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Day 1: Friday 20th February: Monash University, Clayton, VictoriaDay 2: Saturday 21st February: Excursion tasters & Medical Physics ISEMonash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria

2015 STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers Conference

The Program includes:• Dayandlateafternoonsessions.Participantscan

attendthedayand/orthelateafternoonsessions• Openingaddresson‘Thermodynamicsand

ClimateChange’byProfDavidJamieson,UniversityofMelbourne

• NewPhysicsStudyDesign:BriefingbyMariaJames,ScienceManager,VCAA

• ReportbyBruceWalsh,theChiefAssessor,ontheNovemberExam,duringthedayprogramandrepeatedinthelateafternoonprogram

• PhysicsKaraoke:Shortpresentationsinthreeadjacentandlinkedvenues

• Over70workshopsacrossfivesessions,someonVCEtopics,someongeneralacrossYears7-12andothersspecificallyforYears7-10

• ASaturdayprogramofexcursionstastersatvariousvenuesandamedicalphysicsin-serviceatPeterMacCallumCancerCentre

Wireless Internet and laptops at the ConferenceWirelessinternetisavailabletoparticipants,ausernameandpasswordwillbeneeded.Somepresentershaveinvitedparticipantstobringalongtheirowndevicesincludinglaptops.Checkdescriptionsbelowfor(BYOD).Tostorelaptopsduringtheday,laptoplockerswithpowerareavailableinthelobbyoftheS9-S12lecturetheatresatnocost.LockersneedtobebookedontheApplicationForm.KeyscanbepickedupatRegistration.

Conference Program

Friday Day and Afternoon Program

8:00 DayRegistration

9:00 ConferenceOpening

9:10 OpeningAddress

10:10 VCAAUpdate

10:50 MorningTea/Displays

11:35 Workshops:SessionA

12:35 Lunch/Displays

1:25 Workshops:SessionB

2:30 Workshops:SessionC

3:30 AfternoonTea/Displays

3:30 AfternoonRegistration

4:00 Workshops:SessionD

5:00 Workshops:SessionE

6:00 Finish

Saturday Program

9:00 ChoiceofVenues-1hourpresentations

11:00 ChoiceofVenues-90minor2hourpresentations

1:30 OneVenue-90minutepresentation

Each participant will have web access on the AIP website to proceedings from the VCE Physics conference as part of their registration. The Physics Science Teachers’ Conference is an approved professional learning activity.

Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria Inc.PostalAddress:POBox109CoburgVIC3058•Phone:(03)93853999•Fax:(03)93866722Email:[email protected]:www.sciencevictoria.com.au

Registrationinformation,LaTrobeUniversityMapandallconferenceinformationisavailableontheScience Victoria website: www.sciencevictoria.com.au/conferences.html

Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee.www.vicphysics.org

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STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers’ Conference 2015

VCAA Update: a new VCE Physics Study DesignMaria James, Science Manager, VCAAImplementationoftherevisedVCEPhysicsStudyDesignwillbeginfrom2016.Whatistherationaleforthechanges?HowhascontentchangedintheStudyDesign?Howdothekeyskillsbuildonskillsdevelopedinearlieryears,andhowdotheyrelatetotheprocessofinquiryandtotheselectedcontent?Howwillassessmentchange?Whatdothechangesmeanforstudentsandforteachers?Wheredoesthenewstudydesignfitintheinternationaleducationlandscape?Thesequestionsformthefocusofthisinteractivesessionwhichalsoallowsforaudiencequestionsandcomments.PleasebringcopyoftherevisedVCEPhysicsStudyDesign.

Descriptions of Workshop SessionsB: Beginning, G: Years 7 - 12, M: Yrs 7 - 10, V: VCE, 11: Units 1 & 2, 12: Units 3 & 4,C: Commercial, BYOD: Bring your own Device (optional)

Session A 11:35pm – 12:35pm

A1 Tricks and Tips for Inexperienced Physics Teachers(B) Repeated in E13Colin Hopkins, Bialik CollegeThissessionisaseriesoftriedandtrueactivitiestoengagestudentsinVCEPhysics.ItisaimedatteachersnewtoVCEPhysics.Aresourcepackagewillbeprovidedtoparticipants.

A2 Using Google Earth in the Physics Classroom(V), (Computer lab, so BYOD optional) Repeated in D14Catherine Bellair, St Bernard’s CollegeGoogleEarthisafreeprogramwithnumerousapplicationsinthePhysicsclassroom.Inadditiontodiscussingsomeoftheseapplications,thissessionwillalsohelpyoucreateyourownGoogleEarthfilesbyteachingyousomeofthebasicfeaturesoftheprogram.

A3 Climate Change - What happened to the Science?(G)Keith Burrows, AIPThe‘debate’continuestorage.TheAbbottgovernmentandtheMurdochmediacontinuetoimplythatclimatechangeisnotathreat-atleastnotyet,whiletheFairfax/ABC/Guardiansidewarnsthatitis.What’smissinginallthis?TheSCIENCEofclimatechange!Thereareargumentsaboutwhethertemperatureshaveriseninthelastdecadeorhowfasticeismelting,buttheseareactuallysideissues.Whereisthebasicscience?Fundamentally,climatescienceisaboutthephysicsandchemistryoftheatmosphereandaboutwhatthegeologicalrecordtellsusaboutchangingclimates.Let’strytofillthisgap.

A4 Space Camp(G) (repeated as a shortened version in Karaoke session: C5)Paul Natoli, Ballarat High SchoolLookingatthejourneyofputtingaspacecamptriptogether.Fromgettingstudentstofundraisingandfinallythetripitself.

Morning Tea/Displays 10:50am – 11:35pm

Opening Address 9:10am – 10:10am

VCAA Update 10:10am – 10:50am

Opening address on ‘Thermodynamics and Climate Change’ by Prof David Jamieson, University of Melbourne

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Friday 20 February 2015assessmentfor,aswellasof,learning?Thissessionexplorestheuseofthescientificposterinsupportingthedevelopmentofstudents’scienceinquiryandcommunicationskills.

