We linked some abstract to a more detailed pdf
document. In this case the related abstract ends with a new link document
.
Some Italian projects are described in the CERN website, also with a brief videoclip. For these projects, the related description reported in this page ends with the link From CERN
. The videoclips can be played with Windows Media Player.
Pala di San Bernardino, and a multispectral imaging survey of Pietro da Talada's paintings on wood
The exhibit consists in a big rotating platform (2 meters in diameter) with a chair on it, where people can seat and observe the effects of the Coriolis' appearent force on a wide range of phenomena: the oscillation of a pendulum, the motion of a ball, the trajectory of an air-cushion disk, or the fall of a water jet getting out of a tap. With a rotational period of 9 seconds the Carousel
shows in a simple way what it is usually difficult to understand, and also to observe, in our common reference systems. In fact it allows to reproduce in a lab, and in a very short time, motions and phenomena typical of the Earth
rotational system, like deviation of trajectory of missile launches, atmospheric motions (e.g. cyclones), the movement of Foucault's pendulum, and so on. A small water device reproducing cyclone - anticyclone motion is also shown.
The mass accelerator is composed by two circular railways with different radius that one or more iron spheres can run along. The bigger railway (where the spheres run in a clockwise direction) refers to the proton, the smaller railway (where the spheres run counter clockwise) refers to the electron. In the first railway three coils are placed at a distance of 120 degrees one from the other. When the spheres are in close proximity of the coils they are attracted and pushed away with remarkable energy. In the second railway two coils are placed 180 degrees one from the other. Each time the spheres pass through the coils, they increase their speed and, as a consequence, they augment the kinetic energy until they reach the peak keeping the values of voltage and current invariable. Because of its characteristic of reversibility, the equipment can concern the development of the following teaching subjects: electromagnetic induction, circular motion, momentum of momentum, centrifugal force, kinetic energy and mass accelerator. The Archimede's paradox was shown made up a Plexiglas cylinder, in which we put some water. More details are available in the page dedicated to this project.
Document | From CERN (Pt. 1) | From CERN (Pt. 2) | List of the projects
This is an environmental educational project, carried out in collaboration with the Stazione Zoologica A.Dohrn of Naples
, the CNR-IGV of Portici
, Città della Scienza
of Naples and the Lega Navale of Castellammare di Stabia
(near Naples). The project aims to: the knowledge of our territory; the awareness of the problems linked to the wrong use of the marine and coast environment; the survival of our traditions; collaborate with institutions; become acquainted with techniques and scientific devices; build a data base of research material; confront with other schools even foreign; make exhibitions of the realized works. The project, directed to the students of the biennio and triennio that later become tutors of the younger mates, is divided into three parts:
Biodiversity in the marine world and its protection, with particular reference to the problems of pollution; Turtle Operation; Let's make ours
our territory
.
The basic project shows the fundamental directions on which teachers can build their own didactic routes, both disciplinary and inter-disciplinary. In each route has been found a theme around which the teacher could organize the contents of the syllabus thus letting students learn in a different and more stimulating way.
This important historical experience is quite unknown but it's definitely compelling and entertaining for the students of the last years of high school. We've performed it with some 5th year students of the high school Liceo Scientifico G. Spano
, Sassari. The measurements are just a few and quite simple. We had to determine Sun and Moon's angular diameter, then we measured the transit timeline of the Moon during a total Moon eclipse. The whole topic, by a geometrical and mathematical sight is not complex, it's undoubtly not hard for the students of the last two years of a Liceo Scientifico
.
The measurement techniques we adopted are pretty much the same as the ones which were used in 300 b.C.: the angular diameter has been measured with the gnomon hole technique, while, for what concerns the eclipse, the time breaks between the first and the second contact, and between the second and the fourth, have been measured with a variant of the hourglass which uses millet seeds. The clock
gave two seed masses proportional to the time breaks. As the only thing that mattered was knowing the ratio between the two intervals, we built a simple graduated staff to calculate this ratio as a relation between masses. The eclipse has been reproduced with an astronomical software. The obtained result was 370.000 km, with an error inferior to 10%.
