June 15th, 2004 - May 31st, 2006 | PROJECT
WGBH's Science Unit is requesting funds to produce for NOVA a two-hour television special based on David Bodanis' book "E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation." Combining dramatic and documentary techniques, the program uses Einstein's iconic equation to explore the physics behind the equation and the nature of the scientific process. A media initiative, an interactive Web site, and an outreach campaign broaden the program's impact beyond the television broadcast. "E=mc2" is intended for prime-time broadcast on PBS in the fall of 2005, to coincide with the centennial of Einstein's "Miracle Year," and should reach an initial audience of seven million viewers. Outreach kits will be made available for free to 16,000 public libraries and 1,000 after-school programs. Notification of educational resources will be sent to all 14,000 high school physics teachers around the country. A formative evaluation of the program and a summative evaluation of the program and outreach materials will ensure that "E=mc2" achieves its ultimate purpose: to enhance public understanding of science and promote scientific careers. Key Project Personnel: Director of the WGBH Science Unit and Senior Executive Producer of NOVA: Paula S. Apsell Writer/Director: Kevin Macdonald Producer: John Smithson Formative Evaluation: Multimedia Research Summative Evaluation: Goodman Research Group
Project Website(s)
(no project website provided)
Project Products
Summative Evaluation of Einstein's Big Idea
Team Members
Paula Apsell, Principal Investigator, WGBHBarbara Flagg, Evaluator, Multimedia Research
Funders
Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0407104
Funding Amount: 1200000
Tags
Audience: Educators | Teachers | General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Youth | Teen (up to 17)
Discipline: Mathematics | Nature of science | Physics
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Broadcast Media | Media and Technology