Spanish Language then Apply.. Special thanks to Danelix Cordero-Rosario from the Puerto Rico Center for providing these translations.
QuarkNet has entered the world of data science. Use the Curriculum Topic menu to locate the Skill: Coding option then Apply.
We want your feedback on how the activities worked for you. Please complete the feedback form to help us improve our activities.
| Activity Name | Data Strand | Level | Curriculum Topics | NGSS Practices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Research Using CodingThis 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 |
Cosmic Ray e-LabStudents 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 e-LabStudents 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 |
Mean Lifetime Part 2: Cosmic MuonsStudents 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 |
ATLAS Data ExpressATLAS 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 2Use 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 |
Z Mass Spreadsheet ExtensionStudents 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 |
Making it ‘Round the Bend - QuantitativeStudents measure the effects of electric and magnetic fields on particles. |
LHC | Level 2 | Electricity & Magnetism, Instrumentation, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Graphing | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Mean Lifetime Part 3: MINERvAStudents collect data from muons which decay in the MINERvA detector in the Fermilab NuMi beamline to understand particle decay and determine the muon lifetime. |
Cosmic Ray, Neutrino | Level 2 | Half-Life/Mean Lifetime, Kinematics, Nature of Matter, Skill: Developing Models, Skill: Histograms, Skill: Uncertainty | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 |
CMS Data ExpressCMS 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 |