Making Physics Fun: The 2015 Science Outreach Catalyst Kit

The Society of Physics Students is dedicated to performing outreach events to get the general public excited about physics. The SPS National Office established the Science Outreach Catalyst Kit program in 2001 to aid SPS chapters at colleges all around the world in their efforts to bring physics education to students of all ages. Each year SPS produces twenty-five SOCKs in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to give to SPS chapters on a first come, first serve basis. I spent my time at the SPS offices this summer helping to develop the 2015 SOCK. We designed activities that help students from elementary to high school explore basic acoustics with everyday materials like cups, straws, string, balloons, and rubber bands. In this presentation I will discuss why we chose to include the activities we did and the process of making this year’s SOCK a reality.