Current Items from Previous “Vicphysics News”
Updated Dec 2017
Check below for full details on each of the following items.
Categories:
A.VCAA
B.Physics Exams
C.Professional Development
D.Resources and Events for Teachers
E.Events for Students
F.General Information
VCAA
A1.Physics in the National Curriculum: a Discussion paper
A2.Want to be a VCE Exam Marker?
A3.Popularity of Detailed Studies in 2013
A4.50 years of Year 12 Physics: A personal perspective on course design and assessment by Dr Syd Boydell
A5Video of VCE Physics Implementation Workshop in 2015
Physics Exams
B1.VCAA Examination Results Service. “How did my students go on Q’n 5 of the June paper?”
B2.Responses, critiques and solutions
B3.Distribution of Letter Grades and Grade Points in the Exams
B4.Revision strategies, Advice for students and Course summaries
Professional Development
C1.Free access to “Physics Education”, one of the best physics teacher journals
C2.Postcode list of teachers, schools and Detailed Studies
C3.Conference Proceedings:STAV/Vicphysics Physics Teachers Conferences
C4Material from the Beginning Physics Teachers In-Service
C5.How do you advise students doing Unit 2 without Unit 1 or Units 3 &4 without Units 1 & 2?
C6.Socio-economic background and doing Physics: The UK experience
Resources and Events for Teachers
D1.Nuclear Energy website established by Physics Dept, University of Melbourne
D2.“Physics Review” a UK magazine for students available in Australia
D3.Astrophysics resources at CSIRO (also see Nos 26 and 43 below)
D5.Producing colour with sticky tape and 2 Polaroid filters: A Conference follow up
D7.AIP Monthly Meetings
D8.Mythbusters: Science on TV
D11.More contributions on the Transistor
D12.Web resources from the HarryMesselInternationalScienceSchool
D14.Lunar Olympics: A NASA initiative!
D15.Results of Pirelli Relativity Challenge: The international multimedia competition
D16.“Do we need Nuclear Power” A Physics Forum
D17.More Astrophysics Resources
D18.Science Updates from the ABC
D22.UK Website to help new Physics Teachers
D23.Victorian Space Science Education Centre
D24.Teaching Medical Physics: A new resource
D30.Physics on
D32.Nova: Science in the News: Thinking ahead – fusion energy for the 21st century?
D35.Scientists in Schools Scheme
D36.Physics for our Future: video broadcasts on the internet
D37.Latest NOVA: Science in the News Site: Quantum computers, why would you want one?
D38.“Why is it so?” Sumner Miller videos now on the ABC website
D39.Video of the Double Slit Experiment with Electrons
D40.Astronomy material from WA
D41.Multimedia resources for Mechanics from University of New South Wales
D42.Multimedia Resources for the Sciences from WGBH Education Foundation
D43.A Moon Clock Resource
D44.Using Dark Matter to teaching Circular Motion and Gravitation (movie and resources)
D45.The Naked Scientists
D46.PULSE: PULsar Student Exploration online at Parkes
D47.The Seven Wonders of Science and Technology
D48.“ScienceAlert” An Australian Science news website
D49.“Alternative Energy” resource that also aids Africa: “Letting Chibobo Shine”
D50.Student Misconceptions in Physics: Some Useful Resources
D51.Fermi Questions
D52.The Melbourne Solar System Trail
D53.Nova: Science in the News: “The quest to make hydrogen the fuel of the future”
D54.Large Hadron Collider website.
D55.How fast could have Usain Bolt run?
D56.Atmospheric Optics: Website on rainbows, haloes, glories, coronas and muchmore.
D57.What is that old equipment in the back cupboard used for? “Instruments for Natural Philosophy”
D58.Institute of Physics (IOP) “Physics Education”: Free downloads of selected articles.
D61.Astounding Astrophotographs
D62.Galaxy Zoo, where you can help astronomers explore the Universe
D63.Colin Hopkins’ CDROM material.