The aim of the game is to learn the name, symbol and position of the chemical elements in the periodic table, and to achieve a knowledge of the values variation related to some atomic properties, of the electronic configuration of the elements, of some chemical links and of some inorganic nomenclature rules. The game, which can be played at every grade level, is to be played by the students divided in small groups; the teacher will determine the grade of difficulty. Although the knowledge of the periodic table represents a competitive advantage for the partecipants, it can also be learnt playing the game. Logical, analytical and memory skills will be also developed by playing. The game is composed by a framework of the periodic table (that is to say, without the symbols and names of the elements) printed on a magnetic board; cards with the symbols of chemical elements, the value of some atomical properties and the electron configuration of outer orbitals; magnetic tokens with the symbols of elements.
Contraptions for the mind
consists of sealed boxes having at least two external movable parts (such as rotating knobs or stems, tilting levers, etc.) each one coupled through an inner mechanism (formed by gears, wheels, or other poor
material). As they were scientists, children can ask and make experiments by handling one of the external parts (input) in any way they want, and observing causal behaviour - output - on the other outer objects. The inner mechanism can be only inferred by drawing or building hypothesized models and comparing these with experiments on the real contraption. Operating machines
are software counterparts of the Contraptions. An interface has to be overhead projected from a computer. Visitors can choice a difficulty level and an hidden operation mechanism randomly engendered by the machine
. Then they make experiments
giving the machine one or two integers, and registering the output. Once again they have to inquire for the hidden mechanism, verifying and refining their models. We developed also a similar application that has Attribute Blocks as inputs and outputs. All these activities are part of a program oriented towards the development of inquiry attitudes, to the knowledge of general science processes, to the development of a scientific insight. Students learn how science knows, not only what it knows.
We are searching for academic affiliations interested in supporting this mission.
The show brings to the audience's attention a leading figure of the world of science and his most famous discovery: D. I. Mendeleev and the law of periodicity. The plot becomes an opportunity to show some spectacular chemical reactions peculiar to the elements introduced to the audience.
The elements play with each other, interact with the audience and introduce themselves to Mendeleev. The text, original and registered, is simple as well as the stage set and the costumes. Students from I.T.I. Giua
of Cagliari and I.T.C.G Mattei
of Decimomannu and a young 11 years old girl with their teachers took part in the show. Students were able to see chemistry from an unusual point of view. The following aspects were developed: theatrical, historical, experimental, scientific, with special attention to safety rules.
This project treats of modern electrochemistry in a strange way. By means of some originals experiments using reactions redox the chemical energy is transformed into electrical energy. We have made some chemicals piles and accumulators for educational purposes: pile with sand, accumulators at lithium catalyzed and not catalyzed, simulator of fuel cell and pyccameter at antimony. The simplicity of the structure and the complete success of the experiments assure a fun approach to the chemical science. This project is very important to understand the different ways for teaching science in Europe.
The project is meant to excite students about science by actively engaging them in group activities such as hands-on experiments to learn about life and death of a star, space osservations by telescopes and practical radioastronomy activities. The main goals achieved so far are the realization of a real model of a Pulsar and the use of a basic radiotelescope to listen to the voice
of our galaxy.
Genetics on stage
started from the analysis of the exhaust emissions of students' motor-bikes. The amount of pollutants in the exhaust gas was measured in co-operation with a local governmental agency which provided the necessary equipment, then the students discussed the problem of air pollution in relationship with the damage of DNA and the risk of cancer.
DNA was approached hands-on
by extracting it from fruit and by running DNA electrophoresis; virtual
DNA was studied building DNA models (made of paper, cardboard, clothes-pegs) and viewing its structure by means of bioinformatic software.
The step from DNA to whole organisms was made by observing Drosophila melanogaster mutants in the classroom, then the students got through biotechnology and bioethics issues as GMO crops, PCR and DNA fingerprint, cloning and stem cells with the help of new didactical tools (stem cell board game, role play on co-operative reproduction) and movies (Gattaca
by Andrew Niccol,1997).
Pala di San Bernardino, and a multispectral imaging survey of Pietro da Talada's paintings on wood
The purpose of this work consists in showing how humanistic and scientific studies complement each other, and how the multispectral imaging technique may be an unusual way of employing electromagnetic waves when teaching physical chemistry. The first class of a secondary high school studied Piero della Francesca's Pala di San Bernardino
from the mathematician's, the phyisicist's, the biologist's, the geologist's the humanist's and the chemist's perspective and the point of view of the last one will be proposed: obtaining one of the pigments used by the painter, starting from madder roots, a commont plant all over the Europe. The multispectral imaging technique was studied by the third class of a secondary high school chasing pentimentos, bad restorations and hidding writings in Pietro da Talada's paintings on wood. This work won the Science on Stage
prize awarded by ESRF
It's a short performance, played by students.
