Appendix B: Approximate Timing for Some Activities Appropriate for Teacher Workshops

The amount of time needed for an activity depends a great deal on the audience and on the preferences of the presenters. The times listed below are based on those that I have used with groups of physics and physical science teachers. I have found that teachers love to build things that they can carry back and use in their classrooms (“make-and-takes”), but you may find that the list below overemphasizes such activities. If you are cutting back to just one, I suggest the air impulse rocket, with suitable saftey precautions. Expect your timing to vary from that listed and plan accordingly. That is, over-plan somewhat in case things go more rapidly, but designate some things as optional so they can be dropped if things are going more slowly. The times for make-and-takes assume that the materials are precut and bagged into individual kits, and that enough tools are available to prevent significant bottlenecks.