ED 035 168

P.UTPOPTITLETNSTTTUTIONRFPOPT NOPUP DATENOTE

FDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

ABSTRACT

DOCUMENT RESUME

FF 000 869

Palmer, P. Ronald; Rice, William MaxwellLaboratories F, Classrooms For High School Physics.Educational Facilities Labs., Inc., New York, N.Y.CSEF-36136D.; RePrinted from 'Modern PhysicsBuildingsDesign and Function'

EDPS Price MF-0.25 HC Not Available from FDRS.*Classroom Design, Educational Administration,Flexible Classrooms, *Flexible Facilities, *HighSchool Design, Physics Instruction, ScienceEquipment, *Science Facilities, *Science Laboratories

Information and recommendations are presented toassist school planners in designing facilities for physics. Emphasisis given to design features related to the conduct of laboratoryexperiments by students, television teaching of physics, new physicscourses, classroom demonstrations, equipment storage and preparationareas, and combined classroom-laboratory facilities. Factors such aslocation, size: shape, utilities, and flexibility are considered inrelation to preparing functional specifications for space to be usedby physics classes. Some examples of high school physics rooms areincluded along with schematics and photographs. (FS)

ti

rj

printed,frOtn"Modern Physics :-

Design and Fnncionl

A lieport oftheAmerican Institute -of:My*?Projed onDesign of Phi pies ptiklinge

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE

OFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE

PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS

STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION

POSITION OR POLICY.

A REPORT

FROM

EDUCATIONAL

FACILITIES

LABORATORIES

Board of Directors

Milton C. Mumford, ChairmanPresident, Lever Brothers Company

Alvin C. Zurich, Vice ChairmanVice President and Director

The Fund for the Advancement of Education

Clay P. BedfordPresident, Kaiser Aircraft and Electronics Corporation

James C. Downs, Jr.President, Real Estate Research Corporation

Henry Dreyfues Industrial Designer

Morris Duane Attorney, Duane, Morris and Ileckscher

Harold B. GoresPresident, Educational Facilities Laboratories

Frederick L. Hovde President, Purdue University

James L. Morrill Consultant, The Ford Foundation

Winthrop RockefellerWinrock Farm, Morrilkn, Arkansas

Frank Stanton President, Columbia Broadcasting System

Thomas J. Watson, Jr.President, International Business Machines Corporation

Benjamin C. WillisGeneral Superintendent of Schools, Chicago, Illinois

Erwin S. WolfsonChairman of the Board, Diesel Construction Company, Inc.

is a nonprofit corporation

established by the Ford Foundation to helpAmerican schools and colleges with their physical

problems by the encouragement of research and

experimentation and the dissemination of knowl-

edge regarding educational facilities.

Officers

Harold B. Gores, President

Jonathan King. Secretary and Treasurer

Executive Staff

John H. Beynon

Evans Clinohy

Robert M. Dillon

Margaret Farmer

Barbara Hopkins

Arnold J. Kuesel

Ruth D. S. Weinstook

addilimimpi1111011111191116ININI1111111111

eiNPIIIIINUM1111111111i

41001111.1111111111111

Staff Associate

Editorial Associate

A.I.A., Consultant

Editorial Associate

Research Associate

Assistant Treasurer

Research Associate

--4

t

must sirloins '-.e! itveAviimitv pAgls.)404.0:,,

t

Laboratories & Classrooms

For High School Physics

A Report of the American Institute of Physics'

Project on Design of Physics Buildings

by R. Ronald Palmer and William Maxwell Rice

With a Preface

by W. C. Kelly

This report constitutes Chapter 12 of the book, Modern Physics BuildingsDesign and Function, published by Reinhold

Publishing Corporation. This chapter is the only one which is devoted solely to secondary school physics facilities; nevertheless,

many topics of interest to high school planners are covered in other chapters. Anyone seriously involved in the planning of

high school physics facilities would be well advised to study she book as a whole.

We would like to acknowledge the cooperation of Reinhold and the American Institute of Physics in permitting us to reprint

this chapter.EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES LABORATORIES

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED

MATERIAL BOOMSMI ROFI LY H S E GRANTED

BY 11TO ER IC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER

AGREEMENTS WITH THE U. S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION.

FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM

REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER."

qlicutikE ytua_seut, kz31 crslit!]

© 1961 by Reinhold Publishing Corporation

2.

Preface

New school buildings are rising throughout thenation. In cities and towns, building committeesare at work over floor plans, allotting dollars andchecking drawings. School activities are being re-viewed, too. There is an increasing awarenessthat these are times of educational change. Oldpatterns are giving way to new onesin buildingsas well as courses.

Laboratories and classrooms for physicsthesubject of this bookletpose particularly com-plex problems for building planners. Physics, likethe other sciences studied in schools, is changingrapidly. There is a new insistence that high schoolphysics courses must reflect these changes: newphysics programs are the order of the day.Furthermore, increased enrollments in schoolphys-ics, straining laboratory facilities, lie ahead asstudents and their parents come to realize theimportance of physics as a preparation for collegestudies and for citizenship in a technological age.Finally, the many special requirements of goodphysics teachinglaboratory electrical services,storage space for apparatus, the demonstrationbench, and project areas, to name a fewwhichhave always made special demands upon schooldesign, present greater problems these days forthe architect and the school staff as the emphasisincreases in physics courses on laboratory work,teacher demonstrations, and opportunities for in-dividual learning.

This booklet contains information and recom-mendations to assist school planners in designingphysics rooms. It is a product of the Project onthe Design of Physics Buildings, an eighteen-month study of physics building facilities spon-

3.

sored by the American Association of PhysicsTeachers and the American Institute of Physicsunder a grant from the Educational FacilitiesLaboratories, Inc. Professor R. Ronald Palmer ofBeloit College directed the project, and WilliamMaxwell Rice, A.I.A., acted as staff architect. Theproject was carried out within the Education De-partment of the American Institute of Physics.

The contents of this booklet constitute Chapter12 of the final report of the project, entitledModern Physics BuildingsDesign and Functionand published by Reinhold Publishing Corpora-tion of New York City. Although the report isconcerned mainly with the design of physics fa-cilities in colleges and universities, it contains inaddition to Chapter 12 much material that wouldbe helpful in the design of school physics labora-tories. The reader is referred to it with confidencethat he will find it a useful book.

Many have contributed to the success of theProject on the Design of Physics Buildings. Spacewill not permit me to name them all here. Thereader will find their names recorded in the pre-face to Modern Physics BuildingsDesign andFunction, the parent volume of this booklet. Edu-cational Facilities Laboratories, Inc. providedsupport for the project and, by an extension ofthe original grant, the means of distributing thisbooklet to schools. It is a pleasure to acknowledgethis support.

W. C. KELLYDirector of Education

American Institute of Physics

INTRODUCTION

This chapter contains suggestions forplanners of facilities for physics in secondaryschools. Although it comes at the end of thebook, the discussion of high school physics isnot an afterthought. From the beginning ofthe physics buildings project, we have beeninterested in new designs for school labora-tories and in ways of providing schoolplanners with as much helpful informationas possible.

The Role of High School Physics

High school physics has strong claims forconsideration in a book on physics facilities.The first systematic treatment of physics formany students occurs in the eleventh ortwelfth grade. A successful experience with agood high school physics course carries thestudent of science and engineering into hishigher education with an interest in theexact sciences and a readiness to engage inprecise, quantitative, sequential reasoningabout the physical world. For the studentpreparing for a career in other fields, a goodphysics course provides an insight into thescientific enterprise and a basis for judgmenton numerous public probleMs in a techno-logical age. In 1960, approximately onequarter of high school graduates had takena one-year course in physics. The number ofphysics students and the percentage of stu-dents studying physics are both on the rise,

4.

and it seems evident that physics teachingand learning will be increasingly importantactivities in schools.

