Information for VCE Physics Teachers
Through demonstrated excellence in research and education Swinburne University strives to inspire the next generation of Australian scientists and engineers. To further advance these aims we are in the process of developing several outreach activities that are strongly aligned with VCE units to assist teachers in either motivating the material (unit beginning) or as a consolidation exercise (unit end). Such activities include:
Alignment: VCE Physics Wave-like properties of light, Interactions of light and matter
In this 1hr hands-on laboratory, students will each use a simple cardboard box spectrometer to explore a variety of different light sources. Some of these sources students will be familiar with; incandescent lights, fluorescent lamps and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Many are more exotic; numerous atomic vapor lamps, plasma sources and the inside of lasing cavities. The workshop is designed to stimulate discussion on what light can tell us about the world we live in.
Alignment: Year 9 and 10 Science students
In this 1hr lecture style demonstration we interactivly take students through the VCE currciculum with live demonstrations of physics concepts and missconceptions. From a room full of students radioactively decaying, to high voltage high jinx with a Vander Graff generator, Newton's laws are put to the test, and myths are busted. Students are bewildered by confusing colours, befuddled by Bernoulli, incandescent lamps are transformed into plasma balls, photonic fibres are optically switched by honey and much much more.
Alignment: Year 8 - 12 students
Using innovative Virtual Reality technologies developed by the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, AstroTours are designed to educate and entertain audiences about astronomy. The movies, animations and simulations used to explore the Universe are all produced by SpaceWorks: our team of astronomers, visualisation researchers, animators, artists and programmers. Each AstroTour is hosted by a professional astronomer who adapts the content to the requirements and learning outcomes of the audience. AstroTours are recommended for audiences aged 7 years or over, and are available for primary and secondary school groups as well as the general public.
Alignment: Year 8 - 12 students
Scientists in Schools, which includes the sub-program Mathematicians in Schools, is a national program that creates and supports long-term partnerships between teachers and scientists or mathematicians. Partnerships are flexible to allow for a style and level of involvement that suits each participant. The Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing participates in the CSIRO's Scientists in School program. If you are a school teacher who is interested in linking your class with an astronomer, please contact Dr Chris Fluke: cfluke@swin.edu.au.
Alignment: All ages
The Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing holds regular public lectures to highlight the most recent advances in astronomy and astrophysics. Past lectures have included topics such as how old is the universe, how are stars born, dynamics of the solar system, are the laws of nature truely constant, strange new worlds-the diversity of planets and the 2011 Nobel Prize for Astronomy - an accelerating universe.
Further Information
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Dr Brenton Hall
Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences
T +61 3 9214 4310
brhall@swin.edu.au