Teaching Guide: Marietta Blau, Austrian Particle Physicist

NOV 13, 2019

Students will learn the story of Marietta Blau a Jewish nuclear physicist who was forced to leave her home in Austria upon its annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938.

AIP History

Portrait of Marietta Blau AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives, Gift of Eva Connors

Students will learn the story of Marietta Blau a Jewish nuclear physicist who was forced to leave her home in Austria upon its annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938. They will explore Blau’s life through oral history interviews and secondary sources, while also being exposed to her work in nuclear physics. Students will also compare modern particle detection equipment to that used by Blau and her contemporaries.
Grade level(s): 9-12
Guide subjects: History, Physics
Minority Group(s): Women
In-class time: 50-70 minutes
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Technology Requirements: Audio/Video required, Student web access optional
Common Core Standards: Speaking & Listening, History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects
Next Generation Science Standards: Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science, Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science and Society, Physical sciences, Matter and Its Interactions

Downloads

Teaching Guide: Marietta Blau, Austrian Particle Physicist Lesson Plan (.pdf) Biography Handout (.pdf) Physics Today Article (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Marietta Blau, Austrian Particle Physicist Discussion Questions (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Marietta Blau, Austrian Particle Physicist Discussion Question Answer Key (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Marietta Blau, Austrian Particle Physicist Original Documents ZIP Archive (.zip)