The story's leading actor is Mr. Lampis, an accountant. He attends a conference about relativity and during this he falls asleep and he dreams of a fantastic world where the highest possible speed is so slow to let relativity effects be visible.
In this fantastic world all moving objects look smaller, so that the astonished protagonist can see a cyclist who is weirdly shrunk; and he becomes even more astonished when, getting on a bicycle trying to reach the cyclist, he sees buildings getting narrower. What is happening in this town is inexplicable to Mr. Lampis and even the cyclist can't make it clear: the protagonist is now even more confused because he is not able to synchronise his watch with the postal office clock.
Finally a tourist, at the railway station, explains him that watches tick slower when they are moving. Step by step, Mr. Lampis understands and he starts to see what happens around him with critical eyes. So when he sees an old lady calling a young man "grandfather", he realises that it can't be possible, and he recognizes that is a paradox.
At the end, he meets a railwayman who talks to him about limited speed and tries to explain him that the concept of simultaneity is relative.
A the end in an empty conference room the guardian wakes up Mr. Lampis.
An exhibition with 25 models (round arch, the breathing mechanism, shield of the strings and much more) shows: an animation on multiple intelligences and the function of the brain; an interactive laboratory of origami (art of folding the paper). The project is realized by about 40 students and 7 teachers of the Istituto Tecnico Enrico Fermi of Barcellona (near Messina, Italy). The group works on four typologies of exhibit: interactive models of physics, mathematics, logic and perceptive illusions; toys analyzed on the scientific point of view; objects of daily use revisited in a ludo-scientific key; experimental models of classical laboratory.
The making of a watermark in light is different from the light-dark one. While the latter is carried out by means of a complex procedure consisting in an artistic engraving on wax, a pouncing with graphite, a galvanic bath, a punch and a back-punch to model the metal net and give it all the three dimensional well proportioned and refined characteristics, the former needs more simple but not less accurate operations. After choosing the word, the drawing, the logo or slogan to carry out and sticking it on a brass plate, sawed by means of a fret, then filed and put in an acid solution to remove impurities, the piece of work is finally detached from the support bridges; at this point it is sewed, with a special steel wire on the metal net of the form.
The device is made up of nine pendula of different lenghts, each having a 2-line mount. A lever enables us to start the pendula simultaneously. A mirror, placed on the base of the structure, enables us to see the image of the brass spheres during the oscillations of the pendula.
What to do: Move the lever, taking care the indicator does not get over the green zone. Carefully place the lever in start position.
What to watch: Watch the image in the mirror. With a simultaneous start, the spheres form an interesting series of waves of different shape that shows all the possible phase relationships before returning in unison (after 16 seconds) and starting over again. After 2 and 14 seconds from the simultaneous start of the pendula, the nine spheres form a sinusoidal wave.
Explanation: Pendula are simple harmonic oscillators if oscillations are small.
Pendula, having different lengths, have different periods and frequences.
To form a sinusoidal wave, the lengths of pendula must be different and the frequences of pendula have a phases difference of 0.125 Hz from one another.
The pendulum is a simple harmonic oscillator if oscillations are small, that is if the amplitude of oscillation is not much larger than 1/10 of the length.
The application of wireless technologies has exploded in these last years. Various modern systems, such as cellular phones, satellite television systems, wireless networks and low-cost handheld transceivers keep the attention of young students and stimulate them to know the principles of radio transmissions. In order to accomplish this new interest of the students, we have realized both educational documents and many experiments by using the most common modern equipments.
The goal of this project is to teach children to read the sky
, just at school where they learn how to read and to write. Students are guided to observe the motions of the celestial bodies and to discover their reflection on the architectural structure of the city. The foundation of a city, the social and ritual creation of a place, has always been related to the sky: we look for these tracks and we do research about the way ancient architects organized place and time by observing astronomical phenomena. This project is a journey that puts us in touch with the history of our cities and civilisation related to astronomy. Monuments and squares, become our labs; they are used as sundials, calendars and astronomical instruments. Several models of the monuments have been built, so students can make observations also at school. Art and science are growing intertwined, with the goals: to introduce students to the historical and scientific research; to see connections between the scientific disciplines and the humanities, as well as between what students learn at school and the real world; to search about the astronomical roots of the planning of Rome and recognize them at the basis of our culture.
