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This is a copy of a Scope and Sequence. It isn't the only option, but feel free to use as you need.

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Copy of Physics: Scope and sequence for NYSSLS

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Have a great summer! See you on Sept. 26, 2026

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Have a great summer! See you on Sept. 26, 2026

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Workshop 1: Mechanics & Energy

July 27-30, 8-5PM

Workshop 1: Electricity Waves

Aug 3-6, 8-5PM

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New Physics Teacher Workshops 2026 flier

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Have you ever watched a kite hover overhead and wondered, "How high is it really?" You can’t reach a

tape measure up there, so you’ll use two different indirect-measurement techniques and compare your

answers. Each lab group will fly a kite carrying a small "messenger" — a slider that runs up the line and

releases a lightweight object on command.

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The Western New York Physics Teacher Alliance (WNYPTA) is an active community of physics and physical science teachers in the Buffalo Niagara Region. We are teachers sharing ideas, learning together, and creating a professional community of physics and physical science teachers. All meetings are open to physics, physical science, and other interested teachers.

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QuarkNet is a nonprofit collaboration dedicated to developing and broadening participation in America's workforce. It is a partnership between Fermilab and the University of Notre Dame. We provide science teachers the means to develop their skills and bring real research experience into the high school science classroom.

Through our nationwide network of QuarkNet Centers, we unite science teachers and university investigators in active research projects of contemporary physics.

Through the International Masterclass program, we deliver focused, hands-on workshops covering a variety of topics in physics directly to teachers and students around the world.

Through the Cosmic Ray and CMS e-Labs, we provide teachers with comprehensive, web-based applications to guide students through in-depth inquiries using real data from major scientific experiments.

What QuarkNet Can Do For You:

Teachers gain experience in real scientific research, maximizing their talents and classroom effectiveness.

Researchers gain educational impact from their research and engagement with their local communities.

Students gain immersion in meaningful scientific research, preparing them for postsecondary education and developing critical intellectual skills.

Publications and presentations by QuarkNet teachers, students, and staff Site Utilization Tips:

QuarkNet's educational materials are organized around the Data Portfolio, a tiered system of activities designed to bring guided scientific inquiry into the classroom. It is carefully structured to help teachers present physics concepts and scientific thinking using increasingly immersive classroom projects and increasingly intensive access to real data from real experiments.

The site provides an excellent networking tool for teachers, researchers, mentors, and fellows in universities and high schools around the country (and Puerto Rico). In addition, QuarkNet maintains international reach through collaboration. We have strong ties with groups in Germany, Mexico, Japan, and India, among other countries, and participate in the work of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group and the African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications.

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Who We Are: QuarkNet is a nonprofit collaboration dedicated to developing and broadening participation in America's workforce. It is a partnership between Fermilab and the University of Notre Dame. We provide science teachers the means to develop their skills and bring real research experience into the high school science classroom.

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Speed of sound in aluminum

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Speed of longitudinal waves in an aluminium rod using phyphox

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Explore the science and safety engineering behind automotive airbags while experiencing a range of engaging physics demonstrations created by students. Participants will examine real airbag components, learn how accelerometers and onboard computers trigger deployment, and connect these systems to physics concepts such as momentum and impulse. The session includes observing live airbag deployments, analyzing venting and energy transfer, and discussing real-world safety implications for drivers and first responders.

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Here is the website to see further lessons and resources from our guest Logan Jaeren

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Learning experiences that connect mission patches with STEAM.

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Student activities that connect mission patches to STEAM.

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30 minute NASA produced 2017 documentary Apollo 13: Home Safe

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Prepare and submit your question for Fred Haise

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Dan will be leaving Buffalo State (and the U.S.) in June! Please join us at this WNYPTA meeting to celebrate all the work that Dan has done for Physics Education at Buffalo State and beyond!

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Nov. 6-9, 2026

Downtown Marriott, Syracuse, NY

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Airbags!

High speed video

Passenger side airbag

75 kg dummy

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New York State STEM Education Collaborative Summer Conference

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New York State STEM Education Collaborative Summer Conference

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New York State STEM Education Collaborative

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REGISTRATION INFORMATION - New York State STEM Education Collaborative

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Promoting contemporary classroom and school district practice regarding STEM education through resources, activities, and outreach.

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November 7-10, 2025

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NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team

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NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team

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NASA HEAT Saturday Workshops

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AAPT is a partner in the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT). This multi-year initiative from NASA leads the development of research-based instructional materials for astrophysics taught in the context of introductory and upper division physics and astronomy courses.

NASA HEAT Space Physics Ambassadors are available to provide support in the use of these materials through virtual (and sometimes in-person) workshops around the U.S. Contact Rebecca Vieyra at for more information.