A12 Sound In Practice(12) Repeated in B7Adrian Alexander, Soundhouse Music Alliance Thissessionwillguideteachersthrougharangeofdemonstrations,experimentsandlinkswiththetheoryandpracticeofsoundasitappliesintheUnit4detailedstudy.Itwillillustratesomesoftwareandappsthatteacherswillfindreadilyaccessibleandapplicableintheirownclassrooms,aswellasoutliningthedetailsoftheSoundInPracticeexcursion,whichhasbeenextremelypopular,andwillbeavailableagainin2014.Forafulllistingofwhatiscovered,pleasegotohttps//sites.google.com/site/vcesoundinpractice/home

A13 Building DC Motor from a Kit(12)Gracie Saxena, Manor Lakes P 12 CollegeTheworkshopshowshowstudentscanconstructaworkingDCmotorfromasimplekitandinvestigatethephysicsprinciplesinvolved.Participantswillbeableassembleamotor.Animageofthekitandtheworksheetforstudentscanbedownloadedfromhttp://www.vicphysics.org/power.html

A14 Glowing Graveyards(11)David Hoxley, Bob Aikenhead, La Trobe UniversityAcenturyago,radioactivitywaspromotedasahealth-giving,revitalisingforceforgoodhealth.Nowperceptionsaremoremixed.Inthispracticalsession,youwillmeasureandanalyseradioactivedecayfromseveralsources,includinganobservationofhalf-life.ThisactivityisavailableaspartoftheLaTrobeUniversityfuturestudentsprogram,andcanbeintegratedintoaVCESAC.Pleasebringyourlaptop,fullycharged.

A15 Discovering Physics at Ecolinc(C) (Computer lab, so BYOD optional) Repeated in C5Suzanne Clarke & Carolanne Glynne, Ecolinc ScienceEcolincisa(DEECD)ScienceSpecialistCentresituatedinBacchusMarsh(www.ecolinc.vic.edu.au)Ecolincisauniqueeducationalfacility,demonstratingarangeofawardwinningecologicalsustainabledesign(ESD)features.InadditionEcolinc’sonlineCSIROdesignedWeatherWallandBuildingManagementSystem(BMS)

A5 How to Photograph the Moon and Stars with your DSLR.(G) Repeated in C2Phil HartWithjustaDigitalSLRandatripod,awardwinningphotographerPhilHartcanteachyouhowtocapturewide-fieldscenesofthenightskyandlong-exposurestartrailimages.Nightskyphotographyalsoopensupseveralavenuesofscienceexploration-thephysicsofhowcamerasandlensesworkandastronomysciencetopicsthatcanbeexploredthroughsimpleimagesofthenightsky.

A6 The Zooniverse and Beyond: Engaging Students Using Real Data(G) (BYOD)Robert Hollow, CSIRO Astronomy and Space ScienceAstronomyisanexcellentcontextfordevelopingstudents’investigationandICTskills.Thereiswealthofreadilyaccessiblerealastronomicaldata,muchofitavailableviaCitizenScienceprogramssuchastheZooniverse.ParticipantswillbeintroducedtotheconceptofCitizenScienceandexplorearangeofprojectsanddata.Examplesofhowtheseprojectsanddatacanbeincorporatedintostructuredlearningtasksandopen-endedinvestigationswillbedeveloped

A7 Find Higgs Boson candidate events using HYPATIA in the classroom(12) Repeated in D16Frank de La Rambelya, South Oakleigh Secondary CollegeThepresenterattendedathreeweekteacher’scourseatCERNin2013,bringingbackaneasytousedataanalysistoolcalledHYPATIA,asusedininternationalphysicsmasterclasses.Afteransweringthequestions“howdoestheLargeHadronColliderwork?”and“what’sthe‘standardmodel’?”,thepresenterexplainshowtheATLASdetectorenablesparticletrackidentificationanddemonstratesusingHYPATIAwithrealATLASdatatoidentifycandidateHiggsevents.LinksareprovidedfordownloadingHYPATIAandATLASdata.FindouthowtobringCERNscientistsintotheclassroomtoconversewithyourstudents.

A8 Increasing student and teacher participation with scientists to increase student numbers in STEM(G)Eroia Barone-Nugent Santa Maria College, Diana Hides, University of MelbourneTheuptakeinsciencehasdeclined,andmostnoticeablyinthestagnationor

decliningnumberofgirlstakingphysicsatsecondaryschool.However,studentengagementinscienceisimprovedbyrelevantexperienceswithprofessionalscientists.Byincreasingtheinteractionofscientistsfromalldisciplineswithsecondaryschoolstudentstheinterdisciplinarynatureofscienceandtheenablingpowerofthephysicalsciencescanbepromoted.Thevalueofcareeropportunitiescanbehighlightedtohelpstudentsmakeempowereddecisionsaboutchoosingtodosciencetoyear12.Comeandlearnmoreaboutincreasinggirlsparticipatinginphysicsandscienceingeneral.

A9 Easy and Engaging Light Pracs(C) Repeated in D3Spiro Liacos, Cheltenham Secondary College and Liacos Educational MediaThishands-onsessionwillintroduceyoutoaseriesofpracticalactivitiesthatcoverReflectionandMirrors,RefractionandLenses,andTotalInternalReflection.YouwillbeprovidedwithallthepracsheetsthatyouneedtoteachthetopicofLighttoYear9sandyouwillhaveachancetocarryoutthepracs.

A10 Paul Hewitt? Who is he and what is his connection with Conceptual Physics?(G) Repeated in E15Gary Cohen, AIP Education CommitteeIsphysicsjustaboutformulas,andare‘good’pracresultsthemostimportantthingthatstudentslearnfromtheirPhysicslessons?Whatabouttheconceptdevelopmentthatoccurswitheffectivepracticalinvestigationsanddemonstrations?InthisdiscussionsessionGaryCohenwillsharesomeofhisexperiencesbasedonmanyyearsteachingphysicsusinganalogiesandimageryfromreal-worldsituationsthatcanhelpstudentsbuildastrongconceptualunderstandingofphysicalprinciplesrangingfromclassicalmechanicstomodernphysics.ThissessionwillgiveparticipantsaninsightintowhatConceptualPhysicsis.

A11 Theuseofscientificpostersincommunicating science(V) Repeated in B6 and D10Maria James, Science Manager, VCAAScientificpostersareuseduniversallytocommunicatesciencefindingsinbotheducationalandresearchsettings.Howcanscientificpostersbeusedataseniorsecondaryleveltostructure,stageandassessstudentinvestigativework?Canauthenticationbeassured?Howcanassessmentinthismodebecome

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teachersprogrammingthearduinotocontrolLEDs,motors,andafewdifferenttypeofsensors.Thebenefitstothestudentswillalsobecovered.

