Nancy L. Donaldson, PhD

Rockhurst University

Welcome to the HAUNTED PHYSICS LABORATORY page!!

 

Each year our students from PH 2300, with the help of the physics department and some wonderful volunteers, build projects to exhibit in a Haunted Physics Lab. 

 

 

Last year over 300 people learned “phascinating physics” in  our haunted lab!

HAUNTED PHYSICS LABORATORY

The Haunted Physics Lab has been developed at Rockhurst University over the past three years as an integral component of a physics course for non-science majors. 

 

Students enrolled in my Phascination in Physics course (PH 2300) experience deep conceptual learning in waves and sound, light and color and current electricity through a hands-on inquiry-based pedagogy.  The entire course is taught through the constructivist pedagogy by eliciting misconceptions, investigating and constructing knowledge, and developing a consensus of physical principles through student-developed evidence.

 

As an intensive half-semester course, we meet for four hours one night each week and  four hours on several Saturdays.  Since the course finishes up in October, I decided to have the students create a project for a Haunted Physics Lab as their final grade (50% of the course grade).

 

Students design and develop a ‘haunted’ project based on physics principles learned during the course.  Each project writes four strong conceptual questions to be included in a “Haunted Lab Manual” that is developed by the class and given to those visiting our spooky lab.

 

The Haunted Lab has drawn hundreds of students and visitors to the Rockhurst Physics Department.  In 2007, we conducted two haunted labs:  one during the day for four area diocesan high schools (75 students) complete with inquiry based lesson plans, and one in the evening for the general public and Rockhurst students (over 200 people).

 

This Haunted Lab is a large undertaking that has proven to be a wonderful representation of physics learning by students that had never planned to study science.  Each year they have done a FANTASTIC job in the development of physics projects - and, the learning has been relevant, memorable, and FUN!!!!!