Vicphysics Teachers' Network Inc.

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Networking Meeting: Sharing Ideas on What is Matter? Area of Study

In what order should the content of this Area of Study be taught?

The Study Design starts with the beginning of the universe, then moves to radioactivity and sub-atomic particles and then considers fission and fusion along with the different methods for the production of light.

One alternative sequence is to follow the history of science and start with the discovery of radioactivity and follow the developments of science through the 20th century.

  • Are there other possible sequences?
  • What are the pros and cons of each sequence?

The three discussion groups preferred an historical approach beginning with Radioactivity and nuclear physics, including nuclear energy, leading on to Particle physics. Cosmology would be done next and the three dot points on light as an add-on at the end.

It was thought that it was better to start with something small and simple, such as the atom and progress to the 'big'. It was also noted that the Chemistry study design would complement the historical approach as it starts its study of the atom with Dalton and finishes with Schrodinger.

There was a question raised as to whether textbooks will follow this sequence, also whether chapter order determines teaching order.

Unpacking the new dot points (What do they mean and how deep do you go?)

  • Which dot points may require some explanation?
  • What will you expect your students to know for each?
  • How will you explain them and what learning activities and resources might be useful?

Many of the new dot points are merely descriptive, so the required depth of treatment of treatment is unclear. Given that this is Year 11, it could be argued that our depth of treatment of a particular set of dot points would be determined by our own comfort level with the content and the time pressures of the course in general.

Also given the largely descriptive nature of much of the content and the likelihood that some of our students may have a greater knowledge than we do, albeit fragmented, a more informal, discursive approach for some sections could be used.

Nevertheless, there are several dot points that need careful unpacking. These are, with a possible treatment in italics:

  • relate predictions to ... discoveries of ... Higgs boson (Possibly just focus of the delay between prediction and discovery rather than the properties of the particles)
  • describe quarks as components of subatomic particles (Possibly just mention their names and perhaps their charge and relative mass)
  • Last three dot points on light (Possibly just require factual recall, rather than a deep understanding of physics principles. Note: as possible assistance, Thermodynamics can refer to hot objects producing light because the charges are accelerating; Chemistry includes the Bohr model and energy levels in Unit 1)
  • apply scientific notation ..... (Possibly let it be covered by examples throughout the topic, rather than being taught separately)

There is also the issue of whether students will want to find out about dark matter and dark energy.

Learning activities and resources:

  • An inflated balloon that has collected dust shows a higher count that background.
  • Radioactive banana
  • FARLabs
  • Cloud chamber designs
  • Contemporary Laboratory Experiences in Astronomy (CLEA)
  • Perimeter Institute (dark matter)
  • CERN
  • Hubble's Law. A useful introduction to Cosmology (while part of Option 2.1, this can be a quick plotting exercise for the students to determine the Hubble constant as well as the age of the universe, which is the reciprocal of the Hubble Constant.
  • Youtube video 'I am radioactive'
  • Derek Muller documentary on Uranium
  • 'A Universe from nothing' by Lawrence M Kraus - a useful reference.

Assessment Possibilities

  • What tasks, other than a test, are feasible for this Area of Study?
  • Is much of the content descriptive and what does that imply for the assessment tasks?

Suggested tasks included:

  • Report of practical activities and simulations
  • Presentations on descriptive material using Aurasma software. There are sufficient new words/phrases in this Area of Study to compile a list larger than your class list. Each student could be allocated a word/phrase and ask to research and produce a short presentation on it.
  • Analyse of a media article
  • analysis of contributions to blog discussion
  • survey of general public's understanding of key ideas followed by a critique