D64.Age News Story on Fluorine 18 as a tracer in PET Scans
D67.Nova: Science in the News “Hunting for dark energy with the WiggleZ”
D68.Prof Rachel Webster talks on 400 Years of Astronomical Telescopes : audio file
D70.Photonics Simulator for Year 10 Science
D71.Richard Feynman Lectures now available on the web
D72.Entries in the Vicphysics Physics Video Clip Contest
D73.Shining a light on the usefulness of physics
D75.DVD: Engineering Connections
D76.Bite-size videos about science
D77.Slow Motion Animation, ‘Slowmation’, for Lower Secondary and Upper Primary
D78.Latest NOVA: Science in the News Site: Rocking on with hot rocks: geothermal energy
D79.NOVA: Science in the News Site: Excuse me! The problem with methane gas
D80.Alice & Bob in Wonderland (from the Perimeter Institute)
D81.Quantum to Cosmos Festival Video on Demand (from the Perimeter Institute)
D83.Shining a light on the usefulness of physics: “Optics and photonics: Physics enhancing our lives” 20 page booklet
D84.Latest Nova: Rebuilding humans using bionics. Nova: Science in the News
D85.‘Geothermal Energy from Uranium Deposits’ and other physics podcasts from University of Melbourne
D88.‘Physics for an Advanced World’: A resource to promote physics
D89.Women in Astronomy See also D115
D90.Paper planes
D91.Some More Fermi Questions
D92.Physics Crosswords
D93.Youtube videos on Ionising Radiation
D94.Physics Lyrics to Popular Songs - Check the website
D95.Historical articles from ‘Nature’
D96.Galaxiki: A fictional galaxy that anyone can edit
D97.Bionic Eye
D98.Nuclear Information Project
D99Internet Resources for Physics and Astronomy Education: See also D107
D101.One of the greatest public lectures in the history of science.
D102.Richard Feynman: BBC Interviews online
D103.Honeywell Nobel Interactive Video: Physics Lectures on the Internet
D104.Scale of the Universe Animation: A 'must show' to students
D105.More Physics on YouTube
D107.New Astronomy Resources: Pulsars from Parkes and Discover the SKA See also D118
D108.Orders of Magnitude - Listings in Wikipedia
D109.Web Resources for Astronomy & Particle Physics and Quantum Physics
D110.Japanese Tsunami and FukuShima Reactor: Web Resources
D111.Video analysis software
D112.Neuroscience: Implications for education and lifelong learning. A Royal Society publication
D113.Demonstration Videos for Physics Teachers
D114.Misconceptions: Resources
D115.Girls and Physics
D117.GeoGebra: A free software package
D118.Astronomy Resources including "How I killed Pluto and why it had it coming"
D119.Big History Project:
D121.Perimeter Institute: Resources for Science and Physics Teaching
D122.Up Close: Physics Podcasts from the University of Melbourne
D123.CSIRO publication: Climate Change: Science and Solutions for Australia
D124.The Language of Measurement: A resource for investigations
D125.VCE Physics Podcasts: A Teacher Initiative
D126.BBC Radio Reith Lectures now on line
D127.How many balloons would lift a house?
D128.New NOVA Feature: Piezoelectric Sensors and Self Monitoring Planes
D129.'A robot that flies like a bird' video - TED: Riveting Talks by Remarkable People
D130.Innovative Physics CD: Update on transfer to the Vicphysics website
D131.Nobel Prize in Physics to Prof Brian Schmidt, ANU - Resources
D132.Rutherford's big discovery – 100 years later (a 10 min video)
D133.Respect the Science: A new Initiative by Australian Scientists
D134.Faster than light Neutrinos
D135.Newton's first paper on a new theory of light and colour - online at the Royal Society archive
D136.Strandbeests
D137.What do physicists actually do? Why do they do it? And what is their work for? Four short films
D138.Understanding Uncertainty: Making sense of chance, risk, luck, uncertainty and probability
D139.Nuffield Physics Teachers' Handbook and other resources
D140.Exploring Physics Apps
D141.Extra Applets and Web Resources
D142.Focus on Optics and Lasers: A Physics World Publication - Free Download
D143.The Royal Society: Online picture library
D144.The Weather of Who We Are: An ABC Ockham's Razor podcast
D145.Universe Sandbox: Interactive Astronomy Software for Everyone
D146.Australia and SKA
D147.Black Holes booklet - free download from Institute of Physics (UK)
D148.More on the Higgs Boson
D149.Physics Questions without Numbers: A Resource
D150.One Minute Physics: Video animations from New Scientist
D151.Light Field Camera: 'Shoot now, focus later'.
