Particle Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
PParticle Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
K. Nikolopoulos , M. Pardalaki School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, UnitedKingdom Berdahi Company, Paris, FranceE-mail: [email protected]
Abstract.
A workshop using dance to introduce particle physics concepts to youngchildren is presented. The workshop is realised in the dance studio, the children assumecomplete ownership of the activity and dance becomes the means to express ideas.The embodiment of the physics concepts facilitates knowledge assimilation, whileempowering the students with respect to science. Beyond the scientific and artisticbenefits of this workshop, this approach aspires to overcome the barriers between artand science; and open new interdisciplinary horizons for the students.
Submitted to:
Phys. Educ.
1. Introduction
The 2015 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded “for the discovery of neutrino oscillations,which shows that neutrinos have mass” [1]. This was the starting point of a fruitfulcollaboration between the authors, a deeper look at the respective practices andexchange of ideas, that culminated in the “Neutrino Passoire” performance [2]: followingthe elusive and omnipresent neutrinos, from their birthplace in the Sun, travellingthrough space and oscillating between flavours imperceptibly. In this journey, theneutrinos transverse matter, the Earth, our bodies, continuing unimpeded. Thisprovides for the opportunity to explore the idea that the human body is not a fortressas one might think; it is rather perceived as a sort of passoire, the french word forcolander, letting neutrinos pass through without trauma or memory of the event itself.From that point on, the performance naturally questions notions particularly prevalentin the public discourse and leaves it to the audience to provide answers.The performance was presented for the first time at the University of BirminghamArts and Science Festival 2016, and in several venues since. An extended version waspresented at the Midlands Arts Centre in March 2018, while the final version of theperformance was presented in Paris in October 2019. The overwhelmingly positivefeedback received from the audience compelled the authors to go beyond the performanceby taking particle physics in the dance studio, allowing school students to approach the a r X i v : . [ phy s i c s . e d - ph ] D ec article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
2. Workshop development
The “Particle Dance” workshop was developed, initially, as part of the CREATIONSproject, a Horizon 2020 support and coordination action across eleven EU-membercountries, aiming to develop art-based creative approaches towards a more engagingscience classroom [3]. The workshop design was informed by the creative pedagogicalfeatures established within CREATIONS [4], similarly to Ref. [5] which was developedin parallel.The core idea is to bring particle physics in the dance studio. This encouragesinformal learning, avoids any student pre-conceptions regarding the science classroom,and allows for interdisciplinary connections to be made. Furthermore, it allows studentsto appreciate that dance is not only a means to express oneself in relation to feelingsand emotions, but also to convey ideas, even on topics that are not usually perceived tobe connected with dance. Thus, another benefit of this approach, is the bridging of artand science subjects, that are currently disconnected in the school curriculum. For thisreason, it is important that at the end of the workshop the students have a completeartistic creation, a final product that they could perform and discuss.The workshop consists of two parts. In the first part, students learn aboutfundamental particles that make up matter and mediate interactions, as well as aboutthe Higgs boson. At this stage, students connect particles to dance through shortchoreographic movements, proposed by themselves, inspired by the particle properties,name, etc. In the second part students learn about particle interactions, scattering, pair-production and annihilation, and, in teams, produce a choreography of an interaction.They are given complete responsibility both for the development of the choreographyand the choice of music.During the workshop two main props are used: a) the “subatomic plushies” [6], acloth model for each particle, used to provide a visual anchor to the discussions; andb) a deck of particle trump cards, one per particle, showing the particle name and basicproperties [7].For the initial implementation phase of the workshop, reported here, the main focuswas on girls in Key Stage 3 (KS3), and more specifically Year 8 (12-13 years old), inthe British education system. Seven workshops were delivered in schools in the WestMidlands area with up to 16 students per workshop and a total of approximately 110participating students. article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
3. Learning about the particles
Some students in KS3 may be familiar with the idea that matter is made out of atoms.However, it is very rare to find students that know the details of the atom consistingof a dense nucleus made of protons and neutrons, and electrons around them. Atthe beginning of each workshop, students sit in a circle on the floor and each one ispresented with a card, randomly drawn from a deck of particle trump cards. Thesecards, originally developed for the “particle physics in primary schools” workshop [7],present each particle and its properties in a simplified manner, appropriate for the ageof the students, and codify the interaction properties in terms of “likes” and “dis-likes”between the particles. At this stage 16 cards are used, representing the matter particles,interaction carriers, and the Higgs boson.Subsequently, a model of the atom consisting of “subatomic plushies” [6] ispresented and following discussion about the atom consisting of a dense core of protonsand neutron with electrons orbiting around, the students are invited to “open” theproton and the neutron to find that they are made up of up- and down-quarks, alongwith gluons that keep them together.Having completed this basic introduction with the atom, a discussion beginsbetween the physicist and the students. The physicist introduces one-by-one theparticles of the Standard Model, and the students are asked one-by-one to read outloud the content of their the trump card, as the particles are being presented and the“plushies” are arranged in familes, as shown in Fig. 1. For each particle, after the trumpcard is read, the physicist adds a funny or interesting fact about the particles on topof the description read out from the card, for example how they were discovered, howthey got their name, etc. The use of these trump cards was found to be very effective inengaging the students, as each of them has “their own particle”, and provides a naturalopportunity for each student to add something to the discussion. Thus, it also acts asan ice-breaker, and allows for active participation in the ensuing discussions.