A22 Teaching Plans for Unit 1 in 2016(11) Repeated in D15Three members of the AIP Education CommitteeEachpersonwouldtalkabouthowtheywouldplantheUnit,includingtopicsequence,practicalactivities,assessmenttasks,etc.

A23 Teaching multiple Focus studies concurrently(11)Jane Coyle, Albert Park CollegeThenewUnit2FocusStudiesofferalargerangeofphysicsapplicationsforstudenttoinvestigate.Itwouldbewonderfultoletthestudentchooseatopictheyliketheloomofbuthowdowemanageaclassroomwithstudentsstudyingdifferentcontent?Howdoweofferchoicewithouthavingtowrite11courses.InthissessionIwillgiveideasonhowtoachievebothoftheseusingGoogletocreateaportalandGoogleclassroomtoenablecontentdeliveryandtracking.Collaborationisalsothekey.Awebenableddevicewouldbehandybutnotrequiredforthissession.

A24 Australian Synchrotron Tour(12)Jonathan de Booy, The Australian SynchrotronAone-hourtouroftheAustralianSynchrotronlocatedinBlackburnRdaroundthecornerfromtheconferencevenue.TransporttotheSynchrotronwillnotbeprovided.ParticipantswillbegivenanopportunitytoarrangearideandshouldleavetheUniversityabout10minutesbeforethesession.

providetheopportunityforPhysicsstudentstoexploretheefficiencyofthebuildingdesign.ThissessionwilloverviewEcolinc’sUnits1&2Detailedstudy3.5toinitiateorconcludeaninvestigationintosustainableenergysources.

A16 Improve student learning using formative assessment in the digital environment.(V) Repeated in E10Catriona McKenzie, Doug Bail, Cara Perry, Pearson Australia, PearsonhasdevelopedPearsonLightbook-anewseniorsecondarydigitalresourcefortheVCEPhysicsStudyDesignbasedonbestpracticeteachingandlearningresearch.PearsonLightbookcombinestraditionalofflinecontentincludingtextbookcontent,workbooks,studyguides,exampreparationmaterialandmoreintoaninteractivelearner-focuseddigitalresource.Hearhowourresearchhasledustodevelopaproductfocusedonimprovinglearningwithformativeassessment,instantfeedbackandcontentpresentedinmulti-modalformatstobestsuitalltypesoflearners.Participantswillseeademoandbeabletointeractwiththeproductduringthesession.

A17 Lessons from America translated to Australia(V)Barbara McKinnon, John Monash Science SchoolThelasttwodecadeshaveseentheriseofthe“ModellingInstruction”pedagogyforhighschoolPhysicsinthe USA.Significantgainsinstudentconceptualunderstandinghavebeenreportedbyschoolsthatusethisapproach.Inaddition,themethodappearstoincreasestudentengagementandparticipationinhigherlevelphysicscourses.Followingathree-weekteacher-trainingworkshopinMechanicsmodellinginstructioninJuly2013,thepresenterimplementedtheapproachinherVCEYear11Physicsclass.Inthisseminarshewillexplorethebasisofthesuccessoftheapproachandreviewtheoutcomesofherfirstattemptatimplementingthemethodhere. 

A18 Using High Speed Cameras and Tracker to study motion(G) (BYOD) Repeated in E12David Vaughan, Woodleigh SchoolFindouthowtousehighspeedcamerasandtheTrackersoftwaretoanalysemotioninapracticalcontext.Thisworkshopwillshowwheretopurchasecamerascapableofshootingupto1200fpsthatareaffordable.AbasicintroductionintotheTrackersoftwareandhowtouseit

toobtaindisplacement,velocityandaccelerationdata.AlsoademonstrationofhowIamusinghighspeedcamerasandtheDynamicSciencerocketkitsalongwithtrackertoteachmotiongraphsandNewtonssecondlawofmotiontomyYear10andYear11classes.

A19 Free body Diagrams(V)Amos Freeman, Christian College, GeelongAworkshopontheuseoffreebodydiagramstoanalyseforcesandmotion.ThiswouldbenefittheMotionunitsofstudyinyears11and12aswellastheMaterialsandTheirUseinStructuresunitinyear12.Therewillbesupportinglessonplansandworksheetsforparticipantstotakehomeinhardcopyandelectronicform.ThetechniquesandscenariosareaproductoftheworkofArnoldAaronsandJimMinstrellinSeattle,thePhysicsEducationGroupattheUniversityofWashington,thephysicsteachersofBothellHighSchoolandthenthepresenter.

A20 Algorithms in solving physics problems(V) Repeated in E14Yuriy Verkhatsky, Carwatha CollegeInmanyareasofPhysicssolvingproblemscanbeorganisedincertainorderofstepsapplicableifnottoallbuttomostofthem.Ifstudentswillfollowthosestepstheywillmostprobablyavoidmistakesandgetitright.Ihavedevelopedalgorithmsforsolvingmotionproblemsinmanyareasofphysics.Thispresentationisadditionto2014presentationandincludesnewalgorithms-gravitationalfieldproblems,wavepropertiesoflight,wavepropertiesofparticles,photoelectriceffect,inducedEMFproblemsandproblemsinvolvingdiodesaswellasareascoveredin2014.

A21 Use of Inexpensive Micro-controllers in a Physics Classroom(G)Milorad Cerovac, The King David SchoolThearduinomicrocontrollerisacheapandsimplewayofengagingstudentsinscience,technology,engineeringandmathematics.TeacherscaneasilyintegratethearduinomicrocontrollerintomanypracticalactivitiesinthePhysicsandnon-Physicsclassroom.TheKingDavidSchoolhasbeenusingthearduinomicrocontrolleraspartoftheirCanSat(satelliteinasodacan)programandmorerecentlyinthePhysicsclassroom.Thissessionwillintroduceteacherstothearduinomicrocontrollerthroughaseriesofhands-onactivitieswhichwillhave

STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers’ Conference 2015

Lunch/Displays 12:35pm – 1:25pm

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Session B 1:25pm – 2:30pm Workshops B1 to B5 will also form part of the Physics in General Science (PIGS) Conference for Years 7 - 10 teachers seeking to improve their physics skills.

