MEIST presents Stage 2 Physics students with a unique opportunity to develop their practical skills by participating in Physics workshops which are designed to enhance the learning taking place in their classroom. Physics by its very nature is a practical subject. Students that have sound practical skills and knowledge will always do well throughout the year. This is because they understand the connections between the variables and are able to apply to what they are learning in the classroom. Most of the Investigations Portfolio requirements are practical in nature and the analysis of an experiment is always tested in the final examination.

 

In 2015 MEIST will be conducting unique specialized Physics classes that are solely focused on the practical nature of the subject. These sessions are designed to improve the skills that students possess when conducting an experiment and to assist them in making connections between what they are learning at school to the activities undertaken. The Physics Lab Master Class sessions are designed to work together with what the students are learning at school in their final year of Physics [Stage 2]. The classes are also designed to skill students with the necessary skills to perform practical work in other Science related subjects as well as any future Tertiary studies.

 

The areas that are focused on are:

1. Setting up and designing spreadsheets to collect live data.
2. Collection of data by conducting experiments during the sessions.
3. Live data collection and observation.
4. Analysis and evaluation of data collected.
5. Use of the data collected to determine an unknown constant variable

 

Why choose to do the Master Class?

Many of the experiments and practical activities conducted are quite unique and do not necessarily examine syllabus content only. The classes do however provide the opportunity for students to further improve their practical skills and levels of understanding.

What do students need to bring?

Students will need to bring a laptop to every session, as they will be shown how to collect and evaluate data collected using electronic data logging devices, which in turn, are a requirement within the Performance Standards in some assessment tasks during the school year.

 

The sessions are practical in nature as students will be conducting experiments in the laboratory under the guidance of experienced staff who have achieved excellent results in South Australian schools for over 28 years.

 

The staff who are conducting these sessions use current teaching methodologies which incorporate the use of classic Physics laboratory apparatus together with PASCO technologies data collection equipment. PASCO is used as 60% of Universities globally use it as the preferred learning tool.

What will students receive?

Students will:

• be given access to PASCO software to download onto their laptops for use in the sessions.
• receive resource materials that are designed to reinforce what they have learnt.
• have access to their mentor throughout the school year for assistance with their practical tasks from school. This offer is only for students who undertake a minimum of 8 sessions.

The 10 sessions are split within three school terms and are aligned so that they match up approximately to run concurrently with what the students are learning at school.

 

What topics are covered in each session?

The sessions are:

Term 2

Saturday 2nd May:

• Practical skills, collection of data and use of excel [Random and Systematic errors, Analysis of experimental data]

Saturday 9th May:

• Projectile Motion and calculating Gravity [Projectile Motion and Pendulum analysis]

Saturday 23rd May:

• Examination style analysis of practical work [Practical analysis of experimental work not contained in course curriculum]

Saturday 13th June:

• Proportionality and the Inverse square law [Incline Motion Analysis, Boyle’s law, Light Intensity]

Saturday 27th June:

• Magnetic Fields [Solenoid analysis, Force and Current in a wire]

Term 3

Saturday 1st August:

• How to conduct a Practical Design [Magnetism, Interference, Radiation]

Saturday 22nd August:

• Interference [Double slit with Interferometer and Laser, Diffraction Grating]

Saturday 29th August:

• Photons experiments [Photoelectric effect]

Saturday 12th September:

• Atomic Spectra and Radioactivity 1 [Energy Levels, Half-Life, Alpha Scattering]

Term 4

Saturday 17th October:

• Radioactivity 2 [Analysis of radioactive emissions]

 

What is the cost?

The cost of the seminars is $700.00 for the 10 sessions, which represents excellent value of $70.00 per 2 hour session or $35.oo per hour. The cost includes the license agreement for each student to load PASCO onto their personal laptops together with all of the resource materials students will receive. This cost needs to be paid in full prior to the commencement of the seminars. Alternatively, students can pay $80.00 per session for a minimum of four sessions, and they can select the sessions that are of most interest to them. They must choose their choice of sessions prior to commencement of the workshops and they need to pay in full prior to commencement.

 

How long does each master Class run for?

Each session runs for 2 hours, starting at 2:00 pm and finishing at 4:00 pm.

Where are the Master Classes run?

The venue for these sessions is in the upstairs Physics laboratory at Westminster School, Alison Avenue, Marion.

When are the Master Classes on?

The Master Class will run on  Saturdays on the dates listed. Sessions run on Saturdays allow students to enter the sessions without the stress of having attended a full day at school and the need to then make arrangements to attend on a weeknight. The Physics lab masterclass will only run one class. The class is capped at 16 students so that the learning that takes place can be most effective and allow for each student to have more one on one time with the presenter during each session.

What is the added bonus for attendees?

Students will also have access to the mentor throughout the year for assistance with their practical tasks from school if they attend a minimum of 8 sessions.