VCE Physics:
Resources
Practical Activities

VCE Physics
Resources for Teachers

Text
CDROM
Websites
Forums
Resources
Formats:






Resources
Text:
VCAA Resources List (21 pages)
Teacher’s Guides
Old Prac Guides: Gardiner & White;
Brian McKittrick
Old Problem books: G & McK; Boydell
(Checkpoints)
Old Exam and Trial papers: STAV,
NEAP, CSE formerly IARTV, QATs,
Kilbaha, TSFX, TSSM

Resources
CDROMs:

Colin Hopkins

Teacher Support kits

Conference Proceedings: Pre 2000

Resources: Websites

VCAA
Study Design Resources List
Assessment Handbook Exam papers
Exam reports Use of Calculators
 www.vicphysics.org
Pages for:
Beginning teachers
Conferences
Each Area of Study
Students
Events
Issues & News
 Textbook sites


Resources : Websites
Institute of Physics (UK) http://www.iop.org/

Support for beginning teachers:
* “I am new to teaching physics”
* www.talkphysics.org
* SPT: Supporting Physics Teachers Resources
American Association of Physics Teachers
(AAPT), http://www.aapt.org/ under Resources:
* ComPADRE, http://www.compadre.org/
* Physical Science Resources Center: PSRC


Resources : Websites
National STEM Centre (UK) http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/
An e-library of resources across S, T, E and
M
Physics: 1549 resources going back to the
1960’s.
Select by age, year of publication, style (22 choices), format and publisher.
Includes over 500 activity sheets and 200 text books.

Forums
 www.vicphysics.org
A local forum
 www.talkphysics.org
A forum for UK teachers, but well supported and full of useful ideas.

Types / Styles
Criteria for selecting Activities
Reporting
Assessment

Types / Styles of
Practical Activities
Familiarisation exercise
Exploration
Simulation Demonstration
Self paced activity Class exercise
Formal experiment Investigation
Excursion Prac Test

Types / Styles of
Practical Activities
Examples
Familiarisation exercise
Using a CRO and other devices
Exploration
Introductory Light activities
Dissection of a DC motor

Types / Styles of
Practical Activities
Examples
Simulation (Spreadsheet investigation)
Radioactive Decay
Telescope
Planetary data
Demonstration (POE)
Properties of a, b and g
Magnet in Al tube

Types / Styles of
Practical Activities
Examples
Self paced activity
Booklet of Electricity experiments
Booklet of Electronics exercises
Class exercise
Half life experiment
Photoelectric Effect experiment
Twirling a tuning fork at the ear

Types / Styles of Practical
Activities
Examples
Formal experiment
Snell’s Law
Net F = ma
Circular motion
Magnetic field of a solenoid
Investigation
Numerous

Types / Styles of Practical
Activities
Examples
Excursion
Prac Test
VCE Physics Day at Luna Park
Australian Synchrotron
Scienceworks
VSSEC
CSIROSEC
DC Circuit measurements
Location of virtual image

Criteria for selecting
Practical Activities

Selecting both the activity and the type:
Learning benefit

Equipment

Time

Comfort level

Behaviour





How should the students present what they have learnt?
Oral
Poster
IT based
Written
* Answers to set questions
* Log book entry
* Formal write up

Alternatives can range from:





Completed? Y/N
Overall grade, A - E
Raw score out of 10
Satisfactory completion
Criterion referenced

Unit 2: Practical Investigation
They design and undertake more complex investigations involving at least one independent, continuous variable, and take increasing responsibility for the design of investigations .

Unit 2: Practical Investigation
Students:
 identify a problem or research question and formulate a prediction or hypothesis,

 select at least one relevant independent continuous variable and recognise controlled variables.
adapt or extend given methods, or at least partly design their own methods, for the control of variables

Unit 2 Practical Investigation
Students also:
 systematically collect and record sufficient relevant data for simple investigations including correct use of units, symbols and formulas.


 account for sources of error and uncertainty, evaluate limitations of, and weaknesses and errors in, techniques and equipment.
Identify alternative interpretations of data and results.

Units 3 & 4
Extended Practical Investigation
They design and carry out an extended practical investigation. They collect accurate data, evaluate the quality of data and measurement processes, and make conclusions based on the data.





Units 3 & 4
Extended Practical Investigation
Students: select focused research questions and formulate a quantitatively testable hypothesis.
identify variables of significance to an investigation and decide the appropriate variables to be controlled. adapt or extend given methods, and design their own methods, for the control of variables and the systematic collection of sufficient relevant data ..
record raw qualitative and quantitative data accurately and
…

Units 3 & 4
Extended Practical Investigation
Students also:
 present processed data, including correct use of units, symbols and formulas, to ensure that relationships between variables are evident.

 identify sources of error and estimate uncertainties in, and reliability of, data and derived quantities.
analyse procedures and results, taking into account limitations of, and weaknesses and errors in, techniques and equipment.

Identify and explain alternative interpretations of data and results.









(Extended) Practical Investigation
Teacher’s decisions:
How much class time?
From which Area of Study to choose topics?
How much topic choice to give the students?
Group size?
How much home time? Use of log books?
Format for the write up?
Marking procedure?
Your role?

Extended Practical Investigation (EPI)
Marking Procedure
VCAA Assessment Booklet
Descriptors for EPI
Descriptors in table format

Units 3 & 4 Assessment
Report on selected Practical Activities
Teacher’s decisions:

Which Area of Study to choose pracs from?


Which pracs?
Use of log books?




How much home time?
Format for writing report?
Structure of the report?
Marking procedure?