Because the nation needs well-informedcitizens and well-qualified scientists andengineers in ever increasing numbers, facil-ities for teaching physics effectively in highschools are an appropriate concern not onlyof school planners, but of all who want tosee the quality of American education raised.Provision for higher-quality instruction inphysics and for greater numbers of physicsstudents in the future cannot be overlookedin designing new schools.

School laboratories and classrooms are in-teresting for another reason, however. Manyinnovations have been made in high schoolphysics facilities, perhaps more than in class-rooms for colleges and universities. Combina-tion classroom-laboratories and projectrooms, for example, have developed rapidly inschools. College building planners will findin the plans of some schools valuable sug-gestions for the design of introductory collegephysics laboratories.

Changes in Educational Programs

Educational programs are undergoing asteady evolution these days under the triplepressures of growing enrollments, techno-logical change in educational tools, and ex-panding knowledge in all fields of study.Ample documentation of the growing prob-lems of the schools in providing educational

opportunities is available* 2 Here we willdescribe a few of the proposed solutions thatwill eventually affect the teaching of manysubjects, including physics, and that will bereflected in building design. Team teaching isbeing successfully used in some schools tomeet the shortage of expert teachers by moreefficient use of the teacher's time. As devel-oped at Wayland (Massachusetts) SeniorHigh School, for example, a teaching teamfor a subject includes the subject's leadingteacher, a person of considerable experienceand depth of preparation who acts as teamleader; several other teachers; several in-terns or student teachers; and several clerks.'Interns engaged in apprentice teaching aresupervised by the teachers. Clerks and otherassistants relieve the teachers of many of theroutine clerical and supervisory duties thatnibble away at the teacher's time. Classes ofvarying sizes permit a more flexible educa-tional program at Wayland and other schoolsfollowing this plan. Lecture groups, taught bythe team leader, are several times as large asthe ordinary high-school class and arebrought together for the initial presentationof subject matter or for demonstrations thatcan be effectively given to large groups* 3Recitation classes and seminars are medium-sized groups.

Educational television is being tested in avariety of school situations ranging fromcomplete instruction in several subjects tooccasional programs that supplement instruc-tion by the classroom teacher* 4 Althoughthe extent to which television teaching will bedepended upon for basic instruction has notbeen established, it seems clear that bothbroadcast and closed-circuit television will bea valuable adjunct to classroom teaching inthe future by permitting the teacher to intro-duce to his class persons, events, and phe-nomena that would otherwise be inaccessibleto them. Special building facilities can be in-stalled to permit television to be used effi-ciently and flexibly as a classroom too1.4

Teaching machines are under study in schoolsas a means of furthering learning, of develop-ing better teaching methods, and of freeing

5.

teachers from the supervision of rote lemm-ing.' Some of these machines provide drillexercises for the student and enable him totest himself on his grasp of rote elements ofhis studies; others provide playback exercisesin pronunciation as aids in learning modernforeign languages.

Changes in Physics Teaching

Physics teaching, too, is changing. Fore-most is a renewed insistence on laboratoryexperiments by students. Laboratory work is ofprime importance in teaching introductoryphysics. Many schools are emerging from aperiod in which the student laboratory hadfallen into disuse into one in which labora-tory teaching is given equal billing withteacher demonstrations and classroom dis-cussion. Adequate time, space, and equip-ment are needed for student experiments.Television teaching of physics is being tested; theHarvey White film-television course in high-school physics, and the Continental Class-room refresher course in physics for high-school teachers have been developed toprovide physics courses in schools where aqualified physics teacher is not available andto assist physics teachers in service to keep upto date in their preparation in physics. Newphysics courses are evolving. The PhysicalScience Study Committee is developing amodern course in physics for high schools andis preparing materials for such a course.Space is not available here for a review of thecontent and the objectives of high schoolphysics courses or of new physics programs.See Physics in Your High School, prepared bythe American Institute of Physics, for a dis-cussion of these topics and for comprehensiv2recommendations for the improvement ofphysics teaching.5

Changes in School Buildings

Although this chapter will concentrate onthe problems of planning physics facilities inschools, it should be noted that the schoolbuildings being constructed these days house

a variety of activities and do this with increas-ing effectiveness. Physics instruction shares inthe total resourcesincluding building spaceand facilitiesof the entire school. Just asphysics contributes greatly toward the objec-tives of a sound educational program, it needsthe support of the other subject and servicefieldsthe other natural sciences, English,mathematics, and counseling, to name a few.Exciting progress is being made these days indeveloping more suitable "packages" for allof these activitiesschool buildings that nur-ture educational activities without smother-ing them, that encourage learning, and thatpermit necessary change. The Hillsdale(California) High School, for example, em-ploys the flexible subdivision of large openspaces in a so-called "loft plan" to permit thecoalescing of space around work centers asthe educational activities demand.6 Newton(Massachusetts) South High School, whencompleted, will follow a "house" plan (Fig-ure 1). Students at this school will be dividedamong three houses located in three separatebuildings each with its own teaching staff.?

Figure I. "House" plan of Newton (Massachusetts) South HighSchool. Second-floor plan, above right.

TO PLAYING FIELDS

A science building, gymnasium, auditorium,and library will complete the campus planwhich promises to combine the superior facil-ities of a large school with the closer student-teacher contacts of the small one. Watch forthe development of other solutions to theproblem of finding a suitable building envel-ope for school activities. Gradually but to anincreasing extent, the teaching of physics andthe other high-school subjects will take placein a different setting from the familiar "four-square" school building.

SWIM MOACIS

a. aaaaL

C141.&SIII S MIY51CS MtPUATION tH1M13101 & WISKS

111 111 II 1E

SCHNCI SWIM CMMIStp I PmvSKS Of Ki

0 10 tiff 50Fx.r.rr- i i

OUTDOORACTIVITIE

SFUOENTPARKIN

AUDITORIUM

SERVICE

MOUSE

FACULTY PARKING

ENTRANCE ROAD

PUBLIC PARKING

MOUSE

111111110111. 'pp

m1=3=/mmI=CZT CO=

Mv5101.0Cf Ub

rO

ACTIVITIES INHIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS

Before planning physics laboratories andclassrooms, one should have a clear notion ofwhat activities physics students and teacherswill engage in. Naturally the physics courseat one school will differ from that at another.Moreover, a school may offer more than onephysics course or may offer additional coursesin subjects related to physics, such as elec-tronics and other vocational subjects. Theactivitiesalthough not the subject matterand objectivesin all of these courses, how-ever, are enough alike and their space re-quirements are similar enough that it makessense to discuss here both the activities in acomposite physics course and the buildingfacilities that these activities require. We shallthen offer some suggestions for planningphysics facilities and some examples of howseveral schools of different sizes have designedrooms to house physics activities. At the endof this chapter we shall provide a check listof design requirements with references tohelpful information to be found elsewhere inthis book.

Experiments by students

In strong physics courses, the teachersplace considerable emphasis on student experi-ments. Students work individually or in pairs,orless desirablyin groups of more thantwo. They use physics apparatus, exploringthe physical world in a variety of experi-ments in the sub-areas of physics such asmechanics, wave motion, sound, heat, elec-tricity and magnetism, light, and atomic andnuclear physics. Students may investigatewave phenomena, measure the velocity oflight, or count particles from a radioactivesource. Direct contact with the apparatus andopportunities for the student to show initia-tive, ingenuity, and persistence in his experi-mental work are most important (Figure 2).The laboratory classusually a group ofabout 24 studentsideally meets once ortwice a week for a double period. Although

7.

