COSM Outreach and QuarkNet

QuarkNet students working with the HU QuarkNet Center cosmic ray telescope

Welcome to the homepage for COSM outreach and the Hampton University QuarkNet Center.

Our purposes are to:

Support collaboration between particle physicists, physics teachers, and physics students in research and learning
Provide particle physics inquiry-based learning resources
Promote reform in physics education

We have been a QuarkNet Center since 2001, with teachers who continue to participate and regularly attend meetings, and more who follow our activities. The group built a cosmic ray telescope following the Berkeley design, but with the scintillation counters in separate boxes so that students could explore a variety of arrangements.

We estimate that over 2,000 high-school students have been influenced by this Center.

There have been significant spin-offs. One example is the Zambian outreach effort that involves several of the teachers. See below. Another is a program similar to QN at the elementary level.r See the 'Physics is Elementary' link.

Links to COSM QuarkNet Center activity pages
The HU Summer 2001 Institute
At the Hampton U QuarkNet Associate Teachers Institute 2001

HU QuarkNet Activities from 2002 to present
Building a candy collider at West Springfield High, VA

A whimsical look at physics, with many links.
The QuarkNet main web site

Outreach to Zambia
Zambian students outside their school

Data-Based Physics Lessons
Fermilab Education Office 'Physics Data' page.

Muon Lifetime

The Problem with Cosmic Rays

Units and Powers of Ten

COSM outreach and QuarkNet