PhET+Interactive+Simulations

Introduction:

Interactive Simulations is FREE and was created and is hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder. This Web 2.0 site is a source for online demonstrations, and high quality interactive simulations in all the sciences and mathematics at all grade levels but is most suitable for MS and higher. The simulations are fun and research based.

Classroom Resources for PhET Interactive Simulations and Teachers:

PhET site has three sections off immediate interest:

Simulations: All  simulations are interactive. I have used the simulations for demonstrations, labs, games and short activities with white-boarding.

I have used the projectile motion sim in conjunction with a white board activity. Given initial conditions for a projectile launch to each group of students, they calculate the displacement of the projectile, then compare their answers to the simulated model. Another activity is to give the initial conditions for two projectiles and then ask which projectile will goes the highest or farthest etc. without calculating, forcing them to qualitatively evaluate each situation. In an inquiry based approach, students play with the simulation and determine whether it is accurate of projectile motion and if their are limitations to the simulated model?

Another in-depth simulation that I use for higher order thinking is the circuit virtual lab simulation. Students design a circuit based on requirements given to them and then build the real circuit and compare the real values to the simulated values. How close are the simulated model values to real life? Does the simulated model portray accurately what you see in your real circuit? Can you see any limitations?

The sample simulations below were chosen for breadth of content. Please investigate the nicely done simulations below or choose another of interest at PhET!

Note: The simulations are designed using Java so you may have to either download or update your Java. Java is also free!


 * Fraction Matcher || Projectile Motion  || pH Scale  ||
 * media type="custom" key="20428142" || media type="custom" key="20428210" || media type="custom" key="20428244" ||
 * Membrane Channels || Equation Grapher  || Green House Effect  ||
 * = media type="custom" key="20428194" || media type="custom" key="20428242" || media type="custom" key="20428248" ||

For Teachers Resources: Each of the above simulations has an associated link below that will take you to the web page so you can explore some of the teacher submitted activities, labs, PDF's, etc. for that simulation. Y <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">ou can create your own. A nice aspect to this website is that it is highly supportive and encouraging of any instructor to submit there own resources and gives an opportunity to nominate favorite resources from other teachers. Your created materials are stored on site. If you have the skill you can even submit your own simulation. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">All the simulations can be embedded, downloaded, or run online. There are periodic updates to the simulations so it is suggested for downloaded versions to periodically delete and download the sim again.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Fraction Matcher
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Projectile Motion
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">pH Scale
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Membrane Channels
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Equation Grapher
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Green House Effect

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">__Stay Connected:__ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">PhET interactive simulations website is on facebook, twitter, and has a blog page. On the blog page you can find conferences and workshops being offered, newsletters, articles and papers, and activities. PhET keeps and archive of old blogs as well.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 31px;">__Research:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">PhET simulations promote student planning and conceptual understanding. They lend themselves well to inquiry based exploration by students through well done simulations. In a report sighted in an Education Week article1, there is huge potential between games and science learning. PhET simulations grew out of such research at the University of Colorado. According to a research associate of PhET, Noah Podolefsky, "The simulations are designed to be flexible and used as in-class activities, lecture demonstrations, or homework".1


 * 1) Katie Ash, Education Week: Digital Directions, vol 4 issue 3 pg 18-19
 * images taken from the PhET website are also available on Bing.com

This wiki has been created by **Matthew Selinger**. You can contact me at **mlselinger@gmail.com**.