B1 Toys, pracs, challenges(M)Dianne Wilkinson, Box Hill High SchoolLearningasyouplayisthefunwaytounderstandingideasandconcepts.Usingfamiliartoysandlanguageenablesdifficultconceptstobediscussedwithoutfearoffailure.Oftenthisapproachopensthewayforfurtherstudentleadinvestigations.Eightchallengingconceptswillbepresentedwithsuggestionstoconquerunderstanding.Thishands-onworkshopsessionisaimedtostimulateideasforteacherstouseinjuniorscience(years6to10).E5isaYears10to12versionofthisworkshop.

B2 The Science of Magic(M) Repeated in D2Peter Razos, Trinity Grammar SchoolMagichasalwaysfascinatedusanddoneproperlycandevelopintoagreatunitofworkinsciencewherephysicsandchemistrytakesonawholenewmeaning.Thisworkshopisbasedonasemesterlength,year9-10unitofworkatTrinityGrammar.Weencourageteacherswholiketothinkoutsidethesquareandwhowouldliketobemoreengaginginthescienceclassroomtoattend.Itisguaranteedthatparticipantswillcomeaway,ifnotwithanentirenewunitofwork,withideastoengageandmotivatetheirstudents.MuchmorewillbemadeavailableandwewilldiscusshowtheASCisintegratedintheScienceofMagic.Agreatwaytostartandseeifthisworkshopcantrulybenefityouistogoonlineandloginwiththedetailsbelow.Checkitoutbyvisitingwww.dynamicscience.com.au/tester.Enterasastudentwiththedetailsbelow:organisationid=dynscipassword=robots.

B3 Year 10 & 11 Motion Experiments(M) Repeated in E4Frances Sidari, Lakeview Senior College and Terry Tan, John Monash Science SchoolInmanygovernmentschools,resourcesarescarce.Accesstodataloggersandmotionsensorsarelimited.Thisseriesofexperimentsworksaroundtheseconstraintswitheverydayitems.Studentswouldbeusingtheirmobilephonesandstopwatchestorecordtheentiremotionpractical,andtransferringittotheircomputerstoanalysetheinformation.

Thisseriesofexperimentswouldalsoincludestudents’experiences,whichtheycanusetoconstructtheirknowledgeandunderstandingfortheconceptsinMotion.

B4 Demonstrating Electricity and Magnetism in Rural Schools(M) Repeated in E3Paul Millard and Jo Holdsworth, Science Discovery ProjectScienceDiscoveryProjectisaruraltouringprogramwhichpresentstostudentsfromP-7inschoolsacrossAustralia.WehavebeenoperatingsinceIretiredasaPhysicsteacherin2013.OurdemonstrationgivesstudentstheopportunitytoseeandparticipateinlotsofinterestinganddynamicdemonstrationsintheconceptsofCircuitElectricity,Magnetism,ElectricityGenerationandStaticElectricity.GreatfortheideasIhaveaccumulatedover30yearsofteachingPhysics.

B5 Language modelling in developing a conceptual understanding in Physics(G)Dr Murray Anderson, Camberwell Grammar SchoolInthisworkshopadiscussionabouttheuseoflanguageandtheroleithastoplayinthedevelopmentofaconceptualunderstandinginPhysicswillbegiven.ThesessionwillbereflectiveinnatureanddetailapersonaljourneyintheartandscienceofteachingPhysics.

B6 Theuseofscientificpostersincommunicating science(V) Repeat of A11 and repeated in D10Maria James, Science Manager, VCAA

B7 Sound In Practice(12) Repeat of A12Adrian Alexander, Soundhouse Music Alliance

B8 Motivational Tools for Modeling Instruction in the Physics Classroom(C) Repeated in D11Phil Jones, The Logical Interface (Computer lab, so BYOD optional)Sophisticatedtechnologyisnowwithinthereachofeveryscienceeducator.Suchtechnologiesmotivatestudentsandprovidetheperfectplatformformodelinginstructiontechniques.Inthisworkshopwewillexamine:1.Physicsmodelingwithi)VideoAnalysisofMotion-Thistechnologyisanexcellentapplicationofthecomputertodataacquisitionandanalysis,ii)Krucible-revolutionarysoftwareforcreatingsimulationsanddemonstratingexperimentsthatareimpracticalinthesecondaryscience

lab,iii)InteractivePhysics,asuperbtoolforcreatingsimulationsinphysicsfromKepler’sLawsthroughtoElectromagneticsimulations,isalsoidealforpredictionsandtoperformwhatifanalysis.2.ComputerBasedScienceEquipmentwithi)Krucible’sRippleTank,ii)TLIWaveLabPCBasedSignalGeneratorandOscilloscope.iii)DataLoggingTechnologywhichhasdramaticallyexpandedtherangeofexperimentsavailabletophysicseducators.

B9 The Virtual Physics Course - VCEPhysics.com(V) (BYOD ) Repeated in E7Justin Vincent, Warrnambool CollegeThissessionwillprovideanexplanationanddiscussionofanumberofonlineresourcesforPhysicsclasses;inparticularVCEPhysics.com.Participantsareencouragedtoregistertheirstudentstothisfreeresource.PleasebringalistofyourstudentsinanExcelfile-firstname,surname,email.Thiswillbeusedtocreateaccountsonthesite.

B10 Under the hood of FAR Labs: How remote laboratory access work(V)Callum Anderson & Andrew McDonald, La Trobe UniversityTheFARLabsprojectenablesstudentsandteacherstoaccessresearchandteachingequipmentfromanywhereinAustraliaviaarobustwebinterfacewithminimalbandwidthrequirements.Howisthisdone?Thispresentationincludesadescriptionoftheworkingsofthewebsite,thevirtualmachinesandhowtheexperimentswereenabledforremoteaccess.ThesessionwillincludearemoteaccesssessiontotheOpticalDiagnosticBeamlineattheAustralianSynchrotron.

B11 SACs, Pracs and Resources for Units 1 and 2 Detailed Studies(V) Repeated in E16Paul Fielding, Billanook College, Paul Fitz-Gerald, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar SchoolInthisworkshopwewillpresentSACs,practicalexperimentsandgeneralresourcesapplicabletotheDetailedStudiesfromUnits1and2.