D152.POSTnotes: Briefing Notes on Science and Technology Issues: British Parliamentary Office
D153.Some Physics Humour from The Guardian Newspaper and other sources
D154.Scientific Valentines - A flickr site of amusing valentine posters with a scientific edge
D155.Beginning Teaching: some useful hints
D156.Free iPad book on Heat Energy for Years 8 - 12
D157.App for Unit 3 Electromagnetism
D158.A Boy and his Atom: The World's Smallest Movie
D159.Astronomy Resources from the UK National Schools' Observatory
D160.The Life of Psi - Philosophical interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
D161.Physics App - Spectrogram for Sounds
D162.UK Astronomy Resources
D163.'fizzicseducation' - School visits, kids parties, video science club
D164.Achieving order from chaos: A cute video
D165.Accelerators and Beams: Tools of Discovery and Innovation: A free 36 page download
D166.Higgs Boson and the Future of Physics: ABC TV Big Ideas talk
D167.SPT: Supporting Physics Teaching - A UK Online Resource from the Institute of Physics
D168.Nova: Science in the News - 'Agriculture in the face of climate change' (Aust Academy of Science)
D169.BBC Radio and Melvyn Bragg: Science interviews
D170.NASA Astronomy Resources developed by Australian researchers
D171.Physics of Cancer: a free download from the IOP's Physics World
D172.How can a bike go at a constant speed? A talkphysics discussion
D173.Benchmarks on equipping science in schools - the UK experience
D174.'Project Physics' - The highly regarded text book is now available on line
D175.Physics Applets on Compadre - New Edition
D176.Seeking more Science coverage in the News - A petition
D177.Earth viewed by Cassini spacecraft from Saturn - NASA photograph
D178.Blog: An astrophysicist's-eye view of societal issues relating to energy production, climate change, and economic growth
D179.A smartphone app to hunt for the Higgs Boson
D180.Revision strategies, Advice for students and Course summaries
D181.Some engaging Videos (Singing wine glasses and Meissner Effect)
D182.Do instructional videos really improve student learning? Dr Derek Muller at The Perimeter Institute
D183.Oscilloscope apps and software CROs
D184.ANSTO's 60th anniversary celebrations: An e-book and an Apple app
D185.Digital Cameras with High Speed Video option
D186. A new topic at NOVA:Science in the News - Higgs Boson
D187.Freely Accessible Remote Laboratory for students - FARLabs
D188.Video Tutorials for Teachers
D189.Sally Ride Science: A website compilation of STEM resources (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
D190.Fish Tank Cloud Chamber - Instructions with video
D191.Using LEGO to teach Nuclear Physics
D192.Bohemian Rhapsody and String Theory - An engaging video.
D193.Video of a Rotating Moon from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
D194.The Science of Medical Imaging: Three articles in 'The Conversation'
D195.Lessons from Finnish Education
D196.Blogs by Physics Teachers
D197.Science of the Olympics
D198.Making Physics Toys from Recycled materials: Arvind Gupta:
D199.Exoplanets: a teaching and learning resource guide
D200.A Catalogue of Astronomy Apps for Phones and Tablets
D201.Physics Manual for Lab Techs
D202.Physics: A Force for Future Security - an article in The Conversation - a SHE activity?
D203.Physics, Skating and Ice
D204.A Human Loop the Loop. A slot car can, can a human?