Figure 2. Students in The physics laboratory of Carden City (NewArk) High School. Note booths with vertically sliding doors forapparatus used in student projects (shown in background).

single-period laboratory sessions are preva-lent, many schools at present are attemptingto replace them by double-period laboratorysessions. A 40- or 45-minute span of time isjust not long enough for the class to set up itsapparatus, carry on reasonably coherent ex-perimental work, and put the laboratory inorder for the next class. Laboratory classeswith more than 24 students are feasible. Toconduct them effectively, however, the phys-ics teacher needs a qualified laboratoryassistant, and the school must, of course,make a greater investment in laboratoryequipment.

Experiments by the physics class are car-ried out on broad sturdy laboratory tables, orwall benches, provided with durable surfaces

Figure 3. Laboratory tables for elementary physics at the Bronx High School of Science. Stopcocks on the table

tops provide gas, compressed air, and rough vacuum. Electrical panels on the sides provide 120 volts ac, 0-120

volts ac, and 0-120 volts dc as well as switches and a pilot light.

and supplied with the necessary services(Figure 3). Some physics equipment is heavy,and much of it requires a stable support sothat shaking or jarring the table will not dis-turb the adjustment of the apparatus. Forboth reasons, laboratory tables must bestrongly built with adequate cross-bracing.Table drawers are usually not wanted sincethey are seldom used for apparatus storageand often become depositories for brokenwires, waste paper, and dust. Physics studentssometimes stand, sometimes sit, at their labo-ratory work depending upon the task of themoment. Hence a convenient table heightusually about 30 inchesis necessary for

standing without excessive bending and for

sitting on chairs with knees clearing the lower

edge of the table.Overhang of the table top of not less than

21/2 inches provides needed room for tableclamps that support rods and apparatus.Tapered or threaded sockets for rods are alsooften provided in the table top. Wood is thepreferred material for physics tables: it is

non-magnetic, electrically non-conducting,more quiet than metal, does not dent readily,

8.

and resists thermal shock. Solid maple tabletops sealed with clear lacquer provide goodservice. Corrosive chemicals, apart from bat-tery liquids, are seldom used in physicsclasses. A variety ofnon-corrosive liquids canbe spilled on the table during experiments,however, and the table top should be de-signed accordingly. The handling of mercuryby students is not recommended except underextremely careful supervision because spillagecreates an accumulating health hazard andis expensive. Heat experiments in schools sel-dom require raising the temperature ofobjects beyond the boiling point of water.Hence, an asbestos pad placed underneathburners, heaters, and containers of hot waterusually provides sufficient thermal protectionfor the table top.

About 7 square feet of table top should beprovided for each experimenter. Physics ex-periments often involve apparatus thatspreads out over the table such as tracks,trays, electrical meters and their connectingwires, supporting rods, and swinging pendu-lums. Ample apparatus room and elbowroom should be provided. The top of the

table should be kept as free of obstructionsas possible. Gas cocks and electrical terminalsmight well be mounted on the side of thetable or, if this is not possible, in compactgroups near the center of the table. Inciden-tally, provide ample storage space against onewall of the laboratory for notebooks and text-books that are not needed during the labo-ratory work so that they will not add to theclutter on the table. Hooks in the ceilingabove the tables are used in some schools formounting student apparatus.

The services most often required at studenttables are gas and alternating current at 120volts. Currents required at each outlet set-dom exceed 5 amperes. At least four conven-ience outlets for ac and at least one gasconnection should be provided for each pair

Figure 4. Central power installation using rec-tifiers for physics laboratory at St. Charles(Illinois) High School. Above the radio receiveris a typical bench outlet.

of students. Taps for hot and cold watershould be provided at sinks with suitablesplashboards, at least two sinks to a labora-tory. Direct-current services at several volt-agesusually 6, 30, and 120are needed tovarying extents depending upon the level ofthe physics course. Small direct currents areprovided by dry cells, and steady direct cur-rent at 6 volts by batteries placed on or nearthe tables. The higher direct voltages, de-pending upon the degree of regulation andthe power required, are usually supplied bymotor-generator sets or rectifier banks. Theoutputs of these central installations are dis-tributed by panel boards controlled by theteacher or by smaller local power supplies atthe students' tables. Central power systems(Figure 4), properly designed and installed,

..: ..... :. : : : ::::::. :.........

.. .. .. :::.....................:...

:;.: : :. : : : : : : : i i i i

... i i ... ::: ::: ::::: " ..... ::':::::

::: ......*:.. i :::: ::::::::

.:1,`

. - .b.':.

: : : :::::::::::: : : ::::::::::::

,

..::: :... ,,

..........: : :

.:: . .

:::::::::: :::::::::::::: : ::::::::::::::::::::4 t ik:......... i

4. ***A,;:::t....... i............................. 1 ........... fro ........ k......... ........

r- , . ..

:01

4

renTarrurr.

are versatile, are centrally controllable by theteacher, and generally require a sizableinitial investment. However, some teachersprefer local power supplies. While consider-ing the installation of a central switchboard,school planners should look very carefully atthe requirements of the school and at therelative advantages and disadvantages to theschool of central versus local power supplieswith reference to regulation under load,initial costs and maintenance costs, versatil-ity, and student and teacher acceptance ofthe devices. Some other laboratory servicesprovided in more advanced physics labora-tories or project areas in the larger highschools are 6.3 volt ac, rough vacuum lines,and compressed air lines. A good electricalconnection to wet ground is useful within thelaboratory. If the school has a radio club,conduits from the classroom to the roof willbe required for antenna wires. Chemicalhoods with exhaust fans are seldom neededin physics laboratories. Students who needthem occasionally for projects can usuallyobtain access to them in chemistry labo-ratories.

Tables or wall benches should be far enoughapart so that students will not bump intoeach other excessively and so that the teachercan make his usual rounds easily or canquickly get to the scene of an emergency.Clearances where students work back to backshould not be less than 5 feet. Sturdy chairsof conventional seat height or sturdy stoolsabout 24 inches high should be provided;rugged construction is called for because stu-dents occasionally stand on them to adjustapparatus. Stools whose heights can easily beadjusted are now commercially available. Itshould be possible to darken the room duringexperiments on light: opaque window shadessliding in grooves mounted at the edges of thewindows or fully-closing venetian blinds areusually employed. Glass panels in doors mayrequire shades. Note that the darkening pro-vided by badly fitted shades or incompletelyclosed venetian blinds is not sufficient, but onthe other hand, the degree of light controlrequired in photographic darkrooms is sel-

dom needed in the physics, laboratory. Com-mercial suppliers of furniture and otherfittings for the laboratory can be helpful inproviding suggestions and information abouttheir company products. A detached andcritical evaluation of their recommendationswill enable school planners to obtain maxi-mum educational benefits from expenditures.

So far, we have discussed principally thespace requirements for experiments by theentire class. "Free" laboratory experiments andproject work by smaller groups of students arealso important in physics and require, inaddition to most of the facilities already dis-cussed, some special facilities. "Free" labora-tory experiments require the students todevelop their own experimental attack on aproblem and in some instances to constructthe equipment themselves. The teacher in thefree laboratory provides a minimum of de-tailed instructions and encourages independ-ent thinking and ingenuity on the part of thestudents. In project work, the emphasis againis upon independent and occasionally orig-inal experimentationthe high school coun-terpart of research. The distinction betweenfree laboratory and project is that the formergenerally involves shorter experiments per-formed by teams of two or three students, andthe latter involves more ambitious experi-ments by individuals. Both require more orless secluded space so that equipment can besafely stored or once set up can be left undis-turbed until worked upon again. At GardenCity (New York) High School, five projectbooths were built in each physics laboratory.The booths are similar to the fume hoods usedin the chemistry laboratory. Each booth is 42inches wide and 30 inches deep with a lock-able door that slides down to the table top.Each booth has two ac electrical outlets, twovariable-voltage outlets, and a light. Onebooth has a gas outlet, and there is a panelof safety glass between adjacent booths. TheBronx High School of Science has separateprojects rooms (Figure 5) with lockers forshop equipment and for experimental equip-ment in physics and chemistry. Rotatablestorage cabinets, developed at the Navy Pier

10.

