Year 10 Physics Learning and Teaching Plan 2010
Area of Study: STELR Project
75 minute lessons,
Teaching
Sequence
Pre-test
Lessons
Corresponding notes and resources
Pre questionnaire ideally conducted before the
course begins.
Students entered into STELR portal through student test administration
and pin numbers allocated.
Introduction
(4 lessons)
1. Welcome to the study of physics. Physics movie as
introduction.
Explanation of STELR project.
7:30 report 15 segment on Australia’s sustainability
given the projected 60% population increase.
List problems identified and brainstorm possible
solutions.
Computer room to pretest if not already completed.
2. Teaching about global warming , greenhouse
effect, ozone depletion and climate change.

Natural Greenhouse Effect

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Main contributors to Enhanced Greenhouse
Effect

Likely environmental changes to global
climate

Ozone layer

Ozone depletion

Likely environmental changes due to ozone
depletion

Ozone depletion and Greenhouse Effect
Distribute notes, use websites to supplement the
written material students expected to have explored
the sites and made their own notes.
Teaching about energy.
Images of energy – a class discussion
Class discussion, some key energy ideas.
Conservation of energy
3. Teaching about energy continued...

Energy storage ideas of either kinetic or
potential.

Kinetic = energy stored in a moving object
and is related to the speed and the mass.
11 weeks = 22 lessons, (assume 20)
Assessment /
homework
Emphasise the pretest is
only to gain an idea of
what they already know
so we can better
structure the course to
their needs.
If pretest already
completed – class
discussion works well.
Usually plenty of
opinions!
STELR website http://www.stelr.org.au
Clickview 7:30 report 27/01/2010 15 minute segment. Filed under
Environmental Science in the Clickview folders
http://www.stelr.org.au/teacher-portal/
STELR Teacher Resource Booklet Appendix F, pp122 – 125
Research grid completed
for the dot points given.
Useful resources:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/GreenhouseEffectAndClimateChange.pdf
http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/holper 2001b.html
http://www.ipcc.ch/
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/Ozone/
Other resources:
A study guide for “An Inconvenient Truth”
http://www.aninconvenienttruth.com.au/truth/guide.htm
Emphasise that
diagrams are fine – in
fact good and show how
to reference correctly.
http://stelr.org.au/assets/Uploads/teachers/Images%20of%20energy.ppt
Energy is the ability to make something happen. Whenever anything
happens or changes there is an energy change.
Perhaps ask a Teacher
Librarian to run this
section
Pages 28 -31 Student
workbook
Images of Energy
powerpoint show.
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Discuss the use of the
notemaking template as
a research tool,
appropriate for all areas
of study.
Encourage students to
use more than one site
and talk again about the
reliability of websites
and how that can be
judged.
Notemaking grid from Kilbreda Library website:
http://kilbreda.vic.edu.au/library/research.html
Key Ideas about Energy handout or use p9 Student workbook.
Reflection
This is the perfect place
for the energy
efficiency worksheet.
Can give as homework
or leave it until later in

Potential = related to an object’s position
relative to other ‘connected’ objects.

Energy as the capability to make something
happen
Discussion questions about hammer, nail, wood...

What is the actual job?

What are the different forms of energy
involved?

Where has there been a transfer of energy?

Where has there been a transformation of
energy?

What is the useful energy? What is the
energy that is not useful? What is useful?

If there is conservation of energy, where has
it gone?

