Adopt-a-Physicist Frequently Asked Questions
Quicklinks
General FAQs
Is there a cost for Adopt-a-Physicist?
No, there is no cost associated with participating in Adopt-a-Physicist.
Who qualifies as a "physicist"?
A physicist is defined as any person that has a bachelors degree or higher in physics.
Do I need to join comPADRE.org to participate in Adopt-a-Physicist?
Yes, you will need to create a comPADRE account in order to register for Adopt-a-Physicist. ComPADRE accounts are free, require only a name and email address, and give the registrant access to all comPADRE resources.
What is comPADRE.org?
The comPADRE Pathway, a part of the National Science Digital Library, is a network of collections of educational resources supporting teachers and students in Physics, Astronomy, and the Physical Sciences. As a user you may explore all resources or limit your view to a collection designed to meet your specific needs.
What are the benefits of joining comPADRE.org?
As a registered comPADRE user, you will have access to all of the resources and tools in the comPADRE network. You can register for Adopt-a-Physicist only if you are a registered comPADRE user.
What is required to join comPADRE.org?
To join, users must provide only their name and email. However, additional personal information is needed to register for Adopt-a-Physicist.
Who can I contact for further information on comPADRE and/or Adopt-a-Physicist?
You can contact the Adopt-a-Physicist staff using the feedback form.
Further information is available on the About page.
Physicists
What is the Adopt-a-Physicist time commitment for physicists?
Physicists are expected to spend about 2-5 hours per week over a three-week period responding to students in the discussion forum. Please note that classes use the discussion forums in different ways and some will be much more active than others. If you have a forum that is requiring an excessive amount of time, do not feel obligated to respond individually to every post. Instead, please answer what you can and notify the Adopt-a-Physicist editors that backup would be helpful.
In addition, physicists will need to create an introductory web page for Adopt-a-Physicist. This takes approximately thirty minutes and only needs to be done once.
How do I register as a physicist?
To register you must first create a comPADRE login. After you have created a login, you will be taken step-by-step through the registration process. You will need to provide your contact information and some general information about your background and career. In addition, you will be asked to answer specific questions about your career. The answers to these questions will become part of your introductory web page.
Teachers
Is my class eligible for Adopt-a-Physicist?
Adopt-a-Physicist is open to all high school physics classes. Classes need not be located in the United States, but students must be proficient in the English language.
How should I implement Adopt-a-Physicist my class?
Please see the Adopt-a-Physicist Teacher's Guide for suggestions on implementing the program in your classrooms and assessing student participation.
What is the time commitment for teachers?
Teachers are expected to monitor the discussion forums in which their students participate. Teachers should expect to spend approximately one hour per week per class reading through the discussions. Teachers with multiple classes should take this into consideration when registering for the program.
Each teacher also needs to create an introductory web page for Adopt-a-Physicist. This takes approximately fifteen minutes and needs to be done once for each class.
What is the time commitment for the class?
Classes that register for Adopt-a-Physicist are expected to actively participate in the discussion forums. Future participation may be restricted for classes that sign up for discussion forums but do not participate. The discussion boards are open for a three week time period. The time spent on Adopt-a-Physicist varies by class since teachers may have students use class time for the project or may assign it as homework or extra credit that the students do on their own time.
Do I get to choose which physicists to adopt?
Yes. Once registration for the current session of Adopt-a-Physicist has closed, you can search the registered physicists (by career, research area, location, etc) and sign your class(es) up for specific discussion forums. Space in each forum is limited, so it is recommended that you choose your physicists as soon as you are notified that registration has closed.
How do I register my class?
In order to register you must first create a comPADRE login. After you have created a login, you will be taken step-by-step through the registration process. You will need to provide your contact information and some general information about your class.