01"--

-refEMIRFigure 5. Table for physics projects and for shop work at the Bronx High School of Science. Note the lockersunder the work bench at right. Nest of open boxes (in background) provides space for books and notebooks.

Branch of the University of Illinois and nowcommercially available, offer an ingenioussolution to the problem of storing projectapparatus (Figure 24 in Chapter 7). In addi-tion to a certain amount of seclusion and agood stock of basic physics equipment, freelaboratory areas and project areas require astudent work bench with bench tools and sim-ple power tools, a supply of stock materialsand parts, andvery importanta readingcorner with physics books and journals.

Physics experiments performed in schoolsare not intrinsically dangerous, but adequateattention to reasonable safety precautions in thestudent laboratory is wise. Electrical fuses orcircuit breakers, easily located and replacedor reset, should be placed in supply lines andon delicate experimental equipment. Con-servative fuse ratings are recommended togive maximum protection against overload ofthe lines and of instruments. A central switchto turn off the electrical power at all outletsin the laboratory and a master gas valve toturn off the gas at all stopcocks will providea certain amount of peace of mind for thephysics teacher when he closes the laboratoryfor the day. By the same token, handles are

11.

preferable to knobs on gas stopcocks so thatth4t teacher can see at a glance whether thestopcock is turned on or off. One school hasinstalled a relay switch and "panic" buttonwhich the physics teacher can use at his deskto turn off all electric power in the projectarea in a laboratory emergency. A fire ex-tinguisher of the carbon dioxide type and afire blanket might be recommended by thelocal fire marshall. Radioactive materials arehandled in such small quantities in schoolphysics laboratories that they do not requirespecial handling other than safe storage. Pro-per instruction of the students in safe pro-cedures for handling electrical equipment,tools, laboratory burners, and laboratory ma-terials is, of course, the best safety precaution,

Classroom Demonstrations by the Teacher

Demonstrations, in which the teacher per-forms experiments or illustrates principleswith apparatus, are effective in teachingphysics. They are not a satisfactory substitutefor laboratory experiments by students. How-ever, demonstrations enable the teacher "topresent phenomena which lead to principles,

to show applications of principles that havealready been discussed, to explain themathematical solution to a problem in phys-ics, to arouse the curiosity of the student, tosurprise the superior student and shake hiscomplacency that he knows all there is toknow about physics, to inject a humorousnote into the discussion, to illustrate how aphysicist goes about the solution of a prob-lem, or to summarize and recapitulate a dis-cussion. In their demonstrations, physicsteachers should use measuring devices largeenough to be seen by the entire class, opticalprojectors, scale models, standard laboratoryapparatus, specially made demonstrationdevices, and simple home-made equip-ment."'

At present physics demonstrations arerarely given in schools to classes larger than30 or 40 students. Large; demonstration classescan be taught in this way. Colleges have donethis routinely for many years. Some schools,as we have noted earlier in the chapter, arenow experimenting with lecture sections ofover 100 students to whom demonstrationsare presented by the most experiencedteachers. If the demonstrations can be seenand heard by the entire classand this re-quires careful planninglarge demonstra-tion lecture classes are feasible. Movable,sound-proof partitions, now under develop-ment, will enable schools to provide largerooms for lecture demonstrations and to sub-divide this space at another time in the schoolschedule into smaller rooms for discussionclasses and seminars.8 Inevitably, student-teacher contacts are not as effective in classesof 100 or more as in classes of 30. The give-and-take of discussion between student andteacher is important in physics teaching inprobing the student's understanding and inclearing up misconceptions. Provision shouldbe made elsewhere in the school program forthese contacts, perhaps in recitation classes orin the laboratory sessions, if demonstrationclasses are large.

Whatever the size of the class, the physicsteacher needs a number of special facilities fordemonstrations, facilities that are not re-

quired in classrooms used for teaching Eng-lish or American history, for example. Thephysics demonstrator is a kind of showmanand he requires a suitably equipped platformfor his demonstrations. The room must bearranged so that the students can see andhear clearly, and various services must beprovided for the performance of experiments.Finally, if the room is to be used efficiently,convenient arrangements must be made tomove the demonstration apparatus quicklyinto it from the storage room, to set up theapparatus before the class begins, and to re-move the equipment afterwards.

During a class period, a physics teacherwho likes to give demonstrations to his stu-dents may perform four or five demonstra-tions, some requiring the use of long tracks,wires stretched between the ends of thedemonstration table, and so on. Hence, thedemonstrations table should be largeabout 12feet long, 3 or 4 feet wide, and approximately3 feet high (Figure 6). It should be sturdilybuilt of seasoned wood to support heavyequipment and to serve as a firm base forexperiments. The table is usually enclosed infront and on the sides. Cabinets and drawersare provided at the backthe teacher's sideof the tablefor storage of vacuum pumpsand other accessory apparatus used in dem-onstrations. The top of the table is paintedwith a corrosion-resistant paint and over-hangs the sides by 2-1 inches or more to permitthe use of clamps. Four or five flush platessockets for tapered or threaded table rodsare set into the table top for mounting appa-ratus. A small sink with hot and cold watertaps and a drain should be installed near oneend of the table, recessed and provided witha cover that fits flush with the table top. Twoor three gas cocks with hose nozzles should bedistributed along the back of the table, pre-ferably under the overhang or in some otherunobtrusive place so that the teacher andstudents will not bump into them. Conven-ience outlets for 120-volt ac should beprovided in generous numbers, at least a halfdozen at the back, two on each side, and twoon the front of the table. If a central direct-

12.

w-s, --- ,t4t, -

I

..s.,*.14ISM tq

Figure 6. Demonstration table and teacher'sdesk at St. Charles (Illinois) High School.

current supply is planned for, several linesfrom the dc switchboard to the demonstra-tions table should be provided. If not, theteacher will use local dc power supplies orbatteries, which can be conveniently installedin the demonstration table. Compressed-airservice is a convenience, but not essential.Shielded cables connecting the lecture tableto a loud speaker or to a mirror galvano-meter mounted at the ceiling near the middleof the room are wanted by some teachers.Large "station meters," ammeters and volt-meters mounted on the wall, are provided insome schools as demonstration equipment.

13.

010 01-1r%

*.s

.1;

Lines connect the meters to the lecture benchso that the demonstrator can select the rightranges and insert the meters into circuitsat will.

The surroundings of the demonstrations tablewill have much to do with whether it is effec-tively used. The students sit in front of thetable, separated from it by a clear space 4 or5 feet in depth. This cleared area allows theteacher to walk around to the front of thetable in performing some experiments and tosuspend apparatus occasionallypendulums,long springs, and so onfrom the ceiling infront of the table. Tablet-arm chairs of sturdy

1,

Figure 7. Projection table and floor outlets at St. Charles (Illinois)High School. Note laboratory tables in background.

construction with ledges for books under theseat are ordinarily provided for the students.Chairs with both seats and backs of Fiberglas,which has been color-impregnated, haveproven to be completely serviceable at St.Charles (Illinois) High School; maintenancecosts are lower because scratches do not showso readily. Some schools have the students sitat laboratory tables, but this causes difficultiesif apparatus for laboratory experiments hasbeen set up. Hooks or a rail on the ceilingover the demonstration table or over thespace in front of it and channels inserted intothe walls will permit the mounting ofapparatus.