The project has been put in practice in a secondary school in Rome, for 11-14 years old students. Didactical materials and annual exhibitions document and focus the main significant aspects of the work.
The kitchen is certainly an interesting place to be explored. We have used kitchen tools in the laboratory for most of the activities, allowing the scientific exploration of daily phenomena: such an approach to the study of science turns out motivating and exciting. The teachers team working on the project devised a lot of experiments that, coming from the ideas of common sense of the pupils, bring them to the construction of meaningful scientific knowledge, such as the temperature concept, energy transfer, the efficiency of thermal machines, the chemical transformations of food.
Starting from a classical teaching of the gravity's concept using the words of Aristotele, Galilei and Einstein, we arrive to explain this concept using some other methods. But is it true that gravity is a very difficult concept? Or is it something that pervade our life, also if we are very young? We'll ask it to Wyle Coyote and to Homer Simpson. Which is a very good definition of the gravity's concept? It's possible to ask it to Merlin, the famous wizard. And what happens if we do the usual action in different gravity conditions? We'll se what happened on MIR. And how do films speak of gravity? We'll see that in some cases the author was a good physicist, but in some other cases authors don't pass the physic examination. At the end we will be doing some funny experiments in condition of near zero gravity
.
The work is composed of synoptic boards, which summarize the most important events of XXth Century, by pictures and captions, so that every people, above all young people, have a strong commitment to study and to improve it. The purpose of synoptic boards is neither to teach nor to do a stock of specific knowledges, but only to announce the news in such a manner that chronological order and links are understood.
To understand the progress of science it is necessary in fact to know its cultural and social background, because human activities are the results of the development of the thought which assemble inseparably all the fields of human knowledge.
The purpose of our experiment was the measurement of the distance between the Earth and the Moon, we have therefore applied the parallax method differently: we have used the distance between two points on the Earth's surface as the basis of the parallax. The above points have to be far enough from each other to allow the measurement of a parallax angle wide enough to be calculated. This application can be used only to determine relatively small astronomic distances.
Gravity is a very familiar force, but its nature is still a deep mystery. It is the most enigmatic of all known forces of nature. The main aim of the show is to offer to the visitors a complete history of the theories about gravity and to help any guest to experience gravity as he/she couldn't normally experience it. Sections of exhibition explain how uman life is affected by gravity, and what life without gravity looks like.
The aim of this program is to show students how many disciplines and beliefs are in fact pseudo-scientific, through the direct study of unusual and apparently inexplicable phenomena. Rational and scientifically-sound inquiry into the phenomena will show how they are often perfectly understandable in the light of current scientific knowledge, even if sometimes counterintuitive. Through this exercise, both the development of critical thinking and an unusual perspective on a few scientific facts can be pursuit: in fact, the aim is never the simple deconstruction
of a given paranormal belief.
The project is a part of a wider work about water, and it is centered on three main aspects of the water: the first one is an experimentation about the chemical and physical features of water and its specific properties, showing the most spectacular phenomena connected to this amazing fluid on which our life on the earth is based. The second one is a classification of spring waters, with exposition of several samples and labels of water, coming from all over the world, and an accurate investigation about the surprising healing power of the different thermal waters, depending on the chemical composition. The third one is an exhibition of the mechanism hidden under the production of electricity by means of moving water, that is hydroelectric energy. In the fair many models of hydraulic turbines and a three-dimensional reconstruction of a hydroelectric production centre, all handmade by pupils, were observable.
Women in Science
is a drama about the difficulties that women scientists find in a masculine world. The best example is the story of Rosalind Franklin: she was the first to recognize the helix shape of DNA. She was born in London on 25 July 1920. She received her degree in Chemistry in 1951. In 1946 she improved herself in the technique of X-ray diffraction. In 1951 she discovered the crystalline structure of DNA using X-ray, in collaboration with Maurice Wilkins.
She obtained the famous image n. 51 that permitted her to elaborate on the double-helix model of DNA. Her work was passed on to James Watson and Francis Crick, who along with Maurice Wilkins, a co-worker of Rosalind's, shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for the discovery of the double helix. She never received official credit for her contribution. She was the only woman in a very masculine laboratory: her life was very difficult and so she left King's College to join a research group in London. She had to leave her research on DNA. She died on the 16th of April 1958. Women in Science
was performed many times in Pavia, (also during the scientific festival Science Under 18
), and during Genoa Science Festival (October 2005). The actors are students of Liceo Taramelli, a scientific secondary school of Pavia (Italy).