B12 Women and Physics: Increasing the number of girls doing Physics(G)Giselle Lobo, Camberwell Girls’ Grammar SchoolThissessionisaimedatPhysicsteachersmainlyteachinginanall-girlsorco-edschools.Physicsisoftenanunpopularsubjectchoiceamongmostfemalestudents.Thissessionwillreviewthe

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reasonsforlowenrolmentlevelsinPhysicsamonggirls,andwilllookatstrategiesthatcanbeadoptedbyPhysicsteachersandsciencefacultiestoengagegirlsandmakephysicsfunandmoreaccessibleacrossalllevels,withaviewtowardsboostingVCEPhysicsenrolmentsinthefuture.

B13 Demonstrations in the Modern Age(C) (BYOD)Doug Bail, Ciderhouse ICTTickertimers,galvanometers,CRO\’s.Inpastyearsthesewerethetoolsthatletusdemonstratetoourstudents.Inthe21stcenturywehaveaccesstonewtoolsthatcanmorereadilyhighlightkeyideas,engagestudentsandclearupmisconceptions.Thissessionwilldemonstratearangeoftoolsthatcanassisttheclassroomteacherinliftingtheirclassroomintothemodern,digitalage.Nopreviousexperiencenecessary.

B14 Flipping Physics!(11)Michael Rosenbrock, Wodonga Senior Secondary CollegeThenotionofflippedlearningisverypopularatthemoment,butaveryrealbarriertoitsimplementationisteachersworkingouthowtomakeitworkforthem.Thissessionwillexplorethepresenter’sexperienceoftryingtoanswerthatquestionbyimplementingflippedlearninginaYear11PhysicsclassatWodongaSeniorSecondaryCollege.Examplesofthedifferentformsthatflippedlearningcantakewillbeoutlined.Thesessionwillthenexplorearangeofteachingstrategies,softwaretoolsandonlineresourcesthatcanbeusedtoassistteacherstoeasilyintegrateaspectsofflippedlearningintotheirteaching.ThesoftwarefeaturedisfreeorverylowcostandincludesoptionsforMac/PC/iPad.

B15 VCE Systems Engineering: Physics at Play(V) Repeated in D12Colin Chapman, Caroline Chisholm Catholic CollegePhysicsteachersmaybeinterestedinaddingthe‘SystemsEngineering’stringtotheirbow.Thestudydesign‘SystemsEngineering’hasmuchphysicscontentdrawnfromcomputerscience,machines,electricityandelectronics.ThestudydesignoffersteachersandlearnersanopenlearningenvironmentthatallowsparticipantstopursueanindividualprojectthatbothdrawuponandaugmenttheirstudiesinPhysics.Theworkshopwilloutlinethecourseandassessmenttasks,emphasisingthesimilaritiesand

differenceswithVCEPhysics.ThespeakerisveryexperiencedwiththesubjectandhasspokenatSTEMconferences,bothlocallyandinternationally.

B16 Electric Power SAC at Earth Ed(12)Grant Henderson, Earth Ed EarthEdisaDEECDfundedspecialistsciencecentrelocatedatMountClearCollegeinBallarat,providingprogramstoengageandinspirestudentsinthekeythemesofEarthScienceandEnergy.ProgramsareprovidedwithoutcostforVictorianGovernmentSchools.EarthEd\’sElectricPowerprogramisdesignedtoprovidestudentswithahands-onapproachtounderstandingVCEPhysicsUnit4conceptsincludingmagnetism,electromagneticinduction,generationofemf,transformeraction,transmissionlossandDCandACmotors.StudentsperformarangeofexperimentsandcollectdatatocompletetheirElectricPowerSAC.

B17 2016 Study Design: Units 1 and 2: Planning a course and units(11)Neil Champion, Buckley Park CollegeThe“backwardsbydesign”approachtocurriculumplanningwillbeusedinthisWorkshoptounpackanddevelopUnits1and2inthe2016VCEPhysicsStudyDesign.

B18 Did Albert Einstein discover the special theory of relativity?(12)Shane McLean, St Margaret’s SchoolWelearnaboutthespecialtheoryofrelativityasbeingdevelopedandpronouncedbyAlbertEinsteininhismiraculousyearof1905.AspartoftheseintroductorycoursesaboutspecialrelativitywelearntheLorentztransformations.YetthereisgenerallynodiscussionorconsiderationastowhythesetransformationsshouldbereferredtoasLorentztransformationsasopposedtoEinsteintransformations.SomemayevenrecallvaguelyinlecturesdescriptionsofFitzgeraldcontractionbeingassociatedwithspecialrelativity.YetthereisrarelyamentionofPoincaréindiscussionsofspecialrelativity,indeedwhyshouldtherebe?Thispresentationwilldiscusstherichandcomplexdevelopmentofthespecialtheoryofrelativityleadingupto1905andlooktoanswerthequestion,didAlbertEinsteindiscoverthespecialtheoryofrelativity?

B19 Teaching Modern Physics using resources from Perimeter Institute(12)Nathan Hanns, Wanganui Park Secondary CollegeNathanwastherecipientofthe2014AIPTravellingScholarship.HeattendedtheEinsteinPlusworkshopatthePerimeterInstituteinToronto.TheInstitutehasastrongoutreachprogram.Theyhavemanyresourcesavailabletohelpintheteachingofmanymodernphysicsareas,suchasSpecialRelativity,Cosmology,DarkMatter,StandardModelandQuantumnature.Hewillsharesomeoftheresources,aswellapracticalactivityonmeasuringPlanck’sConstant,forwhichakitwasprovided.

B20 Teaching Plans for Unit 2 in 2016(11) Repeated in E11Three members of the AIP Education CommitteeEachpersonwouldtalkabouthowtheywouldplantheUnit,includingtopicsequence,practicalactivities,assessmenttasks,etc.

B21 Physics at Quantum Victoria(C)Joel Willis & David Smith, Quantum VictoriaQuantumVictoriaisaninnovativecentrebringingscienceandmathematicseducationtolifeforstudents,teachersandthewidercommunity.ParticipantsattendingthissessionreceiveanoverviewofQuantumVictoria’sVCEphysicsprograms,whichincludethePhysicsofAngryBird,TransmissionofPower,VoltageAmplifiers,PhotonicsinCommunicationsSystemsandthePhysicsOnlineDigitalResource.AllQuantumVictoriaVCEphysicsprogramshaveanassociatedSAC,whichislinkedtotheVCEPhysicsstudydesign.