Ensuring that the demonstrations can beseen and heard by every student is extremely

important (see Chapter 5), particularly asclass sizes grow. Clear sight lines, provisionof adequate supplementary illumination atthe demonstration table and chalkboard, andthe avoidance of glare must be carefully con-sidered by the building planners. In addi-tion, the physics teacher must review everydemonstration from the viewpoint of his stu-dents and make a deliberate attempt to seethat apparatus is large enough, that scalesare visible, that contrasting colors are used inpainting apparatus, and so on. Approxi-mately 12 lineal feet of chalkboard behindthe demonstration table is required. Slatechalkboards are preferable as a writing sur-face, but the more colorful steel-base chalk-boards have the advantage of being magneticso that pointers, cardboard and plastic aids tovisualization, and other light objects can beattached to them with small alnico magnetsduring demonstrations. A projection screenfor audio-visual aids and for the shadowprojection of apparatus should be providedover the chalkboard or on a side wall. Elec-trical connections for projectors should beprovideda shielded cable under the floorwith appropriate outlets at the front and backof the room for sound and ac convenienceoutlets at the back of the room for the pro-jector (Figure 7). Charts are occasionallyused during physics classes and means shouldbe provided for mounting them at the frontof the rooma chart rail or tack strip overthe chalkboard. Peg boards are being in-stalled increasingly in physics classrooms andlaboratories for mounting booklets, posters,tools, and apparatus inexpensively andattractively.

Light control is important in many physicsdemonstrations and for audio-visual aids. Theroom should be provided with light-tightshades, and at least one set of switches for theroom lights should be within easy reach of thedemonstrator, preferably at the back of thedemonstration bench, so that the teachercan easily darken the room.

Television will be used increasingly as anadjunct to teacher demonstration in physicsin the future. Difficult or dangerous experi-

14.

ments, interviews with famous physicists, andactivities within physics research laboratorieswill be witnessed by physics classes by tele-vision either in live programs or by video-tape, in broadcast programs or by closedcircuit. How to equip central televisionstudios in schools and provide lines for dis-tributing the video and audio signals to class-rooms falls outside the scope of this book.Here we will merely note that the televisionreceiver may well be accessory apparatus inthe physics demonstration room of the future.Sight lines for viewing the receiver in avariety of classroom situations have beenstudied, and considerable information aboutways of mounting receivers is available forschool planners.4

We close these notes about demonstrationsin physics by pointing to the possibilities ofcorridor exhibits"demonstrations to individ-uals." Some of the larger high schools (Fig-ure 8) are finding corridor exhibits valuableas a means of reinforcing student under-standing of certain of the ideas of physics andarousing interest in physics among studentsin the earlier grades. The corridor exhibitscontain apparatus, materials, charts, clip-pings, and explanatory labels. They are dis-played in locked cabinets built into thecorridor wall near the physics laboratory andare replaced periodically by the physicsteacher.

Discussion and Recitation

Discussion and recitation in physics courseshave already been mentioned as providingthe give-and-take exchanges between studentand teacher that clear up difficulties and leadto greater understanding of the breadth andthe subtlety of physics concepts. The de-mands upon the skill and knowledge of theteacher are large, but the facilities requiredare rather modesttablet-arm chairs for thestudents, around 20 lineal feet of chalkboardso that the class can be sent to the board intwo "shifts" to solve physics problems, a tableand chair for the teacher, and a bulletinboard for posting classroom notices (Figure 9).

15.

It, -LA10

Figure 8. A physics display cabinet in the corridor wall at BronxHigh School of Science.

Figure 9. Medium-size classroom (40 seats) for discussion sectionsin physics at Bronx High School of Science. Note coatracks and tackboards at back of room. The demonstration table was added at frontto permit demonstrations if desired.

ob.

zsar=sx-saccar...,

THE TY EIIEN4THE laimascaP

sT

(7.

IN

,

Figure 10. Office adjacent to the science project area at Evanston (Illinois) High School has additionalspace for storage cf apparatus and a small research area for the teacher. Equipment at left is a closed-circuittelevision system used with a microscope as a microprojector in biology. Note the "panic" button and cord ondesk used for turning off power in project area in an emergency.

Office Work

Grading, planning, conferences with stu-dents, and running the laboratory in thephysics course require that the physics teacherhave a quiet and comfortable place to workwhen he is not instructing students (Figure10). A desk and comfortable chair of his ownand a book shelf or bookcase would seem tobe an absolute minimum of equipment. Inaddition, a four-drawer filing cabinet with alock is recommended for storing the in-numerable papers, booklets, catalogs, andleaflets that any science teacher needs to con-duct the laboratory and to keep up with hisfield. The teacher's desk should be as close tothe physics classroom and laboratory as pos-sible. In some schools, teachers with physicsteaching assignments may have their desks in

16.

the preparations-storage area or in a roomused as the departmental office. A desk forthe teacher in the classroom-laboratory ismore common. Every effort should be madeto provide a reasonably quiet and privateplace so that the physics teacher can gradepapers and reports, plan lessons and labora-tory work, confer with students about diffi-culties or about special projects, and carry onthe ordering of laboratory equipment andsupplies.

Storage of Apparatus

The storage and maintenance of apparatusand supplies in physics deserve the carefulattention of school planners if the physicsprogram is to be fully effective. Physics teach-ing, as we have emphasized in the foregoing

discussion, requires apparatus, laboratorymaterials, small parts, and stock materials infairly large quantities and in great variety.As contrasted with chemistry and biology,physics relies heavily on what is essentiallycapital equipmentmeters, oscilloscopes,timers, calorimeters, and so onrather thanon consumable supplies. Consumables aleneeded in physics, but generally the physicsteacher can use equipment for year afteryear. If the equipment is originally of goodquality and is carefully maintained, theschool's investment can be protected and thestock of equipment built up by yearlyadditions.

The problem of storing equipment includesproviding enough shelf and cabinet space,locating the storage space conveniently near

the places where the apparatus will be used,protecting the stored apparatus against dam-age or loss by suitable covers and locks,and providing a convenient organizationalscheme so that the physics teacher can findapparatus and materials quickly (Figure 11).Approximately 150 square feet of shelf spaceare needed for storing most of the studentlaboratory equipment in schools where thereare 24 students in a physics laboratory class;locked cabinets along the walls of the labo-ratory serve well for this purpose. The prep-aration room should have an additional 300square feet of shelf space as well as numerousdrawers for apparatus and supplies. Allcabinets should have doors, locks, and adjust-able shelves; narrow shelves should beavoided, particularly in cabinets equipped

Figure 11. Storage for electronics parts and equipment, and v9rk area at St. ..'harles (Illinois) High School.

nwit , ,

-

4,134117-11 TIII.)"; 0000000000000 I4,/,* ***.

Is ayf

IiMaiwnhr komme... 411. *wow., I 4,14

1 t.101114 ...OWL I i#011 I if

ow. 1 Y. I 1i4x... 1,"

11.0.

. ..... ..:.. ..... .::,...... -....: ..............

. ......................, ......................

. .....: .........................................................

. . .............................. ........ , ......... ..... ...........................................

. +.

