The innovation engine for new materials

John Gonzalez

John Gonzalez

School: 

Adolfo Camarillo High School

Grade Level: 

High School

Teaching Position: 

General Science
Chemistry

Supervisor: 

Ram Seshadri

Department: 

Material Research Lab

Mentor: 

Josh Kurzman
Brent Melot

Research Project Year: 

2008

Research Project Title: 

High-temperature Superconductor

Research Project Description: 

Superconductors are materials that, when cooled below a critical temperature can conduct electricity with zero resistance. This property of superconductors has potentially significant societal applications because electrical resistance significantly reduces the efficiency of energy production. Work toward discovering superconductors with higher critical temperatures is the focus of much current research. Another property of superconductors, termed the Meissner Effect, is their ability to repel magnetic fields when cooled below their critical temperatures. Exploring this property was the focus of my six-week research project. Our task was to create a vehicle which housed YBa2Cu3O7 pellets that would effectively travel along a magnetic track. The levitation event is seemingly miraculous and can draw the interest of veteran scientists and students alike. Through a process of trial and error, both the vehicle and track were engineered. The product will serve as a discrepant event demonstration to be used at UCSB educational outreach presentations. The “magic” of this scientific phenomenon is intended to foster interest and fascination amongst students at these presentations.

Research Project Attachments: 

Curriculum Project Year: 

2009

Curriculum Project Title: 

From Lecture to Labs: Transforming an Earth Science Curriculum

Curriculum Project Description: 

Utilizing the time and resources of the RET II program, I worked to create a lab curriculum that could be fully integrated into the developing Earth Science course at ACHS. There are a variety of lesson types, including hands-on labs, model-based lab activities, writing in science, and computer lab activities. The lessons are standards-based and designed to be implemented as an integral part of the earth science curriculum, and not a parallel set of activities separated from the normal flow of the class. Of the lessons created, many contain versions with strategic scaffolding to remove some of the barriers and help students with special needs access the content. Likewise, many of the labs and activities created have ideas for extension listed which can be used to enrich the learning experiences for gifted students and/or accelerated classes.

Curriculum Project Attachments: 

Are you using a curriculum project in your own classroom?  Please take our short SURVEY.