Project: • Choose one overarching physical human/animal/health/medical topic that interests you for which you would like to know more about. You will be exploring and explaining how many of the different areas of physics to be explored this semester impact your understanding of your chosen topic. For each of 8 of the major physics areas (below) you will be finding a connection to your topic of interest. • Thermal Energy & Heat • Fluids • Oscillations • Waves • Electric Forces, Fields, Potentials • Electric Circuits • Magnetism • Electromagnetic Induction • Electromagnetic Waves • Optics • Quantum • Nuclear o Example interest areas: § Injuries: causes, diagnosis, and treatment § Breast Cancer: possible causes, diagnosis, treatment § The Circulatory System: normal and abnormal physiology, diagnosis and treatment of circulatory and cardiac problems. § Physical Therapy Modalities § Alternative Medicine § Research tools in Cell and Molecular Biology § Veterinarian – unique animal physiologies • Required o Online submission – Digication o Introduction § Explain why this area interests you § Pose question(s) that you may have about your chosen area. What physical mechanisms would you like to understand better? o For each of your 8 physics areas: § Frame Question • If possible, frame question(s) in terms of underlying physical mechanism using physics terminology. (You do not have to find answer to your question(s) to get full credit) • Alternatively, frame question asking how a particular topic concept (using physics terminology) relates to your area of interest. § Apply area concepts to elucidate a physical mechanism of a phenomenon in this area of interest, using proper physics terminology § Include at least two of the following: • Pictures, diagrams, or videos that elucidate phenomenon • Animations or simulations that clarify physical mechanism • Data with units • Visual display of data (graphs, charts, spatial maps) o For 6 of your chosen physics areas of life topic: § Show how a mathematical model may apply, noting model limitations o For 6 of your chosen physics areas of life topic: § Find and relate pertinent quantitative information to a physical mechanism of life topic § At least 3 resources used should be peer-reviewed articles or actual data taken by student (cell phone apps or class sensors) o For 4 of your physics areas include either: § Interpretation of Visual displays of quantitative information (e.g. – graphs, force diagrams, field or potential diagrams) § Graphed Data taken by student (cell phone apps or class sensors) o For 6 of your chosen physics areas of life topic o At least 4 of the area physics models above should be expanded to include calculation, with correct use of units o Use at least 3 peer-reviewed journal articles related to your interest topic. § Show how a physics principle involved with a physical mechanism comes up in the article. § What is unclear or confusing to you? (related to the physics, not the biological or clinical terminology) o Reference ALL sources – include website URLs • Be prepared to give 1-2min. in-class oral introductions to each new topic addition to your Digication project. This will occur weekly. o After oral introductions, choose 2 (not your own) projects for each topic. Follow and give constructive comments on these two. § What could be made clearer? § What was particularly informative and interesting to you? § What further/deeper question do you have about this topic? • At the end of the semester, o Write Reflection: § What was the most interesting thing that you learned? § What question(s) could you ask to go deeper? o Submit final Digication project o Individual meeting with instructor (20-25 min) about project Competencies your project should demonstrate you can do 1. Scientific Inquiry and Investigation a. Introduction – Overall (“Larger”) Topic i. Personal Motivation – Why does topic interest you? ii. Questions about your “larger” topic you may initially wish to explore. b. Proceed with Inquiry – Pose authentic questions probing the underlying physical mechanisms of your biological or biomedical topic. Your initial questions may lead you to other questions as you find unexpected information. i. Inquiry about the biological mechanism may have to precede inquiry about the physical mechanism underlying the biology. ii. Your inquiries should encompass at least 8 of the physics areas listed below iii. More defined questions for which calculated numerical results would be enlightening are required for 4 of the 8 physics areas c. Investigation i. Research (using online search engines and/or library resources) to find qualitative and quantitative information relating physics areas to your chosen interest topic. 1. Use at least 3 peer-reviewed journal articles related to your interest topic. a. Show how a physics principle involved with a physical mechanism comes up in the article. b. What is unclear or confusing to you? (related to the physics, not the biological or clinical terminology) Coming across physics that you do not understand is a great opportunity to articulate what is confusing or unclear to you. 2. Reference ALL sources – include website URLs ii. Optional: take own data with cellphone apps or class sensors 2. Recognize and apply a wide range of physics principles in real life phenomena, at different scales. (Not what happens but why it happens), by explaining physical mechanisms of some essential aspect of life phenomena in terms of underlying physics involving appropriate scales (macroscopic, tissue, cellular, molecular). At least 8 of the following physics areas should be included, if possible (if not, ask): 1. Thermal Energy & Heat 2. Fluids 3. Oscillations 4. Waves 5. Electric Forces, Fields, Potentials 6. Electric Circuits 7. Magnetism 8. Electromagnetic Induction 9. Electromagnetic Waves 10. Optics 11. Quantum 12. Nuclear b. Simulations, animations, and videos that explain a physical mechanism very well can be used with only a brief summary by you. However you may be asked to explain it in the oral interview. c. Use of pictures and videos is encouraged 3. Mathematical Modeling Model algebraically the functional relationship between measurable quantities of an essential feature of your life phenomenon in 6 of the physics areas above, noting model limitations. a. Use simple mathematical relationships, either the mathematical models we covered in class, or others you may find, to show the relationships between measureable quantities. b. Note the limitations of the chosen model c. Explain how the mathematical model exemplifies the physics concept or how the model describes the functional relationship between the measureable quantities of your phenomenon. 4. Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis a. Using quantitative information: For 6 physics areas of physical mechanisms involved in some aspect of your life phenomenon find quantitative information of a relevant measureable quantity (with units) and compare value to some reference amount or compare under slightly different conditions. i. At least 3 resources used should be peer-reviewed articles or actual data taken by student (You do not need to understand all that is in a peer-reviewed source. however if some of the physics relevant to your project phenomenon is unclear, make note of that.) b. Interpret visual displays of quantitative information (e.g. – graphs, force diagrams, field or potential diagrams) i. Include your interpretation of at least 3 visual displays of quantitative information in terms of how quantities relate to each other, or how they change with time or location. ii. How does this information impact your understanding about your life phenomenon? c. Calculation: At least 4 of the area physics models above should be expanded to include calculation, with correct use of units. i. Define a question for which a calculation using a particular model will give useful information or insight. Having some reference value for comparison or making a direct comparison between two similar conditions is often helpful to see what the calculated value tells you about the phenomena. ii. Find or estimate quantities needed. Cite sources or give URL, or basis for estimation iii. Simplifying assumptions should be stated. iv. Discussion of result 1. Significance of answer a. What inference can be made about the phenomenon based on numerical answer? 2. Reasonableness/Reliability of answer a. Model fit b. Effect of approximations and estimations 5. Communication: Effectively explain your reasoning using physics terminology appropriately. a. Articulate your understanding i. in writing in ePortfolio. ii. in your oral interview b. Articulate to other students how their projects may be improved (follow at least two other students) i. You are free to view and comment on a any project ePortfolio, but you will only be assessed on your comments to the two projects to which you have been assigned (hopefully by your choice) c. Use a variety of resources responsibly i. All information sources should be cited or URLs given, preferably on page where information occurs. ii. Any phrases taken directly from a source should be bracketed in quotation marks. iii. Be aware of the type of source. Be critical of sources for validity of information