B22 Bohr Model of the Atom(12)Theo Hughes, Monash UniversityThisworkshopwillinvestigatethesemi-classicaltheoreticalmodeloftheatomwhichBohrfirstproposed,thevisibleemissionlinesforHydrogenthatarepredictedbythismodel,andusespectroscopytoseewhatonecanobserveinreality.ThiswillprovidesometheoreticalandpracticalbackgroundforteachersrelatedtothequantumaspectsoftheatomthatstudentsstudyatVCE-eithersomenewknowledgeand/orarefresher.”

STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers’ Conference 2015

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Registration, afternoon tea and tea/coffee 3:30pm

B23 Using X-rays to see into the nanoworld(G)Jonathan De Booy, The Australian SynchrotronPowerfulnewx-raytechniquesofferauniquewindowintothenanoscaleworld,enablingresearcherstoinvestigatestructuressosmallthatthousandsofthemcouldfitacrossasinglehumanhair.Understandinghowmaterialsbehaveatthenanolevelisrapidlyadvancingourabilitytodeterminehowmolecularandatomicstructuresaffectthebehaviourofthesematerialsinrealworldenvironments.ThissessiondiscusseshowresearchersareusingtheAustralianSynchrotrontoinvestigatematerialsatthenanolevelinfieldssuchasmedicine,mining,materialsscience,agricultureandenvironmentalscience,andtoassistthepreservationofourculturalheritageandthephysicsbehindthetechniques.

B24 AstroTour at Swinburne’s 3D theatre(C)Assoc. Prof. Christopher Fluke, Swinburne UniversityAbstract:Foroveradecade,SwinburneUniversity’sCentreforAstrophysics&Supercomputinghasoperatedthe3DAstroToureducationprogram.Here,aprofessionalastronomerorresearchstudent,leadstheaudienceonajourneyintotheUniverse.AstroToursessionsarehighlycustomisable,featuringacombinationofshort3Dmovies(e.g.“OurSun:WhataStar!”and“Telescope”)andinteractivedemonstrations(e.g.supercomputersimulationsofgalaxyformation).TheCentre’sworkwasrecentlytakentotheworld-stagethroughthesuccessfulIMAXdocumentary“HiddenUniverse3D”.IwilldiscusshowbothAstroTourand“HiddenUniverse”cansupporttheVCEPhysicsAstronomyandAstrophysicsdetailedstudies.

Session C 2:30pm – 3:30pm Workshops C1 to C4 are from the Physics in General Science Conference are designed for middle school science teachers without a physics background. The C5 workshop below, ‘VCE Physics Karaoke, is designed for physics teachers.

C1 Model Rocketry in the science classroom(M) Repeated in E2Peter Razos, Trinity Grammar SchoolModelrocketryisanexcitingwaytopresentthescienceofflightandspacetravel.Participantswillbeencouragedtobuildandlaunchtheirownmodelrocket.Wewilldiscussthemessuchasforcesandenergytransformationandseefirsthandtheengagingnatureoftheresource.Onlineworksheetsandcurriculummaterialwillalsobepresentedandcanbeviewedatwww.dynamicscience.com.au/testerenterasastudentwiththedetailsbeloworganisationid=dynsci,password=robots.

C2 How to Photograph the Moon and Stars with your DSLR(M) Repeat of A5Phil Hart

C3 Introduction to electricity and electric circuits(M)Michael Foster, Thornbury High School & Graham Foster, Retired BasictheoryofelectricityandelectriccircuitsforteacherswithlittleornobackgroundinbasicelectricityorPhysics.Theworkshopwillbedividedinto3areas:1.Basictheoryofelectricity,2.Electriccircuits,3.Measuringinstruments.TeacherslearnBasicpropertiesofatoms:Electriccharge,Electricalcurrent,Electricalresistance.Energy:Forceoncharges,Electricalpotentialenergy,Comparisonofelectricalpotentialenergytootherformse.g.gravitationalpotentialenergyetc,Voltage.Circuits:Series&Parallel,Currentandpotentialdifferenceinseriesandparallelcircuits,Power.Measuringinstruments:Useofamultimetertomeasurecurrent,voltageandresistanceforseriesandparallelcircuits.

C4 Engineering student learning(M)Robyne Bowering, Step Up Education Engineeringthemesandactivitiesprovideengaginghands-on,minds-onlearningforstudents.Engineeringprovidesstudentswithauthenticreasonstowant

tounderstandmanyscience,mathsanddesignandtechnologiesconcepts,aswellasdevelopingeffectivestudentteamwork,problem-solving,communicationandreflectionskills.Thisisahands-onsessionusingcheap,everydaymaterialstoinspireteacherstoincludeengineeringintheirclassrooms.

C5 Physics Karaoke(V)Several physics teachersInthreelinkedrooms,eachteacherwillbespeakingforabout15minutesaboutsomeaspectofphysicsteaching.Thefinallistandgroupingofspeakerswillbereleasedpriortotheconference.Participantswillbefreetomovefromroomtoroomduringtheworkshop.

Friday 20 February 2015

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onfindingsfromtheresearchintotheteachingofforcesinthenewAustralianScienceCurriculum.Itwillalsodiscusskeyissuestudentshaveinunderstandingtheforcesandthemannerinwhichthisinquiryapproachresolvesthem.

D6 Barbie Bungee Jumping(M)Dr Moses Khor and Jonathan Davies, Camberwell Grammar School Barbieisanadventurousgirlandintoextremeadventuresports.YouoperatetheRDAC(ReallyDangerousAdventureCompany)andneedtofindthelengthofthebungeecordthatBarbieneedstomakeasuccessfulandthrillingjump.ThisinvolvesBarbiegettingcloseto,butnothittingtheground.Toolong...anddisasterawaits.Thisworkshopwillconsiderwaystousethisactivityforstudentstodevelopgraphing,analysisandreportingskills.Ohh...andwehavesomeKenstoo.