Resources for Teachers

NASA HEAT Space Physics Ambassadors: Contact Rebecca Vieyra at rvieyra@aapt.org to be put in contact with a NASA HEAT Space Physics Ambassador near you.
2025 Ambassadors 2024 Ambassadors 2023 Ambassadors 2022 Ambassadors
This project is funded through NASA Grant/Cooperative Agreement Numbers NNX16AR36A, 80NSSC21K1560, and 80NSSC23K1664.

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Join the new Community! Lab Minds: Physics Investigation Exploration

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Join the new Community! Lab Minds: Physics Investigation Exploration

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CLICK HERE TO RSVP to the first meeting.

Oct. 14, 2025, 4:30-7PM SAMC 359

Lab Minds is a Master Teacher-Led professional learning community focused on the exploration and implementation of NEW physics investigations that promote scientific inquiry and deeper conceptual understanding. This group is committed to fostering collaboration among educators to enhance physics instruction through hands-on, student-centered learning experiences.

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Sue Saeli, Pioneer High School & Yianna Russo, Orchard Park High School 

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Lab Minds: Physics Investigation Exploration October 14th, 2025

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PHY 518 (3cr) WAVE PHENOMENA AND OPTICS FOR TEACHERS

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PHY 518 (3cr) WAVE PHENOMENA AND OPTICS FOR TEACHERS

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Fall 2025

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Buffalo State University’s physics program provides an overview of the basic laws of nature and the science of matter and energy. Our physics students work closely with our experienced faculty and participate in hands-on experiments, labs, and tutorials to earn firsthand knowledge of this course of study.

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2025 AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, D.C.!

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2025 AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, D.C.!

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August 2-6,2025

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Hexagonal thinking involves students using hexagon-shaped cards with physics concepts to visually connect and explore relationships between those concepts, fostering critical thinking and deeper understanding

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Perimeter Institute FREE Teacher Workshops

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Perimeter Institute FREE Teacher Workshops

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Free Resources and Training!

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Teachers come here to boost their understanding of the big bang, AI, event horizons, dark matter, our milky way galaxy & more about space to share in class.

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This year’s theme focuses on Nova neutrino experimental data analysis and neutrino oscillations.

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 QuarkNet MasterClass March 29th @ 10-5:30

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 QuarkNet MasterClass March 29th @ 10-5:30

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If your students are interested in participating, please let us know by March 8. No prior preparation is required for attendees.

If March 29 does not work for your school, we also have an alternative date available: April 5.

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Orlando Buria, Physics Teacher @ West Seneca Christian

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Fermilab’s NOvA experiment is helping scientists determine the role that ghostly particles called neutrinos played in the evolution of the cosmos.

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PHY622 (6cr): Electricity and Magnetism for High School Teachers

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PHY622 (6cr): Electricity and Magnetism for High School Teachers

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Begins July 7, 2025, 3 weeks in person

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Summer Physics Academy | Physics | SUNY Buffalo State University

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On campus housing is available to Summer Physics Academy students. To reserve on-campus housing for a summer course, please send an email with your name, address, phone number, Banner ID and the course you are attending to reslife@buffalostate.edu, and CC: David Henry at henryd@buffalostate.edu and Dan MacIsaac macisadl@buffalostate.edu. The deadlines for reserving housing are around July 1.

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May 22-24, 2025

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Ontario Association of Physics Teachers - Conference 2025

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This year’s conference features a great selection of workshops covering various science and physics topics, pedagogy, current events, and discoveries! Join us!

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How physics teachers can use free A.I. tools for all aspects of teaching physics.

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Magdeburg Hemispheres,   amazing alternative methods plus DIY

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Without the FFT, analyzing complex data in real time would be too computationally slow. It transforms data from a waveform that is often difficult to interpret into a clear spectrum that highlights specific frequencies, harmonics, or noise

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But what is the Fourier Transform?  A visual introduction.

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Physics Olympics Outreach Fan Cart Firenze 

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Physics Olympics Outreach Fan Cart Firenze 

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Practicing for the Physics Olympics events.

"How would you score?"

Create a graph to include in the Event Set.

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We will have a Make & (not) Take session to create custom name tags for participants.

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Joel May, Joel May, STEM Teacher at North Tonawanda High School

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More info.

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IIHS-HLDI crash testing and highway safety

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Space Patch Educator Professional Development Event

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Space Patch Educator Professional Development Event

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May 10, 2025

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Space Patch Educator Professional Development Event - Niagara Aerospace Museum

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Saturday, May 10, 20259:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon EDTat the museum9990 Porter Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 In-person and online options are available, but registration is required. Sign up here.Sign up by April 30 to assure we’ll have materials for you at the event. It’s FREE! PD GOALS: Experience how placing a real mission patch […]

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David Henry shares his electricity phenomenon

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RIT computational puzzles. Using logic in STEM classes.