Figure 1.
Introducing the particle of the standard model using a “plushie” for eachparticle. Photo credit: Dimitra Spathara.
Having introduced the particles of the Standard Model, a discussion which lasts forabout 25 minutes including questions and answers, the warm-up begins. Each student article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
4. Learning about anti-matter and particle interactions
In the second part, the students are introduced to the idea of anti-matter. The physicistdemistifies anti-matter: there is nothing mystical or apocryphal about it and it isroutinely produced in cosmic ray collisions in the atmosphere and high energy particlecolliders. The key element of particle annihilation is presented. This is very exciting forthe students, they show visible interest in the discussion, and they ask several questionstrying to grasp the nature of these anti-matter particles, and the process of annihilationwhere photons appear where matter and the, respective, anti-matter particles meet. Atthis point also the notion of pair-production of particle is introduced, and this, naturally, article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio (a) Up quark (b)Down quark(c) Charm quark (d) Strange quark(e) Top quark (f)Beauty quark Figure 2.
Example choreography for the quarks by Mairi Pardalaki. Extracted fromvideo by Daniela ´Ambar Gayoso-Miranda. leads to the possibility of scattering between particles.Subsequently, the students are split in teams, with each team tasked to producea choreography for a given interaction. Particle scattering is choreographed by a teamof three students (two particles and a force carrier), the annihilation and subsequentpair production by a team of five students (particle and anti-particle in the initial state,force carrier, particle and anti-particle in the final state). A team of seven studentsmay produce a choreography of the atom (three quarks, two gluons, one electron, anda photon). Initially, the team should decide which particles they are going to use. Arequirement is that at least one of the moves developed in the first part should beretained. It is interesting to observe how the students humanise the inanimate particles article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio (a) (b)
Figure 3.
Choreographed interactions by teams of students. Photo credit: DimitraSpathara.
5. Particle Dance and open questions in particle physics
At the end of the session, both parts are presented as a whole, the “Particle Dance”,and the choreography is completed and the students feel particularly excited aboutperforming.Finally, the students sit again in a circle on the floor and a discussion takes place.This opportunity is used to introduce elements of open questions. The students areconfronted with the idea that the Standard Model particles, all those discussed duringthe workshop, make up only about 4.6% of the matter-energy content of the universe,and that the majority is attributed to Dark Matter and Dark Energy. The reaction of thestudents to this varies, most of them are excited and interested, some are disappointed.One student actually got upset, almost angry, not being able to accept the relevation!
6. Evaluation
At the end of each workshop a round table takes place were students are invited toprovide feedback on the session, and comment on things that they did or did not enjoyabout it, and suggestions for improvements. At the same time feedback is requested article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
7. Summary
With the development of the “Particle Dance” workshop we aspire to bring particlephysics in the dance studio, and to stimulate the students’ curiosity towards particle article Dance: Particle physics in the dance studio
Acknowledgments
This work has been supported by the European Commission as part of the“CREATIONS - Developing an engaging science class room” project (CREATIONS-665917) and by the West Midlands Branch of the Institute of Physics. The participationof dancer Fanny Travaglino, and musicians Alexandros Mentis and Katerina Fotinaki,in the workshops, along with their insightful comments is thankfully acknowledged.
References [1] Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014, “The 2015 nobel prize in physics - press release.” [ Retrieved9 Apr 2018 ].[2] M. Pardalaki and K. Nikolopoulos, “The neutrino passoire.” [ Retrieved 3 Jul 2018 ].[3] CREATIONS - Developing an Engaging Science Classroom. http://creations-project.eu .[4] K. Chappell, L. Hetherington, H. Ruck Keene, C. Slade, and M. Cukorova, “CREATIONS D2.1The Features of inquiry learning: theory, research and practice.,” 2016.[5] I. Andrews and K. Nikolopoulos, “Introducing particle physics concepts through visual art,”
Phys.Educ. , vol. 53, no. 5, p. 054001, 2018.[6] The Particle Zoo, LLC. .[7] M. Pavlidou and C. Lazzeroni, “Particle physics for primary schools – enthusing future physicists,”