Introducing an innovative approach of teaching the Standard Model of particle physics at high school

Abstract

The role that is assigned to elementary particle physics in high school education differs all over the world. Even within a single country like Germany there are major differences in the depth of discussion. To help teachers to address the fundamental concepts of elementary particles and their interactions and to reduce the subject didactically with respect to the given general conditions, Netzwerk Teilchenwelt has developed teaching material with an innovative didactic spiral approach that points out connections to common contents of physics curricula and is focused on the fundamental interactions of the Standard Model of particle physics and the charges that generate them. This concept is being presented and discussed during in-service trainings for teachers all over Germany. Since 2017, roughly 290 teachers have been trained in at least two-day courses and enabled to teach this approach.