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Shared by Yianna Russo, Physics at Orchard Park HS

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Qualitative Diffraction, written by Quinn Thomson

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Shared by Yianna Russo, Physics at Orchard Park HS. 

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The Width of a Hair Activity

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Experimental setup.

With a laser it is possible to measure the width of very small objects, e.g. of an hair. For this one uses the effect of the diffraction of light on very small objects. In physics they like to use small slits for this type of experiment. The diffraction pattern for complementary objects (like slits and hairs) is identical ( Babinet's principle), therefore the same experiment can be made with a hair, which is much easier to acquire.

The image on the right shows one part of the experimental setup. A hair, fixed by two alligator clips, is placed in the path of the laser beam. 10 meters away (9.67m, to be exact), a black surface is used as the screen (because a white screen would reflect too much of the laser light to get a good photograph).

The resulting diffraction pattern is shown in the next photograph:

Diffraction pattern.

The distance between two dark spots (minima) is 6.5 cm. The wavelength of the laser is 523 nm.

The explanation of the phenomenon is easier for a slit than for a hair. From the schematic diagram we can derive the formula to calculate the width of the slit [from Ref 1 + 2].

Part 1 shows the overall setup. Light rays coming from the left side of the hair need to travel longer to reach the same spot on the right of the screen that rays coming from the right side. Let α be the angle under which we see the first minimum. We can derive the following equation:

(I)   tan(α) = s/L

Actually it should be tan(α) = ( s + d/2 ) / L but as d is small compared with s we can ignore the d/2 part.

Part 2 shows what happens if the difference in the path is exactly half a wavelength (or an uneven multiple of half the wavelength (i.e 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, ...): the two waves cancel each other (the sum of their amplitudes is zero). This happens in the dark spots in the diffraction pattern.

Part 3 explains why the dark spots are where they are. Because the width of the slit is negligibly small compared to the distance hair-screen, we can assume that light rays from the left and right side of the slit that reach the same spot on the screen are parallel. If there is a path difference of λ/2 between the leftmost wave and the light wave from the center of the slit, these two waves cancel each other. The same is true for all waves from the left half of the slit and their conterpart from the right half of the slit (for example the wave from immediately to the left of the center and the rightmost wave, see arrows). There will be a minimum at the correponding spot on the screen. From this we can derive the next equation:

(II)    sin(α) = λ/d

We solve both equations for d:

(III)  d = λ / sin ( atan(s/L) )

With λ = 523*10⁻⁹m, s = 6.5*10⁻²m, L = 9.67m we get d = 7.78*10⁻⁵m = 78 micrometers.

This fits well within what Wikipedia tells us about the width of an hair.

For small angles α it is sin(α) = α and tan(α) = α, therefore we can also use these approximate equations:

(Ia)    α = s/L
(IIa)   α = λ/d
(IIIa)  d = λ*L / s

This changes the result only after the fifth decimal place.

References:

1. Arnold Berliner: Lehrbuch der Physik in elementarer Darstellung, 4th Edition, Berlin, 1928.

2. Dr. Rolf Schröder: Slit Diffraction.

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Experimental setup. With a laser it is possible to measure the width of very small objects, e.g. of an hair. For this one uses the effect of the diffraction of light on very small objects. In physics they like to use small slits for this type of experiment.

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Share session from the University of Waterloo Virtual Workshop

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Shared by Yianna Russo, Physics at Orchard Park HS

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Dan Graf shares his introduction of Resistance.

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Dan Graf, Physics at Clarence High School

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Information for teachers interested in Dual Enrollment of Physics and SUNY Credit

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Kristen Fields, AVP of Continuing Professional Services 

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PLANNING TO ATTEND Physics Olympics March 28th??? Complete the Participant Interest Form. 

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PLANNING TO ATTEND Physics Olympics March 28th??? Complete the Participant Interest Form. 

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If you intend to attend please complete the participant interest survey

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Size and Mass of an Atom Student Activity 

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Size and Mass of an Atom Student Activity 

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Mike Crittenden, Physics Teacher at Notre Dame High School, Batavia NY

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Example Sample Radiation Cluster

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Using Computational Thinking to engage and enrich problem solving.

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Yianna Russo, Physics at Orchard Park High School

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In preparation for Physics Olympics we need to spend sometime doing Trivia!

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Lowell has retried and he is looking to rehome some of his favorite demos, resources, and toys.

