ClassroomThe newsletter for affiliated schools physicsDecember 2015 Issue 35 Resource Teachers’ top 10 practical activities There are two types of science teachers: IOP those who look forward to practical activities and those who don’t. But hopefully all science teachers agree that they are an important part of teaching physics. We recently carried out a poll on our online teacher forum, TalkPhysics (www.talkphysics.org), to find out which practicals teachers enjoy most. We had almost 200 responses, so thank you to everyone who completed the survey. As it was originally intended as an informal poll, we did not provide a description of what we meant by ‘practical’, and the participants responded with a mix of demonstrations and whole-class practicals. Students enjoying a classroom demonstration of a Ruben’s tube. Some of the results are as expected. Who can fail to enjoy the charged atmosphere The TalkPhysics top 10 practicals schools will then need to undertake mapping generated by a Van de Graaff – not least the of techniques to their chosen activity and teacher and lab technician team when the Teacher demonstrations ensure that their alternatives provide the machine decides to work first time? 1. Van de Graaff generator same coverage of the techniques required Some of the activities take some 2. Neodymium magnet and copper pipe for the A-level physics award. considerable time and expertise to set up, 3. Pearls of water The practical skills will also be examined for example “Pearls of water”. But they are 4. Spark detector through the A-level written papers, which clearly worth the trouble. And some are 5. Resonance tubes (Ruben’s, Kundt’s, Rijke’s) may contain questions that make reference good old-fashioned classic physics, such as Whole-class activities to these techniques but could be set in the Brownian motion. 1. Cloud chamber context of different practical applications. For the full results log in to TalkPhysics 2. Brownian motion So we have gone through our two and search for “What are your favourite 3. Homopolar motor most relevant sets of resources practical activities?”. The details for many 4. Dispersion of light (www.practicalphysics.org and tap.iop. of these practicals can be found on 5. Squishy circuits org), looking at those that correspond to www.practicalphysics.org. these suggested practical activities and suggesting similar and related activities to Getting practical at A-level the suggested practical activities identified help widen teachers’ repertoire of From this September, the way that practical within the three English examination boards classroom practicals. physics is assessed and reported at A-level (AQA, OCR and Edexcel) for students to has changed. The awarding organisations achieve the practical endorsement to their For more information: on practicals visit are providing guidance and, in most cases, A-Level physics award. Many of the activities www.practicalphysics.org and tap.iop.org. a pack of teacher and student notes for are common to all boards but with slightly To access the IOP list of suggested practicals 12 activities. different wording. Schools are permitted to support the new approach to A-level To support this, the Institute has listed to choose alternative activities. However, practicals, visit www.iop.org/alevelpracticals. The latest physics education news, resources and classroom ideas — from the IOP education team In this issue Opening Doors 3 School grants 4 Teaching tip 8 A guide to good practice in IOP scheme increases Use the context of the countering gender stereotyping grant award to £600. Bloodhound Supersonic Car in schools is launched. in your lessons. Classroomphysics l December 2015 1 News Editorial Teacher support Capital Physics: increasing A-level take-up in London IOP Welcome to the winter edition of Classroom Physics. The education team at the Institute is now fully into the swing of the 2015/2016 academic year and colleagues have been busy on various teacher support activities, including revamping our online physics teacher community platform (TalkPhysics.org). Watch out for the website relaunch, it’s coming soon. Affiliated schools and colleges will again receive a bumper pack of resources with this newsletter, including two “Launch your life with physics” posters (details on page 3), an updated brochure outlining all the various Capital Physics coach Robert Birke (right) leading a bespoke CPD session with teacher teaching resources and posters the Maurice Brosnan (left) at Walthamstow Academy. Institute provide free of charge (simply e-mail [email protected] for printed 60 copies), and a handy outline of all the AS-level IOP physics CPD sessions that are part of 50 change threshold the Association for Science Education’s 40 Annual Conference programme early 30 next year. 20 Don’t forget the Anthony Waterhouse We all know that studying post-16 physics is a summer 2015 Fellowship is also available to good thing. For example, virtually all students 10 teachers seeking funding to work on with physics A-level go on to university and a physics-education research project. most study a STEM-related subject. 