...................# ...... 4

... # ..... 1,

Figure 12. Physics preparation area at St. Charles (Illinois) High School.

with sliding doors. Chemicals and batteriesshould be stored at a distance from the othermaterials in a well-ventilated place fromwhich corrosive fumes will not reach appara-tus. In one school, the door that leads fromthe storage area to the classroom-laboratoryis a Dutch door with a counter mounted onthe lower half so that equipment can bechecked out at the door. Audio-visual equip-ment preferably should be stored on the spotwhere it will be used. We have already re-marked that the cabinets in the base of thedemonstration table can be used for storingsome equipment accessory to the demonstra-tionsvacuum pumps, power supplies,clamps, and so on. Many physics teachers fol-low the scheme of organizing their storagespace according to the subdivisions of the

..,

18.

physics course, assigning some cabinets tomechanics equipment, some to light, some toelectricity and magnetism, and so on. A cardfile of equipment and supplies, kept up todate, is essential.

The preparation area is usually combinedwith the storage room. Preparations includethe preliminary setting up of apparatus to beused in demonstrations and student labora-tory experiments, repair and maintenance ofapparatus, construction of new apparatus,and occasionally photographic development.The preparation area should be equipped atleast with a strong table and may well con-tain a table or bench fully equipped with asink and the services supplied to the labora-tory tables (Figure 12). If a workbench is notconveniently nearby in the student labora-

tory, the preparation area should have aworkbench. Some schools provide means ofdarkening the preparation-storage room sothat it can be used as a photographic dark-room. (Large schools that have photographyclubs provide separate darkrooms that can beused by the science departments.) To facili-tate the setting up of demonstrations in theclassroom and their removal after class, roll-ing tables of the same height as the demon-stration table are used in many schools: theapparatus is set up in the preparation areaand the tables are wheeled into the classroomshortly before the class begins. The tables onwheels are not a complete answer to the prob-lem of full utilization of the demonstrationsclassroom, however. Many demonstrations re-quire on-the-spot setting up, so that the class-room must be free during the period beforethe demonstrations are to be given.

FOR EARLY CONSIDERATION

Programming

Preparing functional specifications for thespace to be used by physics classes will ofcourse be only a part of the problem of pro-gramming the entire school building. (SeeChapter 2 on Programming.) Nevertheless,early in these discussions the architect, whooften devotes half of his design effort to pro-gramming, will want the views of the schooladministration and the teaching staff con-cerning the science facilities. We cannot stresstoo strongly the importance of consulting thephysics teacher. He has had the experienceof working in the present physics laboratory,and he is in direct contact with the problemsof teaching physics within the complex ofconditions represented by the school, the stu-dents, and the community. The viewpoint ofthe teacher cannot be dispensed with if thephysics rooms are to be properly designed forthe school. Involve him early and often in theplanning process. Physicists at nearby col-leges, universities, and industrial laboratories,who have had experience in planning labo-

19.

ratory facilities, can also be helpful andshould be called in as consultants. Visits tosuccessfully functioning physics laboratoriesin other nearby schools are also very muchin order.

An excellent introduction to the problemsof school construction and valuable back-ground information on costs, planning, andstructural details will be found in The Cost ofa Schoolhouse, published by the EducationalFacilities Laboratories, Inc.8

Location

The location of the physics space is notcritical. If the school is to have a science wing,physics classrooms naturally will be in it andcan share certain facilities with the othersciencesa shop, project room, sciencelibrary, and photographic dark room. How-ever, a southerly location on the ground floor,once recommended for physics laboratories,is no longer essential. Physics laboratory ses-sions are occasionally noisy, however, and itis well to keep this in mind in assigningacademic neighbors. It would be convenient,but not essential, for the physics area to belocated near the school shop.

Combination Rooms

Combinations of physics areas with thoseused for other subjects have to be consideredin the smaller schon's. Physics and chemistryare the two subjects most often combined inthis way although physics and general sciencesometimes share a laboratory-classroom. Thesevere requirements of construction economyand full utilization of space often understand-ably necessitate such arrangements. How-ever, the growing enrollments in all of thesciences, including physics, make it impera-tive that the possibility of the future need forseparate laboratories for the different sciencesnot be overlooked in planning new schools.Moreover, the kinds of activities describedhere as characteristic of physics classesandthis is also true of chemistry and the othersciencescan be best carried out in a room

devoted to physics, a room that is a head-quarters and a home for physics students andteachers. However well planned, arrange-ments for sharing a classroom tend to destroythe characteristic "atmosphere" that devel-ops in a room long used for hard and seriousstudy of a science. Less important, but stillsomething to consider, are the practical diffi-culties of sharingextra moving of apparatusby teachers to make way for incoming classesin the other subjects and the effect of fumesfrom the chemistry experiments upon storedphysics apparatus. Nevertheless, the sharingof classrooms by several sciences is thought tobe desirable or necessary by many schools,and we shall give examples of such arrange-ments later in this chapter. Another kind ofcombination is the use of the same room forboth laboratory work and demonstration-discussion classesthe laboratory-classroom.This is a common and advantageous arrange-ment in small and medium-size schools (Fig-ure 13) because it allows the teacher to plan

a flexible program of student experiments andclass discussion within the same room. Largeschools, however, often have separate demon-stration-discussion rooms and laboratoriesbecause this arrangement places a strong em-phasis on laboratory work which might other-wise be slighted in favour of teacherdemonstrations.

Size

The size of physics rooms depends of courseupon the class size. We have referred earlierto a slow trend toward a more flexible policyconcerning class size in schools. Large demon-stration classes and smaller seminar andlaboratory classes are to be expected in thefuture. Currently, the average physics roomprovides between 40 and 50 square feet perstudent for a class of 24 students plus about250 square feet for storage and preparation.Thus we are talking about an area of roughly1200 square feet for one classroom-laboratory

Figure 13. Combination classroom-laboratory for physics at Garden City (New York) High School. The demonstration table (right foreground)faces tablet-arm chairs. Project booths, laboratory tables and benches are at rear of room. The average class size is about 24 students.

=asommos. maw%

"....mc 4.

2k_

/b.

unit in physics. We suggest, however, that anyaverage space estimates of this kind not betaken too seriously. The total space require-ments for physics in a particular schoolshould evolve from the programming discus-sions mentioned previously. Twelve hundredsquare feet devoted to physics might be lavishfor one school program and grossly inadezquate for another. Moreover, whether theroom is used for physics alone or for physicsand some other subject must be consideredin deciding upon the size.

Shape

The shape ok the physics room is not crit-ical except that rooms should not be excess-ively long and narrow if they are to be usedfor teacher demonstrations. The problem ofmaking demonstrations visible is too difficultin long rooms regardless of whether thedemonstration table faces the long dimensionor the short one. A more nearly square roomor square area is preferable for demon-strations.

Ventilation, Lighting, and Acoustics

Ventilation, lighting, and acoustics in thephysics room, with certain exceptions, gen-erally do not require special measures foradequate levels of control. Ventilation re-quirements recommended by the severalstates9 average about 3 to 4 completechanges of air per hour in laboratories wherechemical fumes are not produced, and up to9 changes of outside air per hour in chemistrylaboratories. General illumination should bebetween 30 and 50 foot-candles. Additionalillumination, up to a total of 70 foot-candles(see Chapter 5) may be needed on thedemonstration table. In some schools win-dows are placed high on the walls so that thewall area beneath them can be used formounting apparatus and so that sunlightdoes not produce glare on shiny surfaces inthe room. Freedom from glare and sharpcontrasts and the use of attractively coloredpaints, wall tiles, and floor coverings are

21.

most important. The use of washable paintsreduces maintenance costs. Acoustical treat-ment of physics classrooms and laboratoriesis strongly recommended. A suspended ceil-ing which combines lighting and acousticalpanels on a modular grid may be worthconsidering.

