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 * Who Were These Quantum Guys Anyway? **

Quantum is fascinating stuff. So many weird consequences for quantum behavior. Electrons winking in and out of existence? You can’t pin down an electron? An electron interferes with itself? Observation “collapses the wave function”? And yet, it is one of the best explanations we have for many phenomena, including the structure of the atom. So, what sort of organizing principle can we use to get a handle on this stuff? One answer is to talk about the people involved—to create a biography of the scientists and their work.

__ Your Task:  __ Create a wiki site that describes the work of one of the scientists who explained, worked on, or promoted the quantum theory of matter. You will work in pairs to create your wiki site, and will work from the list of people below (the list includes a few people we did not talk about in class). We will assign people by “picking from a hat”, so that we don’t have everyone doing Max Planck and no one doing Schrodinger. As an alternative, you may work on a person not included in the list, but you must explain to me briefly (talk to me after class) why that person is important to the history of quantum. Your goal is to create a collective wiki that is capable of explaining to an outsider (say, your parents) what the quantum theory of matter is. Here are the details: I will make time on 3 different occasions—today, just before Xmas vacation, and on January 5th—for you to work on this “in class”. This should help with the issue of difficulty in finding time outside class. The whole thing is due on **January 6th**. We will discuss any questions you have today, then choose people and partners, then do a little preliminary work.
 * The biographical part adds a little spice to the work, but should only make up 1/3 of the information for a given person. The rest should be an explanation of the importance of that person’s work. Again, let me repeat: YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN THEIR WORK. What is their work? What does it mean? How does it fit in with the overall picture of quantum?
 * As this is a wiki, it should be “jazzed up” with good visuals—illustrations and/or videos that help explain the material (the rubric for the project is included with this packet).
 * Text should add up to between 500 and 650 words. As an example of what this might look like (with illustrations), have a look at your AY YI YI packet. Pages 3, 4 and 5 all totaled equal out to 750 words.
 * As a matter of fact, to get a sense of what your wiki might look like, have a look at AY YI YI anyway. Imagine that some of the illustrations are videos, and you’ll have the idea.
 * Citations and attributions, along with a final bibliography, are mandatory (you will notice that I have footnoted everything in the AY YI YI packet). You will use MLA style in writing up this information (an MLA guide is included with this packet).
 * Create this wiki using the space you have already created on Wikispaces. Of course, when you let me know you are done, you must tell me which member of the partnership used their name for creating the wiki (so I can find it when I look myself).

HERE ARE THE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE FROM:


 * Isaac Newton
 * Thomas Young
 * Ernest Rutherford
 * Max Planck
 * Albert Einstein
 * Niels Bohr


 * Werner Heisenberg
 * Louis de Broglie
 * Erwin Schrodinger
 * Max Born
 * Wolfgang Pauli


 * Wiki Grading Rubric (75 points total) **
 * Student Name(s): **
 * Assignment: **

8 pts **A collaborative effort** Show obvious evidence that both participants have contributed (go ahead and include a “credits” section to your page).Wikis are collaborative. Each person brings their strengths and contributes things that they are good at to the project.

15 pts **Visual appeal** Graphics are used as needed and add to the message. Graphics are not distracting and used where needed to further explain a topic. The page does not look cluttered. Graphics includes images, applets, videos, and any other non-verbal illustration of your content

15 pts **Hyperlinks to sources** An effective wiki hyperlinks sources and gives readers additional information about the topic. Because most people tend to not trust wikis (they don't know the authors), you must include a variety of hyperlinks to be considered an effective source of information. As people follow your hyperlinks, they will begin to look at the information you've linked to. They will learn that you are an authority and that you've "done your homework." Make sure that you have checked your hyperlinks and that they work.

_ 20 pts **Original, intelligent wording** An effective wiki summarizes information but never copies it! (Cite your sources.) The wording is intelligent and meaningful and jargon is not used. Wikis may be read by a global audience and authors must keep that in mind.

_ 12 pts **Spelling/Grammar/Punctuation (-1 each up to max)** Run on sentences//,// incomplete or confusing thoughts, misspelled words, etc. are just a distraction from what you are trying to say (and get me annoyed when grading).


 * _ ** 5 pts **Bibliography** MLA style, with references to __all__ sources used