D7 Chief Assessor’s Report on 2014 Units 3 & 4 Exam(12) Repeated in E6Bruce Walsh, Xavier CollegeThechiefassessorwillpresentareportonthe2014examination.Thereportwillincludestatisticsfromtheexaminationandinformationonwherestudentsperformedpoorly.Whilegeneralquestionsabouttheexamwillbeanswered,specificqueriesaboutquestionsshouldbedirectedtoVCAA.

D8 Video Analysis(V)Doug Bail, Ciderhouse ICTVideoanalysisisafarfromnewbutgenerallyunderutilisedtoolforinvestigatingparticularlymotion.Thissessionwillprovidehints,tips,tricksandtoolsforengagingstudentswithrealmotionstudies.BringyourownMacorWindowscomputertodevelopyourownstudentstartingpointsorcollecttheDVDatsessionendtocarryonbackatschool.

D9 Australian Synchrotron: The Physics of the Machine(12)Jonathan De Booy, The Aust SynchrotronTheAustralianSynchrotronisalandmarknationalresearchfacilityenablingthestudyofmaterialsandbiologicalprocessesattheatomicandnanoscale.Thesynchrotronisacircularmachine,aboutthesizeofanAFLground,whichproducesalightsourcetensofthousands

Session D 4:00pm – 5:00pm Workshops D1 to D5 will also form part of the Physics in General Science (PIGS) Conference for Years 7 - 10 teachers seeking to improve their physics skills.

D1 Physics Practical Activities for Year 10 Science(M) Repeated or continued in E1Dan O’Keeffe AIP, Helen Lye ACER and Svetlana Marchouba Camberwell Grammar SchoolAhands-on,selfpacedsessioninwhichparticipantsworkthroughaseriesofactivitiesonelectronicsandDCmotors.Therearesufficientactivitiestodooverthetwoadjacentsessions,D1andE1.Participantscanattendeitherorbothsessions.

D2 The Science of Magic(M) Repeat of B2Peter Razos, Trinity Grammar School

D3 Easy and Engaging Light Pracs(C) Repeat of A9Spiro Liacos, Cheltenham Secondary College and Liacos Educational Media

D4 The Big Universe(C)Neil Champion, Buckley Park CollegeThisisachancetounpackthedesign,structureandrichesofUnit5,TheBigUniverse,inNelsoniScience10.Startingwiththedesignfeatures,basedon“backwardsbydesign”principles,theunitwillbeexploredwithrespecttostudentpracticalwork(SIS),studentknowledgebuilding:BBT,astrometry(SU,SHE),andcomparisonsaboutdifferentculturalunderstandingsoforigins(SHE). 

D5 Introducing Forces with Inquiry(M)Associate Professor Peter Hubber, Deakin UniversityRecentAustralianResearchCouncil(ARC)fundedclassroombasedprojectsexploringtheroleofrepresentationinteachingandlearningsciencehaveproduceda‘guidedinquiry’approach,calledRepresentationConstruction,whichhasprovedsuccessfulintermsofimprovedlearningoutcomesforstudents. Thissessionwilloutlinethemainfeaturesofthisapproachthathasanemphasisonstudentconstructionandnegotiationofrepresentationdrawing

STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers’ Conference 2015

oftimesbrighterthanconventionalsources.Itaccelerateselectronstoclosetothespeedoflight,underultra-highvacuumconditions,anddirectstheirpathwithpowerfulelectromagnetstoproducetheintensebeamsoflight.Synchrotrontechniquesareusedworldwideinmanyimportantareasincludingnewmaterials,agriculture,biomedics,environmentalhealth,foodtechnology,oilandgas,miningandnanotechnology.Thissessiondetailsthephysicsbehindtheaccelerators,theproductionofx-raysandhowthistiestotheseniorphysicscurriculum.

D10 Theuseofscientificpostersincommunicating science(V) Repeat of A11 and B6Maria James, Science Manager, VCAA

D11 Motivational Tools for Modeling Instruction in the Physics Classroom(C) Repeat of B8Phil Jones, The Logical Interface (Computer lab, so BYOD optional)

D12 VCE Systems Engineering: Physics at Play(V) Repeat of B15Colin Chapman, Caroline Chisholm Catholic College

D13 What is FAR Labs and how do I get involved? Remote access and a virtual tour of the experiments(V)Guido Cadenazzi & David Hoxley, La Trobe UniversityThedevelopmentofhigh-speedinternetaccessinAustralia,inparticulartherolloutoftheNationalBroadbandNetwork(NBN)hascreatedarangeofopportunitiesthathaveneverbeenpossiblebefore.Centraltotheseopportunities,isthecapacitytobuildonlinetoolsthatenhancescienceeducationamonghighschools.TheFreelyAccessibleRemoteLaboratories(FARLabs)projectrepresentsnext-generationteachingmethodsbyprovidingonlineaccesstomodernresearchequipmentwithinaguided,professionallysupportedenvironment.Developedindirectconsultationwithhighschoolteachers,FARLabsisaflexible,onlineenvironmentforstudents,teachersandparentstointeractwithcutting-edgeresearchequipment.

Late Afternoon Sessions

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Friday Program ends 6:00pm

D14 Using Google Earth in the Physics Classroom(V) Repeat of A2Catherine Bellair, St Bernard’s College

D15 Teaching Plans for Unit 1 in 2016(11) Repeat of A22Three members of the AIP Education Committee

D16 Find Higgs Boson candidate events using HYPATIA in the classroom(12) Repeat of A7Frank de La Rambelya, South Oakleigh Secondary College

D17 PhysCasts(G)Dr Brenton Hall, Swinburne UniversityWeuseanonymousremotepolling(usingclickertechnology)toexploringphysicsconceptsinlecturetheatres.Whileclickerbasedquestionscanfurtherinclassengagementwithphysics,andprovidevaluableimmediatefeedbacktobothstudentandlecturer,theyabsorbsignificantclasstime.Unfortunatelyclasstimeisazerosumgamerequiringthereductionofworkedphysicsproblemstypicallyshown.PhysCasting,isapeerreviewedrecordingofworkedphysicsproblemswithaudioannotation,aventureinitiatedatSwinburnein2014.PhysCastsareproducedunderacreativecommonlicenceandarepublicallyaccessibleusingiTunesUorYouTube.

Session E 5:00pm – 6:00pm Workshops E1 to E5 will also form part of the Physics in General Science (PIGS) Conference for Years 7 - 10 teachers seeking to improve their physics skills.