Utilization

Utilization of physics rooms requires care-ful interpretation. Occupancy of the room byclasses every school period is one possibleand commondefinition of full utilization.Such use may not produce the best educa-tional results, however, if it bars the physicsteacher from setting up needed demonstra-tions or prevents project work in the physicslaboratory. Currently, around 80% classoccupancy of the physics laboratory is aboutthe maximum that can be expected consider-ing schedule difficulties and the need forset-up time and projects. When sound-proofand flexible partitions at moderate cost be-come widely available, the utilization of thelarge and expensive classroom areas can ap-proach 100% because the smaller specializedareas such as the demonstration table, projectareas, and so on, can be temporarily closedof with partitions. Encouraging progress isbeing made in developing flexible, adequatelysoundproof partitions for school use. Anacoustical curtain of metal filament inter-woven with other fibers, now under develop-ment 8 may prove to be the flexible dividerlong sought for.

Flexibility

Flexibility in physics classrooms includesnot only the ability to subdivide the spacewith sound-proof, easily moved partitions,but also provision for the addition of servicesas teaching requirements change. For ex-ample, it is a defensible practice to installgas and water pipes and electrical conduit inexposed parallel runs wherever possible. Theadvantages in installation, use, and main-tenance of exposed service lines outweigh the

dust problem. When installing service lines,provide spare plugged tees in the water andgas lines and spare junction boxes in theelectrical conduits to provide for extra workstations in the laboratory or to convert aclassroom into a laboratory at some futuretime. A recent trend in industrial laboratoryand shop furniture may offer some advan-tages of flexibility in school physics rooms.Piping, valves, and electrical outlets are con-fined to the service strip rigidly fastened tothe perimeter wall of the room. Except for thesinks, all furniture is completely free to berearranged as the room occupants wish.Patent metal struts are available commer-cially that can be attached to walls and thatpermit shelves or table tops to be easily setup at desired heights.

Floor Coverings

The floor coverings currently most used inphysics laboratories are vinyl tile andasphalt tile.

Table Top Materials

Table top materials (see Chapter III ),listed in order of increasing cost, include:

1. Solid wood top, laminated, lacquered, or oilfinished (for general use)

2. Pressed wood fiber such as Masonite3. Solid hardwood, such as birch or maple,

laminated with resinous finish4. Cement asbestos surface such as Transite

(heat resistantfor glass-blowing benches)5. Plastic sheet such as Formica, Panelyte, or

Textolite6. Solid natural stone with baked resinous finish7. Stainless steel sheet (for photographic dark-

room benches whenever a high degree ofcleanliness is required)

Sinks

Sinks and cup sinks (see Chapter III ),listed in order of increasing cost, are availablein several materials:

22.

1. Porcelain on metal base2. Acid-resistant silicon iron alloy such as

Duriron or Corosiron3. Soapstone, or Alberene stone4. Moulded or welded plastic such as polyvinyl

chloride, polyethylene, Fiberglas with resin5. Stainless steel, pressed or welded6. Pyrex glass

Most sinks are available integral with topsof the same material. Costs are generally re-duced, however, by installing the sink sepa-rately on the job in a cut-out in the top.Patent rims and jointing compounds havereduced the problems of field installation,but should be compared for tightness and forthe amount of rim obstruction which eachpresents; many are far from flush.

SOME EXAMPLES OF PHYSICSROOMS IN HIGH SCHOOLS

A. The classroom-laboratory in physicsGeorge E. Thompson (Illinois) High

School (Figure 14 a, b, c)East Orange (New Jersey) High School

(Figure 15 a, b, c, d)Westmoor (California) High School

(Figure 16)

B. The physics-chemistry roomDeath Valley (California) Union High

School (Figure 17 a, b, c)Darien (Connecticut) High School

(Figure 18)

C. Separate classrooms and laboratoriesBronx High School of Science (New

York) (Figure 19 a, b, c, d, e, f)

D. The science project roomEvanston (Illinois) High School (Fig-

ure 20 a, b, c)

The classroom-laboratory in physics

Figure 14. Floor plan of physics laboratory in Science Wing ofGeorge E. Thompson High School, St. Charles, Illinois. Nicol andNicol, Architects, St. Charles.

Wars Area Storage high windows over

ELECTRONICS LABSpa

O

la! pralects

0000GENERAL

00

0 C0 0

0 [rEEi][1]0 iiiii[_{-rrf]

[atiEtiiRtict-iEL-inhit

Prolector DEMONSTRATION

ELELUrt][1]0 EfitOalArtif=00 EGEGEGE111=

PREPARATION O

O

STORAGE ICLASS

AREA

0LAB

0000O

r-, SPECIALL" PROJECTS

10

Light traptrap

D

UPHOTODARK RMLAB

Spiralstaircase

1 Storage high windows over

FEET 30/11111

No, rri

Radioisotopestorage wells

NORTH

Work area showing high windows which per-mit more efficient use of wall beneath. Hooksare installed throughout entire ceiling of thelaboratory to facilitate the performance ofexperiments.

Instructor's office, looking into classroom. Flexi-bility is provided by separate functional areas

for lecture, laboratory, and project work.

ImEsaaalai

Portable lab truck

ek//7Ceiling hooks

Chalkboard

Instructor'sdemonstration desk

6' 6"

ELEVATION

10'0"

Stainlesssteel sink

Glass

r/7/ // 0 1

--- ,imgiM=

= ...1 =, ,a,---OMNMI

IIIIN

.:, , t=3 --- ,,,,111I1imiM

-- =,_ __I t. saMEEn1.1BM

c J C=. - ,--.4.a I Ill o 0

ELEVATION

ssue Studentstation table

Storage cabinet

Jomenifeal

Storage cabinets

Offinfoll

0 0 0 0 0 0

Counter

ELEVATION

3'.0"

Figure 15. Floor planelevations of physicsOrange, New Jersey.Point of view for each

O

O 0

O 0O 0

0 0O 0

00O 0

00

NINE

PHYSICS LABORATORY

OO 0O 0 0

O

O

O 0

0 00 0

00O 0

O 00 0

O

1_1

/WORK ROOM

000

0000

PHYSICS LABORATORY

Vla I

00

00000

00003

0000

I 1 01

a

OO

CHEMISTRY LABORATORY

STORAGERESEARCH

0 10 FEET

1101.111

of Physics and Chemistry Wing and three striplaboratory, East Orange High School, EastEmil A. Schmidlin, Architect, East Orange.elevation is shown on plan.

Figure 16. Floor plan of Science Wing, Westmoor High School,Daly City, California. Mario Ciampi, Architect, San Francisco.

0 BIOLOGY

noo 000 noo 000 [loo noo

[loo 000 noo 000 000 noo

AISLE

BIOLOGY EQUIP1:1 I

BIOLOGY

000 11 000 000 000 000

o0 oon on n on 00o o 0 oo o

u41.11..4-11=1C4

1a

U

PHYSICS

no no no no no nouo uo uo uo

0°0 0°0 Do° 1130 Oo° 0°.

24.

0 lortr

oil oeouipaoom

GENERAL SCIENCE

000 000 000 000 o00 000

L_ a k 000 000 000 (c),0 000 000

0 PEN COURT I I

I I

AISLE

FEET 50

C> NORTH

3DJ

4c=111====Cicra

9

The physics-chemistry room

Figure 17. Floor plan of Death Valley High School, Shoshone, InyoCounty, California, showing classroom with adjoining alcoves forscience, clothing (domestic science), and shop. This is a small schoolwith 3 teachers and a student enrollment of 21. Note that flexiblearrangement of a common classroom and alcoves for special equipment

permitsfuller utilization of space. The alcoves can be closed by meansof the sliding blackboards. Robert Trask Cox, Architect, Los Angths.