What energy changes occur for each object
in the system, ie arm, hammer, nail, wood
and surroundings.
Introduce Sankey diagram
Units to measure energy, joule
Units to measure power, watts
4. Practical Investigation – the efficiency of a
bouncing ball.
** Production of a biofuel from fermentation of a
sugar solution to produce ethanol
Sampler
Activities and
further
investigation
into Global
Warming
(4 lessons)
5. Recap Global warming from Y9 Science
Clickview : Renewable Fuels
Concept mapping of Energy, Renewable Energy and
Global warming
**
Sampler lessons
A flic flac’s energy changes
A simple electric generator
A falling mass produces electricity
Hydroelectricity
Carpenter drives nail into a block of wood. Two important boundary
conditions to consider
1. The objects that make up the system
2. The starting point and end time of change
Start = hammer held stationary above block at highest point.
End = hammer and nail have come to rest.
Use the Investigation Planner in the STELR resource book.
Discuss best ways of presenting graphed data.
First half of lesson making ethanol. Discuss the chemistry involved. Ie
sucrose to glucose then glucose to ethanol
C12H24O6→2C6H12O6 then C6H12O6→(+yeast as catalyst) 2C6H5OH + 2CO2
Computer room to complete another notemaking template on biofuels
What is biofuel / biomass?
the unit if an extra is
going to be needed.
Needs to be attempted
before the detailed
investigations occur.
Watch STELR global warming DVD (10 min)
Complete summary worksheet together at the end of class.
Construct a concept map using the terms on the list and the marking
scheme (p28. Teacher Resource Book).
2010/year10/STELR/concept map task.pdf
Images of energy not
very good, cow eating
grass etc. A trampoline
would be a better
image. Needs revision
Investigation planner
completed & graphed
plus a Sankey diagram.
pp 58-59 Student
workbook
Notemaking template on
biofuel competed.
Concept map completed
New 2010 STELR
focuses on wind and
solar. This is very
interesting – but may
need to cut it for time
reasons.
Supply modelled
concept map for
discussion.
Laminated class sets available from DBD, set up as stations around the
room. Burning the fuels for the biofuels must be done in a fume cupboard
for the firelighter in particular. Needs risk assessment.
Talk with Y9 team about
lead in to this topic.
Inconvenient Truth?
Change these sampler
activities once the new
equipment arrives.
Use data loggers to collect data with the temperature probe for the
biofuels experiment, either the CBL’s or Nova 50000
Students love the
biofuels sampler but I
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Photovoltaic cells in circuits
Wind student sampler (longer)
Biofuels student sampler (longer
think it takes too much
time!
6. NEW STELR SAMPLER LESSONS
1. Mystery toys
2. Hand cranked generator
3. Chemical battery
4. Pelton wheel
5. Commercial battery
6. Wind Turbine
7. Solar panel
8. Mini kettle
pp 12 – 25 Student Resource Booklet condensed into double sided page
questions to be completed in the student module.
2010/year10/STELR/energy_transformations_investigations.docx
Circuit workout
(4 lessons) Only
need all 4
lessons if
students have
not undertaken
analysis of
electric circuits
before.
7. 8. 9. and 10. Series and parallel circuits.
Measuring current and voltage in series and parallel
circuits.
Three lessons practical time, one lesson to complete
any remaining prac work and to start the discussion
questions
Appendix 6, 7 and 8 in the STELR Handbook – photocopy for the students.
Work in pairs and put two pairs together as a group to discuss results and
compare findings.
In Depth
Investigation
(4-6 lessons)
11. to 14. or 16. inclusive.
Detailed investigations into solar and wind energy
Choose a selection of experiments, suggest:
Solar 4,5,and 8 (perhaps 7???)
4. The Effect of Light on a Solar Cell
5. The Voltage delivered by a Solar Panel
7. Power and Resistance
8.Efficiency of a Photovoltaic Cell
Wind 9
9.The Power of Wind Turbines
Detailed investigations can be found on the STELR website:
www.stelr.org.au enter the teacher resource section, enter email and
password (b4be91) and select important files.
Investigations also available in the student handbook – photocopy and
distribute to students as a booklet.
4. pp 62 - 66
5. pp 69 – 72
7. pp 85 - 90
8. pp 91 - 96
9. pp 97 - 105
Student
Designed
Investigations
(2 lessons)
Presentations
17. and 18.
The Effect of Clouds and Solid Pollutants on a Solar
Cell.
The Effect of Temperature on a Solar Cell.
The Effect of Angle and Direction of a Solar Cell.
The Best Design for a Wind Turbine
19. and 20.
Complete activities and
answer questions.
This can take just 1
lesson to familiarise
with equipment.
Focus is on energy
transformations. Doing
it this way will be a time
saver.
Circuit workout booklet
completed
Good to read through
the theory with
students if they have no
experience with
electricity.
Particularly, take care
when using multimeters
not to continually blow
the fuse by putting an
ammeter in parallel or a
voltmeter in series.
Extension activity
6. Power and Efficiency
delivered by a solar
panel pp 73 – 84
Instructions laminated and put out as a round robin activity. Eight groups
of three, 8 minutes at each activity.
2010/year10/STELR/circuit workout scanned booklet.pdf
Booklet completed and
submitted.
Only 3 lessons in first
rotation to complete
this due to lateness of
equipment.
pp 106 – 109
Students can choose whether they want to be a solar or a wind expert and
investigate accordingly.
Preparing for
presentation
Lux meter not working
well. With 3 lessons –
graphing an option for a
“B” if done well.
No time for these in
rotation 1.
Assessment rubrics available in STELR teacher handbook and on website.
Presentation assessed
No presentations
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(2 lessons)
Test
Other lessons to
fit into the
program
somewhere:
Critical Thinking
Analysis and
Careers Focus
and / or data
analysis activity
Distillation of
ethanol
An Inconvenient
Truth
Design
Challenge
Energy
Efficiency
worksheet
Ideally these are oral presentations to the class. They
can be written and assessed by teacher if out of time.
Students present their finding in a team about the
operation and efficiency and suitability of solar and
wind generated electricity.
21. Formal test to assess competency in electric
circuits and renewable energy forms.
Critical Thinking task about death of bird life through
wind turbine construction.
by teacher and peer.
possible first time
around.
STELR on line test available in near future
Renewable energy test (Including a practical electrical circuit component)
Revision sheet for students outlining topics covered and resources they
should use for revision.
New test written. Check
with STELR online test
for supplementary
testing.
Computer room, headphones to listen to audio component.
Use the careers focus sheet from the STELR handbook and email the critical
thinking activity or data analysis activity
Critical thinking better
than data analysis
This works as an extra
Separate the yeast from the ethanol solution by
filtration then distill the solution to separate the
ethanol. Recall separation of mixtures from Y7 Science.
Lab Tech to undertake the distillation as a demo, students can do their own
filtration.
Available on Clickview – great to leave as an extra
Duration 93 minutes. Could be included anywhere in the program
This is the best thing about this project, it requires
about 4 lessons and until we condense the above
content we cannot find time for it.
Measuring energy
Using common prefixes (k, M, G, T)
Measuring Energy Efficiency
Students work in a team to apply their learning about solar and wind
energy to a real life application, sailing to an island on a renewable energy
fuelled yacht.
Not sure how we can
use this ethanol – need
to demo distillation
Needs work!!!!
This works as an extra
for 40-50 minutes.
Note: The shaded boxes are different approaches tried in early 2010. Recommend not to continue these in the course, but have left them there for future reference.
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