E1 Physics Practical Activities for Year 10 Science(M) Repeat or Continuation of D1Dan O’Keeffe, AIP & Helen Lye, ACERAhands-on,selfpacedsessioninwhichparticipantsworkthroughaseriesofactivitiesonelectronicsandDCmotors.Therearesufficientactivitiestodooverthetwoadjacentsessions,D1andE1.Participantscanattendeitherorbothsessions.

E2 Model Rocketry in the science classroom(M) Repeat of C1Peter Razos, Trinity Grammar School

E3 Demonstrating Electricity and Magnetism in Rural Schools(M) Repeat of B4Paul Millard and Jo Holdsworth, Science Discovery Project

E4 Year 10 & 11 Motion Experiments(M) Repeat of B3Frances Sidari, Lakeview Senior College and Terry Tan, John Monash Science School

E5 Toys, pracs, challenges(M)Dianne Wilkinson, Box Hill High SchoolThissessionisanideasfactory.ItisaimedatteachersofphysicsfromYears10to12physicsbutmanyofideascouldbeadaptedforjuniorlevels.Byusingeverydayequipmentandtoystomodelconcepts,eventhedifficultideascanbemademoreunderstandabletothebottomendofthemarket.Connectingclassroomtheorytoeverydayexperienceshelpstomaketheconceptsunderstoodandprovidesmemoryhooksforlaterreference.Waysofdevelopingworksheetswhicharerelevant,interesting,quickandeasywillbeshown.Inaddition,withthereturnofthepostertoseniorphysics,ideastothinkaboutandmethodsofapproachingthetaskwillbecovered.B1isaYears6-10versionofthisworkshop.

E6 Chief Assessor’s Report on 2014 Units 3 & 4 Exam(12) Repeat of D7Bruce Walsh, Xavier College

E7 The Virtual Physics Course - VCEPhysics.com(V) Repeat of B9Justin Vincent, Warrnambool College

E8 Remote access to the synchrotron:ascientificAgora(12)David Hoxley & Guido Cadenazzi , La Trobe UniversityInthishands-onsession,teacherswillremoteaccesstheAustralianSynchrotronvisible-lightbeamlineandseehowitcanbeeasilyintegratedintotheirteachingatbothseniorandjuniorlevels.TheSynchrotronisasmuchaboutcollaborationbetweenscientificdisciplinesandtheclashandsynthesisofideasasitisaboutstainlesssteelandnear-light-speedparticleacceleration.Studentscangetafeelforthewayscientistsworkinteamsto

Friday 20 February 2015

solveproblemsthatarebothchallengingandimportanttosociety.

E9 2016 Study Design: Units 3 and 4: Planning a course and units(12)Neil Champion, Buckley Park CollegeThe“backwardsbydesign”approachtocurriculumplanningwillbeusedinthisWorkshoptounpackanddevelopUnits3and4inthe2016VCEPhysicsStudyDesign.ParticularattentionwillbefocusedontheStudent-DesignedPracticalInvestigation.

E10 Improve student learning using formative assessment in the digital environment(C) Repeat of A16Catriona McKenzie, Doug Bail, Cara Perry, Pearson Australia,

E11 Teaching Plans for Unit 2 in 2016(11) Repeat of B20Three members of the AIP Education Committee

E12 Using High Speed Cameras and Tracker to study motion(G) Repeat of B18David Vaughan, Woodleigh School

E13 Tricks and Tips for Inexperienced Physics Teachers(B) Repeat of A1Colin Hopkins, Bialik College

E14 Algorithms in solving physics problems(V) Repeat of A20Yuriy Verkhatsky, Carwatha College

E15 Paul Hewitt? Who is he and what is his connection with Conceptual Physics?(G) Repeat of A10Gary Cohen, AIP Education Committee

E16 SACs Pracs and Resources for Units 1 and 2 Detailed Studies(V) Repeat of B11Paul Fielding, Billanook College, Paul Fitz-Gerald, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School

Late Afternoon Sessions

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Saturday Excursion Taster and Medical Physics In-Service

Session F 9:00am

F1 Australian Synchrotron (1 hour) ClaytonTheAustralianSynchrotron(http://www.synchrotron.org.au/)Participantswillhaveaguidedtourofthefacilityaswellasanopportunitytoseetherangeofpracticalactivitiesthatareavailableforsecondarystudentstodoaspartofanexcursion.Location:BlackburnRd,Clayton.

Session G 11:00am

G1 Medical Physics In-Service at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (2 hours) East MelbourneTheprogramwillfeatureaone-hourtalkon:thephysicsaspectsoftheeffectofradiationonthehumanbodyandofthemedicaltechnologyatPeterMac,howthetechnologyisusedindiagnosisandtreatment,aswellasinformationonthetrainingandcareerpathsassociatedwithmedicalphysics.ThesecondhourwillbeanextensivetourofthefacilitiesatPeterMac.

G2 Quantum Victoria (60 min) MacleodQuantumVictoria(http://www.quantumvictoria.vic.edu.au/student-programs/)ThetourwillshowcasethefacilitiesofoneofVictoria’snewestSpecialistScienceandMathsCentreswhichspecialisesinthedeliveryofprogramsacrosstheSTEMdisciplines.DelegateswillreceiveanoverviewofthestudentandteacherprogramsthatsupporttheteachingandlearningofthePhysicalSciencesandMathematics acrossP-12.Ourblendofonsite,onlineandoutreachprograms incorporatecutting-edgetechnologywithanemphasison3DPrintingandModelling,games-basedlearning,virtualandaugmentedrealityexperiences,roboticsandmechatronics.

Session H 1:30am

H1 Victorian Space Science Education Centre (90 min) StrathmoreVictorianSpaceScienceEducationCentre(http://www.vssec.vic.edu.au/)ThetourexplainsthevariousstudentprogramsthatVSSECoffers.Theirprogramsprovideasensoryrich,hands-on,scenario-basedscienceexperienceforstudentsfromprimarytoseniorsecondary.TherearealsoprogramsonAstronomy(co-ordinatesystems,solarsystemandtelescopes)andAstrophysics(modelsofthenatureandoriginoftheUniverse,andthelifecycleofstars)

STAV/AIP VCE Physics Teachers’ Conference 2015


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