The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), one of the most recent institutions to join the ORION network, launched the first in a new series of in-class, educational resources designed to help teachers engage high school students in the magic of physics.

The first module of the Perimeter Explorations series, The Mystery of Dark Matter shows students that physics doesn’t have to be all about Venn diagrams.

The 25-minute DVD, hosted by Dr. Damian Pope, Senior Manager of Scientific Outreach at PI, explains how over the last few decades, physicists have come to realize that about 90 per cent of the mass of every galaxy in the universe is made of an unseen substance called dark matter. Astronomers have studied light from distant stars, galaxies, planets, and other objects in space. However, recently physicists have come to realize that celestial objects that emit any type of light make up only a tiny fraction of the universe.

The rest of the universe is made of unseen material that does not emit, reflect, or absorb any type of electromagnetic radiation. This “dark matter” dominates galaxies, making up about 90 per cent of the mass of every galaxy in the universe. Without it, galaxies (including our own) would be inherently unstable and would rapidly fall apart.

“It’s currently one of the hottest topics in physics,” says Dr. Pope. “The module provides teachers with tools to show how dark matter was discovered, to explain why it remains a mystery, and to share the passion of scientists who are trying to discover what it’s made of.”

Over 100 educators and researchers contributed to the new in-class resource, “which is designed with both expert and novice educators in mind,” says Dr. Pope.

Teachers can edit the student worksheets found in the module to tailor them to individual classes. The module also takes viewers inside various research locations, including the Perimeter Institute, as well as SNOLAB, an underground laboratory located in Sudbury where researchers are trying to solve the mystery of dark matter. The full resource includes the DVD, possible lesson outlines, curriculum links, student activities, and an introductory article about dark matter.

Future modules will include lessons on Black Holes, Quantum Mechanics, and other hot topics in modern physics.

Described by celebrated scientist Vera Rubin as “… imaginative, artistic and scientifically valid,” the Perimeter Explorations program delivers on the request from hundreds of high school teachers to receive PI’s lessons in a flexible, comprehensive and simple format that can be used in classroom settings.

The full kit including the 25-minute video can be downloaded free of charge from the PI website. For more information, visit www.perimeterexplorations.ca.


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