Physics for pupils

Looking for ideas

Physics surrounds us: It is reflected in the colour of the sky, keeps us in balance when cycling and is in every mobile phone. And yet physics is one of the most unpopular school subjects. We, the German Physical Society and the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, want to change this - with your help. You teach physics or another technical subject in the natural sciences and would like to get students excited about science and technology; design experimental lessons in such a way that they are up to date not only thematically but also in the way they are carried out; realize a project in a study group or an advanced course for which there are currently no funds; promote physics in the school building or in the schoolyard; make physics in general more attractive as a school subject.

 

We support you

Make an application for funding. This should include:

• Project title and duration, your address with telephone number and e-mail address
• The pedagogical objectives of the project
• Timing and organizational process of the project
  Cost plan, as detailed as possible
• Letter of consent from the school management, if applicable
• Information on how the project is to be documented
• Information on when the project is completed and can be invoiced
• Declaration of consent that the final report may be published on the DPG website as an example of a successful project (including image rights)

Please note:
Applications for student projects must be submitted before the end of the project, all other applications (especially for events) at least four weeks before the project starts.
Equipment can only be approved if it can be clearly assigned to the project applied for and is only used for this project. For this reason, computers, beamers, smartboards, tablet PCs, digital cameras and other basic equipment are generally not eligible.
Funding is limited to 5000 euros per individual project.
As a rule, the funding programme only supports applications from public educational institutions or non-profit associations with close links to schools.
The applications are reviewed by a jury of experienced teachers and subject didacticians.
Upon completion of a project, documentation and a financial report must be submitted.

Examples of funded projects

Thematic area "Current research"

• Construction of a scanning tunneling microscope
• Student projects on stellar spectroscopy at a student laboratory for astronomy
• Establishment of a "nanotechnology learning station
• MINT project "X-rays"
• Spectrograph for the observation of red giants

Subject area "Technology/Robotics/Model construction"

• (Sk)Eifall - Construction of water carrier rockets
• Speed measurement on the bike via sound card and reed sensor
• Construction of a model hovercraft
• Students develop their own energy course
• Control of a hall gate for a model railway
• Construction of a bottle deposit machine

Thematic area "Energy"

• Measurement of the radioactivity of fossil fuels
• Pupils' exercises on photovoltaics
• Experiments around the fuel cell
• Construction of a solar energy model house
• Construction of a remote controlled solar car

Subject area "Demonstration experiments"

• Foucault's pendulum in the staircase of the school
• "Whispering route" in the schoolyard made of discarded parabolic mirrors
• Walk-in camera obscura
• Demonstration experiments in the school corridor (e.g. Kundt's pipe)
• "Mousetrap Race"
• Children's programme at the Long Night of Sciences

Special target groups

• Preparatory seminars for physics Olympiads and the German Young Physicists' Tournament
• Technology for girls
• "Specialist camp"
• Holiday Academy SFN
• Summer academy at the Lithuanian High School

Note: The topics listed are for overview purposes only and are not intended as a guide. Therefore you can give free rein to your own ideas for your own project.

Applications

in the support programme "Physics for pupils" please address

Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft e. V.
Geschäftsstelle
Hauptstraße 5
53604 Bad Honnef

Phone: 02224 / 9232-0
fax: 02224 / 9232-50
e-mail:

 

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This program is made possible through the generous support of the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation.