PhysicsQuest Comics, Contests, and Kits

Rebecca Thompson American Physical Society Assembly of Society Officers March 27th, 2014

Why Middle School?

• We have Bill Nye, Cosmos, Sid the Science Kid and Dog with a Blog?

• Beginning to figure out what they like and where they fit in, lets make physics a part of that.

• Girls need encouragement in science at this age.

PhysicsQuest • Annual kit-based middle school science activities, built

around a story and a problem to solve. • Free and available to any group wishing to participate,

though capped at 13,500 kits. ~3,500 teachers. 500 teacher waitlist this year.

• Its also a contest • Over 3,000,000 kids reached since ’05. • In its 9th year of PQ. • Replicated by ACS for Year of Chemistry • Grown through initial advertising, now word of mouth • Sold by Educational Innovations, past kits sell out.

Teachers use kits year after year.

PhysicsQuest 2013 Kit Distribution

A kit in every state!

Type of Schools Wanting PhysicsQuest

Do They Want to do it Again?

Tesla Comic

• 3,237 teachers/13,000 classes/350K kids.

• 1,450 teachers are repeat users.

PhysicsQuest Reinvented Tesla, Physicist and Superhero

PhysicsQuest 2008: Tesla and the Electric Fair Created to add a new twist to PhysicsQuest Extremely well received addition

Then Came Spectra! Couldn’t do PQ laser scientist, so we created our own superhero

Spectra is a middle school girl who develops laser super powers and must battle “Miss Alignment” Created a world for her that the readers could relate to. She has annoying parents, BFFs and even a love interest.

Started with “character sheet” describing personality, friendships, powers, basic “look”

Creating Plots That Entertain AND Teach

The comic must bring students into PQ, it has to be good

As Spectra learns about her powers, so do the readers Researched themes, plots and humor enjoyed by the target audience. Wrote full plot that included physics principles in the battles as well as every day life.

Educational comics walk a fine line. If it is too education based, no one will read it. If it is to entertainment based, no one will learn.

Never put “educational” on the cover!

Can be distributed alone or with PQ

Conferences of all sorts in all fields

Educational conferences

Website

Special events, both through APS and by others

Shamelessly Self Promote! If there is a mic, talk into it.

APS Meeting Attendees love bringing them home to their kids

COMIC-CON!

Distribute 1.5 Tons of comics a year

Comic-Con International

Quite the in “Thing”

• Covered in Boing-Boing and open culture led to 25,000 page views directly

• First time we were asked about “in booth signing schedule” and “Comic-Con Exclusive”

Shamelessly Self Promote!

Experiments:

• Absorption Spectrum

• Hidden Rainbow

• Topology of an inside out t-shrit

• Utility problem on a torus

Comics:

• “Villain” is Pauli Black, owner of Black Body Repair

• Accidentally gives more than your standard brake repair.

• Registration filled up even faster than last year.

• Will give out 500 more kits • Holding back 100 to try

and sell

PhysicsQuest: Spectra’s Quantum Leap

Homeschool and NGSS

The Spectra Team

Rebecca Thompson Kerry G. Johnson David Ellis Nancy Bennett-Karasik APS Outreach team!

Did the Kids Like It?

Did it Make Them Want More Physics?

Gender Participation