D205.'Science' in the Classroom: A Resource from the Journal 'Science'
D206.AstroEDU An online science activity database
D207.Earth Exploration Toolbook A Geoscience web resource for schools
D208Benjamin Franklin and Electrostatics
D209Demonstration webpage on Canadian Physics Teachers' Website
D210Turn your iPhone into a personal spectroscope.
D211Resources for Promoting Careers in Physics (US)
D212Graphing challenge - Kinematics Game
D213Red Bull Stratos Jump analysis
D214A Brief History of Physics (animated) from the BBC Science Club
D215FUNcube: Satellite for Students
D216.Science And Technology In Society: SATIS Materials for classroom use
D217.Physics Online Resources from TES (Times Educational Supplement)
D218.Electrolights: A blog explaining day to day physics
D219Real World 21st Century Examples for Physics
D220Astronomy Resources
D221Web resources for Sound
D222Conceptions of Energy: a new UK approach
D223.Resources from the Distance Education Centre - the old 'Correspondence School'.
D224.Ruhmkorff Coil and detecting ionising radiation
D225.Observing a real image: An impressive Youtube video from Exploratorium
D226.Stunning Images: The 2014 International Earth & Sky Photo Contest
D227.Smashing Physics: A Royal Institution Youtube talk by Jon Butterworth from CERN
D228.Information is Beautiful: A visualisation on nuclear exposure
D229.Amusement Park Physics: Some resources from the US and Europe
D230.Hundreds of Videos of Physics Demonstrations
D231.Datamouse: Making a two photogates from a mouse
D232.2014 Nobel Prize in Physics: Resources
D233.2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Physics related, again!
D234.More Resources from the Distance Education Centre - the old 'Correspondence School'.
D235.Visualising Sound: A Youtube video
D236.Radioactivity Decay App - Free
D237.Teacher Developed Websites
D238.Pioneering Women of Physics: A Poster Resource
D239.Exoplanet Physics for Junior Science
D240.Making a Science Poster - Some Tips
D241.Project LITE: Light Inquiry Through Experiments: A Resource
D242.International Year of Light: Resources
D243.100,000 Stars - A 3D visualisation
D244.'Teaching High School Physics' A Kindle resource
D245.Unlocking your car with your brain - Youtube video from Sixty Symbols
D246.EPIs and Posters
D247.Future of Nuclear: The Conversation series of articles
D248.Slow motion analysis of experiments: Exploding balloons, deformed balls, strange reflections and breaking rods - A Physics Education article
D249.Extended Practical Investigations and Posters
D250.Star Wars VII trailer and using Tracker software
D251.Conceptual Understanding Procedures (CUPs) back on line
D252General Relativity: Holiday reading and viewing
D253Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse: Analysis of film and video footage
D2542015 Nobel Prize in Physics: for the discovery ... that shows neutrinos have mass
D255Juggling Giant Newton's Cradles: Youtube video
D256Feynman Poetry on Atoms
D257Seven Brief Lessons on Physics: A bestselling book by Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist
D258US Websites on teaching strategies and curriculum materials
D260Nuclear Resources from ANSTO
D261A Brief History of Everything by Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Youtube video
D262Course Planning Resources for Units 1 & 2 in 2016
D264.Dare Devil Demo: Connected bodies and Circular motion
D265Course Planning: Which SACs? Which Pracs?
D266Rubrics for Assessing Posters
D267Astrophysics Youtube Videos from MonashUniversity
D268Course Planning: week by week program
D269Webpages for Unit 3 topics of Fields, Electrical Energy and Motion
D270Extra resources at 'EPI' and 'Useful Websites' webpages
D271PhysPort: Supporting Physics Teaching with Research-based Resources
D272Physics Video Gallery - A find from
D2732016 Nobel Prize in Physics - The Secrets of Exotic Matter
D274Some Engaging Videos: Quarks, rocket powered bike, tennis racket effect, homopolar motor, direct measurement videos, site of 877 videos
D275Institute of Physics (IOP) “Physics Education” Journal: Free downloads of selected articles.
D276Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools: A CSIRO initiative
D277Seeing the world as a colour blind person does: A free app.
