AAPT Digi Kits are specially selected multimedia collections that bring together the work of many authors, content developers, editors, and peer reviewers. The goal of the Digi Kits is to promote interdisciplinary explorations that integrate physics with life science, chemistry, and Earth/space science in a format that blends modeling, hands-on investigation, video, and interactive digital representations.
The AAPT Digi Kits are curated, edited, and annotated by Caroline Hall, managing editor and eBook developer for the AAPT and the ComPADRE Digital Libraries in Physics Education. The Energy Theater Lesson Plan was written by Alice Flarend, physics teacher at Bellwood-Antis High School, Bellwood, PA, and by Caroline Hall.
Please contact chall@aapt.org with questions, suggestions, or to report errors.
Relevant Links:
ComPADRE Digital Libraries in Physics Education
The Energy Theater Digi Kit was inspired by a 2014 article in The Physics Teacher magazine, also titled "Energy Theater", authored by Abigail Daane, Lindsay Wells, and Rachel Scherr.
Special thanks go out to the following people and organizations:
- David Straw, PhD, subject matter expert for the AAPT Digi Kits Project
- PhET (Physics Education Technology Project), for the interactive simulations "Pendulum Lab", "Energy Forms and Changes", and "Energy Skate Park Basics".
- Tom Henderson, author/developer of The Physics Classroom website, for his Concept Builder resource titled "What's Up and Down with KE and PE?"
- GreenLearning-Canada, for its maker projects titled, "Build a Wind Turbine" and "Build a Hydro Generator"
- Foundation for Water & Energy Education (FWEE) for its interactive tutorial titled "Walk Through a Hydroelectric Project"
- PBS Learning Media, for its video titled "Energy Transfer in a Trebuchet", part of its Science Test digital collection
- Destin Sandlin, author/producer of the Smarter Every Day YouTube channel, for his video titled "The Physics of Slingshots"
- The CK12 digital education website, for their free-access tutorial titled "Potential Energy"
- Tom Henderson, author/developer of The Physics Classroom website, for his animated tutorials titled "Energy Transformation for a Pendulum" and "Energy Transformation on a Roller Coaster
- Michael Gallis, PhD, for his interactive Java simulation, "Energizer Model"
- Wolfgang Christian, PhD, Open Source Physics editor, for his supplementary materials that support the "Energizer Model"
- Gregg Swackhamer, Founding Workshop Leader, American Modeling Teachers Association, for his scholarly article titled "Making Work Work"