0 The application window is now open for But students’ attainment is not as good 0102030 40 50 60 summer 2014 fellowships commencing in the summer as it could be, particularly across London. of 2016. For more details, visit iop.org/ Access to – and achievement in – A-level AS-level physics UCAS points per student in Capital waterhousefellowship. physics is inconsistent in the capital’s Physics Partner Schools from 2014 and 2015. Thank you to all those who took schools, and compares unfavourably to the the time to complete our survey. We rest of England. In 2012 there were 233 we can further measure its impact. We have received more than 270 responses schools (64%) in London with no entries, low found that in the schools we have been and will be reviewing the affiliation entries or low achievement. working with: scheme in light of the feedback given So, in March 2014 we set up the Capital l 74% of schools reported improvements in by teachers. The winner of the iPad mini Physics project to address this issue with results in AS-level physics prize draw from the September issue funding from the London Schools Excellence l the AS-level pass rate went up from has received his Apple Store voucher – Fund. We recruited six London schools and 74% to 82% we hope he enjoys his prize. colleges to act as the hub (or “Advocate l average progression from AS-level to Finally, with sadness we say farewell School”) for a network of 10 local schools, A-level physics has gone up from 65% to 75% to Eloise Kohler, who has moved onto and then we employed IOP coaches to lead l 70% of teachers taking part in pastures new. Happily though we can A-level focused bespoke CPD twice per term the programme said their confidence introduce Caroline Davis as our new in each school. had improved. co-editor. Caroline brings a wealth of These CPD sessions were complemented The Institute has secured funding for the experience as a writer and editor. by termly “mini-conferences” held in programme to continue this term, but is As always, we appreciate any feedback each Advocate School and an annual day now seeking funders to enable it to run for you may have via the e-mails below. conference hosted by a London university. a full second year to the summer of 2016. If This programme of events in the year this is secured, we would hope to see these Manchi Chung, editor 2014/2015 generated 2000 teacher- improvements having an effect at A-level. ([email protected]) hours of CPD, with 97% saying the Caroline Davis, editor sessions had made a positive change in For more information: and to access the ([email protected]) classroom practice. project’s external evaluation report, visit Now that we have some actual results, www.iop.org/capitalphysics. 2 Classroomphysics l December 2015 News Gender balance Countering gender stereotyping in schools Gender still has a major influence on the IOP The guide was launched at an subjects young people choose to study. interdisciplinary conference discussing But such stereotyping is not gender in education, organised by the IOP. insurmountable, according to a guide It sparked a lively (and ongoing) debate on launched by the IOP in October. twitter (#OpeningDoors15), reaching more The first recommendation of Opening than 10 million users and spreading as far Doors: A guide to good practice in as South Africa and Minneapolis in the US. countering gender stereotyping in schools is The project was co-funded by the to appoint a gender champion to the senior Government Equalities Office and the IOP. leadership team. His or her role is to bring It worked with 10 schools and two networks the whole school together in a coherent to identify good practice and identify the campaign, and to get governors involved to barriers faced by both boys and girls in all reinforce the message to staff and students subjects, career choices and day-to-day that this activity is a priority. school life. Other examples of good practice include raising awareness of sexist language with For more information: including an both staff and students, and giving students electronic version of the guide, visit www. ownership of campaigns focused on The Opening Doors report, launched by the IOP in iop.org/genderbalance. Printed copies are countering gender stereotyping. October, aims to boost good practice in schools. available by emailing [email protected]. Resources Light and engineering feature in new posters Affiliated schools and colleges will have the different types of engineering involved received the latest careers resources from in disaster relief, including search and the Institute and Tomorrow’s Engineers with rescue, survival, rebuilding communities this issue of Classroom Physics.