PHYSICS IN THE CLASSROOMThomas W Pearson

Aims of the Project

• Create three lesson packs for a chosen physics topic

• Research ways to make challenging topics easier

• Help aid the shortage in effective learning resources for secondary physics education

• Plan and execute a successful workshop on radioactivity (more on this later)

Introduction

Figure 1: IOP Graph

Physics Teaching IOP Statistics• Enrichment programs such as “Lab In a Lorry” as well as

government funding for PGCEs (£25,000)

• 500 state schools in England lack any science teachers with a physics qualification

• 200% increase in A-level physics uptake in the last few years for ‘Stimulating Physics Network’ schools

Extra learning resources (like this one) will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE

Learning Styles I focused on the 7 learning styles discussed in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (1993)

• Linguistic • Mathematical• Musical ♬ ♪• Kinaesthetic• Visual• Interpersonal• Intrapersonal

Gardner’s Test• Reply to statements such as “To learn something new I just need to get on and try it”

• Responses determine where in the spectrum the learner lies

• Important to remember that a student can be a mixture of learner Figure 2: Howard Gardner

Planning the lesson packs• Aim to use all the learning styles discussed

• Deciding on the age to teach • Studying the GCSE syllabuses for AQA, WJEC and

IGCSE• Deciding on the topic • Lesson strategies

PODCASTS As an extra learning resource, three podcasts were made on Xpress Radio Cardiff

Year 10

RADIOACTIVITY

Lesson Plan Research• On 19th November the group visited St. David’s College

with some rough plans to gain feedback

• We also gave students a questionnaire to determine which topics they struggled with most. RADIOACTIVITY

• Teachers also expressed an interest in radioactivity

resources

• Schools often do not have the equipment for vital radioactivity experiments…

Workshop Introduction• Many schools in the local area do not have the

resources to teach radioactivity effectively, so any plans would be hard to test out in schools

• Do not have sources of alpha beta and gamma readily available

• Chance to see what a university lab is like

• Inspiring students to do A levels and study physics at university

Figure 3: Cardiff University Physics lab

Development of the Workshop• Originally a small number of A-level students from

Treorchy School were due to visit the university

• Only Year 10 could attend

• Increase to 36 students

• 3 workstations in a carousel

• A starting demo to break the ice, and a final demo

• Linking it to the GCSE syllabus

Structure of the Day• Group icebreaker on half-life (25mins)• Pupils then split into 3 groups (20mins per work station)

• Final group demo (15mins)

Group A Group B Group C

Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3

Workstation 2 Workstation 3 Workstation 1

Workstation 3 Workstation 1 Workstation 2

The Half-Life Game• Pupils start with a red party hat and a coin• (Red hat symbolises a Uranium atom)

• For every half-life: Flip coin Change red hat

for blue, and sit down

Heads:

Tails: Remain standing

“Decayed” to Plutonium

Flip coin

The change in hat represents decay!

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 8000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Half Life Game - "No. Of Pupils vs. Time/s"

No. Of Pupils

Time/s

Num

ber o

f Pup

is

Figure 4

• Examples of questions I devised:

What is happening to the number of students standing? Can you predict who is going to sit down next?

• Questions related to the syllabus

• Great for visual, interpersonal and kinaesthetic learners

• This demo is often used with M&M sweets, if they land heads up you eat the sweet

• The “nucleus” then vanishes as the sweet has been eaten. My research shows there may be some confusion. Better to change appearance.

• Smaller number of students? More coins per person.

Workstation 1 – Decay Types and Background Radiation

• Starts with the difference in alpha, beta and gamma

• Introduce the concept of background radiation

• Measure background using a GM tube

• Introduce UO2 lollipop Figure 5: Paper covering source

• Students will measure the count rate of Uranium Oxide over a 2 minute period

• Paper will be added to show how the count rate drops (alpha absorbed)

• Aluminium foil added so count drops lower (beta absorbed)

This workstation will appeal the more kinaesthetic learners. The students will then move to the station 2….

Figure 6: Radioactive lollipop

Workstation 2: Nuclear Fission Using Balloons

• Students in pairs will twist an oblong balloon which represents a heavy nucleus

• The twisting of the balloons will create two and when the twisted section is cut, both will fly off

• The energy released as the balloons fly off symbolises the energy process in nuclear fission

• The importance of safe nuclear waste disposal will also be mentioned

Workstation 3: Research Centre• For the first 10 minutes pupils in pairs will research

answers to questions of a broader scale in radioactivity, such as:

What is a radioactive tracer? Name 3 disadvantages of nuclear power

• The pairs will then present their finding to the rest of the group improving there interpersonal and communication skills

After visiting the three stations, the final demo will start…

Making a Cloud Chamber From Party Supplies• Students will soak a piece

of felt in alcohol, secure it to a plastic cup and invert

• The cup will placed on a metal pan, with dry ice underneath it

• Wispy clouds start to form in the cup, and the teacher will explain why

Figure 7: Cloud chamber

Excluded Workstations• Model nuclear power plant (steam powered) - an idea from the beginning, but hard to make one big / robust enough in the time constraint

• Linking the podcasts into a workstation – hard to engage the pupils in a workshop scenario

• A radioactivity board game “Boron not Boring”

Issues with the Workshop• Multiple risk assessments – especially for Workstation 1

• Organising a day that worked for Treorchy School, whilst correlating with the available lab times

• Equipment – eg. dry ice to be ordered

• Making sure there wasn’t too little, or too much content for a 20 minute workstation

Feedback For The Workshop

• Unfortunately Treorchy School had to cancel their trip due to other commitments close to the date

• With all the planning and risk assessments behind it, there

is definitely potential for the workshop to run next year.

• Feedback for teacher and students packs for the workshop - Head of Physics at Exeter School gave me his opinions as if he had taken a hypothetical class

• Which work station delivered the most useful content?

• Which workshop didn’t work so well?

• What activities have you not encountered before?

• Would you bring your year group here again, and would you recommend it to other schools?

“Penetration workshop – good examples of absorbers and a chance for pupils to see real life radioactivity”

“Balloons to model fission – had the key idea of splitting atom and energy release in an accessible way”

“Research activity – rather open ended, provide some suggested sites in future”

“Yes, very much so”

Summary• Create three lesson packs for a chosen physics topic

• Research ways to make challenging topics easier

• Help aid the shortage in effective learning resources for secondary physics education

• Plan and execute a successful workshop on radioactivity

Thank you very much for listening!

Are there any questions?