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Lowell Sylwester, Retired Physics teacher of West Seneca West  

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Book recommendation

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David Abbott, PhD Buffalo State University Faculty 

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necessary conditions: teaching secondary math with academic safety

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education / teaching methods & materials / mathematics

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education/teaching methods & materials - mathematics

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mathematics - study and teaching (secondary)

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mathematics teachers - in-service training

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teaching methods & materials - mathematics

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education / teaching methods & materials / mathematics

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education/teaching methods & materials - mathematics

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Necessary Conditions: Teaching Secondary Math with Academic Safety, Quality Tasks, and Effective Facilitation

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Necessary Conditions: Teaching Secondary Math with Academic Safety, Quality Tasks, and Effective Facilitation [Krall, Geoff] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Necessary Conditions: Teaching Secondary Math with Academic Safety, Quality Tasks, and Effective Facilitation

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What is this vehicle driving over? What is it and what is it used for?

Exploring traffic counters

1. The Most Reliable Tube Traffic Counter | Portable Vehicle Surveys | RoadPod VT | MetroCount

2. How Traffic Counters Work - YouTube

3. Capturing Individual Vehicle Traffic Data | MTE Software | MetroCount

4. The Only Witness - Traffic Counter Is Key In Solving Fatal Hit and Run

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Lowell has retried and he is looking to rehome some of his favorite demos, resources, and toys.

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Lowell Sylwester, Retired Physics teacher of West Seneca West  

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 Variation on the "g" from a pendulum lab

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 Variation on the "g" from a pendulum lab

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Thin film refraction with nail polish activity

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Doppler Frisbees

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Make a personal gravity well like the large classroom demo above.

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How much horsepower does your car really need?

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How much horsepower does your car really need?

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May 22-24, 2025

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Ontario Association of Physics Teachers - Conference 2025

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This year’s conference features a great selection of workshops covering various science and physics topics, pedagogy, current events, and discoveries! Join us!

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Mark your calendar for our future meetings. 

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Mark your calendar for our future meetings. 

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Sept 26, 2026

Oct 24, 2026

Nov 14, 2026

Dec 12, 2026

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Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics Field activites!

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This free, customizable lesson compilation has hands-on classroom activities on the fundamental topic of fields, including: electric, magnetic, and gravitational fields.

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Personal Gravity Wells

Students model electric fields with stretchy fabric. By pulling the fabric in different ways, they model attraction and repulsion. Students roll marbles on the fabric to map out the electric field.

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Team work makes the dream work.

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Physics Olympics 2026 announcements & updates

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Physics Olympics 2026 announcements & updates

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Announcing the date, Event 1, Event 2, & brainstorm Event 3.

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STEAM 4 SPACE -  We will host up to 60 K-12 teachers (and student teachers) for a free, hands-on activity where the participants will learn about an activity they can use in their classrooms, using space mission patches to explore various STEAM topics.

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Wednesday, March 25th, 2026

And possibly...

Saturday, March 21st, 2026

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Jan 17, 2026

9AM-2PM

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Here is a video of the demo

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Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations

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A Light  Bulb Mystery- Electric Resistance // Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany

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Airbags as Real-Life Applications for Science NSTA Article 

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Airbags as Real-Life Applications for Science NSTA Article 

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NSTA Article

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Airbags as Real-Life Applications for Science

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At the core of an effective model-based inquiry (MBI) unit is a scientifically rich, complex phenomenon that serves as the reason for engagement and drives student sensemaking and investigations throughout the unit. Engaging in iterative attempts to explain phenomena over the course of an MBI unit allows the opportunity for students to construct evidence-based explanations that are refined over time with various science practices. We provide an example of using MBI as an instructional model to facilitate students’ conceptual understanding of chemical reactions.

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Creative physics demos developed by AP Physics students at Nichols School, originally showcased to the public during a two-week exhibit at the Buffalo Science Museum.

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Quantum Technology provides a concrete and engaging introduction to the basic ideas of quantum mechanics. This resource features a variety of quantum technologies, and includes a video on quantum computers designed to bring quantum to your classroom.

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This free, customizable lesson compilation provides a concrete and engaging introduction to the basic ideas of quantum mechanics.

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Upcoming Professional Learning for WNY Teachers | New York State Master Teacher Program, Western Region | SUNY Buffalo State University

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This is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by IREX.

Fulbright in Practice

As a result of Joelle McIntosh's engagement with the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, her colleagues are enthusiastically in pursuit of more materials and information on how they can incorporate global education into lessons, and students are ready to take on opportunities to travel and gain real world, practical experience.

Each year approximately 400 educators from 75 countries participate in Fulbright Teacher Exchanges. These fellows teach a total of 75,000 students annually when they return home. If each fellow teaches an average of 15 more years, these exceptional educators will reach approximately 1.5 million students.

Every teacher who participates in a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program reaches, on average, 180 students.

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This is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by IREX. Fulbright in Practice As a result of Joelle McIntosh's engagement with the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, her colleagues are enthusiastically in pursuit of more materials and information on how they can incorporate global education into lessons, and students are ready to take on opportunities to travel and gain real world, practical experience.