D278Share My Lesson: An online resource of 1000's of lesson plans
D279A Capella Physics: Gravitational Waves
D280Space Tourism Posters from NASA
D281The Nuclear blogosphere: Nuclear Hitchhiker, Restricted Data, Nuke Power Talk, Energy From Thorium
D282Physics Simulations from Interactives.ck12.org
D283Exploring Light: Hands-on Activities and Strategies for Teachers: A free online course
D284Gravitational waves: the Australian connection
D285Gravitational Waves detected
D286.Bottle Flip Physics
D287Classic Physics Papers: Links to original papers
D288Resources for Flipping Physics
D289Cheap High Speed Video Recording for Analysis in Physics Experiments
D290Discoveries with Light: a teacher and student resource on the Australian Synchrotron
D291A map of Physics: Youtube video
D292Radioactive 'zombie' cows - A beat up or fake news?
D293Cosmogenic Radionuclide Dating - An Age article
D294.Free eBooks from Physics World
D295Radioactive cloud over Europe
D296ANSTO Resources
D297Perimeter Institute Resources
D298Backyard Brains: Resources for electrical experiments on Neuroscience
D299Visual Illusions
D300Travelling Wave reactor
D3012017 Nobel Prize in Physics
D302The Back Story of the History of the Nobel Prizes in Physics
D3032017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by three physicists
D304Physics of Fidgets:
D305The Science of Thinking
D306Paul Hewitt's Videos for Physics Teachers:
D307The Mechanical Universe:
D308Flipping Physics: More Resources
D309More iPhone Physics - Video analysis and magnetic fields
D310A simple and quick Experiment on Coulomb’s Law
D311How do you start teaching the topic of electric circuits?
D312PhysicsWorld Magazine: Focus on Nuclear Energy - Free download
D313Cosmic Vertigo: ABC Radio National Podcasts
Events for Students
E1.Physics Days at LunaPark
E2.Vicphysics Physics Photo Contest: up to $1000 in Prize money
E3.Vicphysics Physics Video Clip Contest
E4. Work Experience Opportunities at Parkes and Narrabri
E5.GeminiSchool Astronomy Contest
E6.Scinema student film competition
E7.Online Social Networks to assist Physics Students
E8.The Annual Australian Youth Aerospace Forum (AYAF) Queensland
E9.Physics of Angry Birds - A Quantum Victoria program for Students doing Experimental Investigations
E10.Industry To Classroom: A Speakers for Schools project
E11.Student Workshops in Unit 3 Electronics and Photonics, La TrobeUniversity (Free)
E12.Sound in Practice: An excursion for the Unit 4 Detailed Study: Sound
E13.Quantum Victoria's "The Young Scientist & Engineer Series"
E14.Collision! - A multimedia competition on particle physics for students
E15.Science Breakfast for Girls: Thursday 15th August, 2013, Mentone Girls' Grammar School (This is an annual event)
E16Videos from Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament
E17Large Hadron Collider: World Wide Data Day for Students
E18Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament: Judging Criteria
E19New prizes from the Australian Acoustic Society for secondary student research projects
E20Poster Competition for Unit 2 Experimental Investigation
E21Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory: Detecting Dark Matter School visits in 2017
General Information
F1.Survey of Class Time on Physics from the Physics Teachers Conference
F2.Victorian Physics teachers are well qualified
F3.Retired Physics Teachers: Casual employment
F4.Physics Teacher Survey
F5.Does going to the Luna Park Physics Days impact on Physics enrolments?
F6.Popularity of Detailed Studies
F7.Climate Change: Vicphysics Initiative
F8.Need an RSS Feed?
F9.Need to form a Moderation Group?
F10.How many Year 11 Physics students go on to do Physics in Year 12?
F11.Enrolments in Physics: Status and Strategy
VCAA
A1.Physics in the National Curriculum: a Discussion paper
Neil Champion wrte a paper titled “Multi-layered national curriculum design principles” that was published in the May/June, 2011 edition of ‘Australian physics’. The article has been put on our website at . If you wish to comment on the paper, please use the Forum section of the website.