- ,

ellib`411""-; .

11401103H1.1'101. Ai!

-1011111111±__ :

,-"de ,

.

51.a.a9

Chalkboard

CEA SSROom

Sdg Challbao,c1

I psH01

COVEREDSHRIER

0 10 FEET 50LLLLLL _

,

ve.,,t.tnlyt-_.2 -Ada& .41/47 Zs+.

sZi.,"0" k FAV,0,,./NN,NSNILN.N*;;N " .4 tik.

r b- .toe AirCiiia*''''''.-.-411PItiti;4"24"t="*.:...L=M''-' Aroma

...r-d-rAChileieleA in. iis

t

Science area viewed from shop through opensliding chalkboard,

Exterior of school building.

25.

1

MATHEMATICS

Tackboard

,

MATHEMATICS

1

MATHEMATICS

AS

MATHEMATICS

1

.----.. B---,._- ,..___O

{

M

OFFICES

I

00. ._

00 5...

00 : W

MATHEMATICS

.,I

OARK RM

Lockers w STORAGE

IPM

Sink

PREPARATIONYTORAGE

-.Lockers

Chalkboard

0 0

LII

Stor Cab

10

00

Demonstration table

CHEMISTRY & PHYSICS

5,nk

CHEMISTRY & PHYSICS

0PREPARATION

STORAGE

I 01

CHEMISTRY 6 PHYSICS

FLOOR PLAN0 10

0 0

0

a

I of

HEMISTRY 8 PHYSICS0

Down

Hill

ANIMALS117STOR

ISTOR

0

-J

Dawn

BIOLOGY

0

_J

BIOLOGY

PERT 50

Figure 18. Floor plan of the Science-Mathematics Wing, DarienHigh School, Darien, Connecticut. Ketchum and Sharp, Architects,New York.

PREPARATION& STORAGE

BIOLOGY

GREENHOUSE

Separate classrooms and laboratories

Figure 19. Typical science demonstration room, Bronx High Schoolof Science, New York. Note stepped floors in floor plan of Science Wingat left. Emory Roth and Son, Richard Roth, Architect, New York.

SCIENCE LECTUIE NALL

1111141011V PHYSICStAS010011Y

PIE PAIA110N1100*

IIINENTANY MOWSlAIONATOIP

ADVANCED PHYSICSI.A11011ATONY

PI AAAAAA ION 1100/A

IIIADVANCED PHYSICSlAIOIATOIP

1 h..

IP" IC

WHIC.

Bra

U,.

Del

U

STOI

Ian

oP

L

L

W

lois

;MIMIC De _

SCNNCITDIMONSTIATION

100/6,

SCIENCEDOIONSTIATION

1100/A

SCIENCEDIDIONSTIATION

1001

SCIENCEDEMONSTIATION

11100.

St.pped Hew

ty

26.

4MDODbevor.,..D

wwwwwPIT

r

STUDENT PROJECT LAB t mitt toy mArtatAts

Student project laboratory. Note down-draftfume hoods at right.

Science lecture hall which seats 105 students.

C-

0

333

41Cobrot Chalkboard :e:!..rlde*

Stud., lbl

ILj

ELEMENTARY PHYSICS LAI

Sludro fallsCab.nts

:

I WorI tables

SlobPREPARATION ROOM

.431i 1.3 0,300

.14 ChollrboardWork lab).

Cabo..

Cabmes

fl ]ELEMENTARY PHYSICS IILA-L0:1

1.1orlo Pude,. lob!. Calm°.tab!.

--r --11111-117Cub.r C bro...

"0 bawd IILi U

.

. 3 tI 3 V)

.. eggell

Floor plan, elementary physics laboratories andpreparation room.

se,1-104;,..dattaa, .111664666o,

27.

The science project room

28.

mesh modIs

Movable chaosloc oker beardler class or seem..

P ortablewelcloanquop

(MOD), sssss an Hear

3 NORTH

111 1111.711 0OFFICE IL Coee.h

I

sssss1

P FP 00e1

T .-1' `iUULIEUUU2

1

Bench

I 1

--,

11at UG ass f cal cob en

.......,

0 10 FEET so

Figure 20. Science project room at EvanstonHigh School, Evanston, Illinois. Note L-shapedbench in rear of laboratory for electrical andelectronics work. Research bench in office andpreparation room is shown below. Shades inslots permit darkening of room.

..11 :,U

I

!mob

oda .1

V

r7-11.1"-an

I

References

1. Time, Talent, and Teachers, The Ford Foundation,Office of Reports, 477 Madison Avenue, NewYork 22, N.Y., June, 1960.

2. Statistical Handbook of Science Education, NationalScience Foundation, U. S. Government PrintingOffice, Washington 25, D.C., 1960.

3. Profiles of Signcant Schools Wayland Senior HighSchool, Educational Facilities Laboratories, Inc.,477 Madison Avenue, New York 22, N.Y., 1960.

4. Planning for Schools with Television, EducationalFacilities Laboratories, Inc., 477 Madison Ave-nue, New York 22, N.Y., 1960.

5. Physics in Your High School, Prepared by theAmerican Institute of Physics, McGraw-HillBook Co., New York, 1960.

6. Profiles of Significant SchoolsHillsdale High School,Educational Facilities Laboratories, Inc., 477Madison Avenue, New York 22, N.Y., 1960.

7. Profiles of Signcant SchoolsNewton South HighSchool, Educational Facilities Laboratories, Inc.,477 Madison Avenue, New York 22, N.Y., 1960.

8. The Cost of a Schoolhouse, Educational FacilitiesLaboratories, Inc., 477 Madison Avenue, NewYork 22, N.Y., 1960.

9. Facilities and Equipment for Science and Mathematics,(Requirements and recommendations of StateDepartments of Education), U.S. Office of Edu-cation, Report Misc. No. 34, U. S. GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington 25, D.C., 1960.

30.

31.

Other EFL PublicationsHere They LearnEFL's first annual report

Ring the Alarm!A memo to the schools on fire and human beings

The Cost of a SchoolhousePlanning, building and financing the schoolhouse

Design for ETV Planning for Schoolswith Television Facilities needed to accommodateinstructional television

Profiles of Significant Schools: A Continuing Series

Belaire Elementary School, San Angelo, Texas

Heathcote Elementary School, Scarsdale, New YorkMontrose Elementary School, Laredo, Texas

Public School No. 9, Borough of Queens, New York

Two Saginaw Middle Schools, Saginaw Township,

Michigan

A & M Consolidated Senior High School, CollegeStation, Texas

Hillsdale High School, San Mateo, CaliforniaNewton South High School, Newton, Massachusetts

(Continued on pg. 32)

-F-

North Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown, MarylandRich Township High School, Olympia Fields, IllinoisWayland Senior High School, Wayland, Massachusetts

Schools for Team Teachingten representative examplts

New Schools for New EducationReport on the University of Michigan conference on new

school design

Case Studies of Educational Facilities:A Continuing Series

No. 1

Conventional Gymnasium vs. Geodesic Field House

West Bethesda High School, Montgomery County, Maryland

No. 2Space and Dollars: An Urban University ExpandsBased on the case of Drexel Institute of Technology

o

32.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE ZIMBEL / COVER DESIGN BY TOM McARTHUR / MANUFACTURED BY GEORGIAN PRESS 41110.

i'

1, ...,-.

I

1

CASE STUDIES OP EDUCATIONAL PACILITISS..

A Report of the

American Institute of Physics'

Project on Design of Physics Buildings