Salters Horners Advanced Physics The context-led approach for Edexcel GCE Physics.

Salters Horners Advanced Physics

The context-led approach for

Edexcel GCE Physics


SHAP and Edexcel

Since 2008 Edexcel has offered a single AS/A-level specification.

Students can prepare for assessment via

a context-led approach (SHAP);

a concept-led (‘traditional’) approach;

a pick-and-mix combination of approaches.


1 SHAP philosophy and rationale

2 Overview of the SHAP course

3 SHAP in practice


4

Key features of SHAP

• Context led• Variety of practical and ICT activities• Integral scientific, mathematical and key skills• Addresses ‘how science works’• Developed by teachers, academics and industrialists• Resources for teachers, students and technicians• Extension and revision materials• Flexible resources enable differentiation• On-going support from University of York


Why ‘Salters Horners’?

City Livery Companies

origins in mediaeval salt and horn trades

now charitable organisations

support science education

funded initial SHAP development(along with industrial sponsors)

continue to support SHAP


Why use contexts?

To increase student interest and motivation

To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’

To develop practical and other activities

To illustrate possible career opportunities

To address ‘how science works’


Why use contexts?

To increase student interest and motivation

Students often want to know ‘why are we doing this?’

Putting the context/application up-front provides a clear rationale.

For many students, the application also helps them to understand the physics.


Why use contexts?

To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’

The course is structured around contexts (e.g. music, transport) rather than concepts (e.g. mechanics, dc circuits).

Students revisit key areas of physics on several occasions, applying and extending their knowledge and understanding in a variety of contexts


Why use contexts?

To develop practical and other activities

SHAP includes many practical and ICT activities that are related to contexts and applications.

Many of these activities were developed specifically for SHAP.


Why use contexts?

To illustrate possible career opportunities

Students sometimes have a limited idea of possible physics-related careers. Setting the physics in context opens students’ eyes to the wide variety of careers available to those who study the subject.


Why use contexts?

To address ‘how science works’

Issues such as peer review, ethical considerations and so on arise naturally from the context rather than being seen as an add-on to the content.


The EPPI (Evidence, Policy and Practice Initiative) Review

What evidence is there that teaching approaches that emphasise placing science in context and promote links between science, technology and society improve the understanding of science ideas and the attitudes to science of 11-18-year-old pupils? Bennett, J., Lubben, F. and Hogarth, S. (2007) Bringing science to life: a synthesis of the research evidence on the effects of context-based and STS approaches to science teaching. Science Education, 91 (3), 347-370.


The EPPI Review

The review indicates that using contexts as starting points in science teaching has benefits over conventional approaches:• most students enjoy their science lessons more• students understand the science at least as well as they would on conventional courses• some students feel more positively disposed towards studying science in the future.

http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=61


Contexts used in SHAP were selected using several criteria e.g.

potential to interest young people

appropriate level of physics

focus on no more than 3 major areas of physics

availability of expert advice and information

potential to develop student activities

variety (e.g. personal, industrial, frontier research, cultural)


Contexts used in SHAP

SportFood industrySurgerySpace technologyMusicArchaeology

Rail transportTelecommunicationsParticle physicsBuilding designAstronomy


Example of a context-led teaching/learning activity:

bungee jumping


Bungee challenge

Set up a model bungee jump using a piece of elastic. By calculating elastic energy from a force-extension graph, you can work out the height from which an object of given mass can ‘jump’ with a given piece of elastic, so that it will just miss the floor.


Bungee challenge

Students are given a graph of energy vs extension for a thin elastic cord

They are told the mass of the model jumper (e.g. a Lego person).

Without access to the apparatus, they predict the launch height .


Bungee challengeSelf evaluation

I/we predicted the correct height and achieved a drop that was both safe and exciting.

I/we predicted too high. The jumper complained that s/he had not been scared enough.

I/we would not be hired as bungee operators.




3 SHAP in practice


21

AS Physics

A2 Physics

Unit 1

HFS EAT SUR

Written paper

Unit 2

MUS SPC DIG

Written paper

Unit 3

Internal

assessment

Unit 4

TRA MDM PRO

Written paper

Unit 5

BLD STA

Written paper

Unit 6

Internal

assessment

Edexcel GCE Physics


SHAP AS

Unit 1 Higher, Faster, StrongerGood Enough to EatSpare Part Surgery

Unit 2 The Sound of MusicTechnology in SpaceDigging up the Past

Unit 3 Internal assessment


Higher, Faster, Stronger (HFS)

How can athletes and coaches monitor and improve technique?

How does sports equipment and clothing affect performance?

How can sporting activities be made both exciting and safe?


Sports: sprinting, tennis, weightlifting, high-jump, climbing, bungee jumping, skiing

equations and graphs of motion vectors projectiles Newton’s laws kinetic and potential energy

use of ICT, datalogging


Good Enough to Eat (EAT)

What part does physics playin making biscuits and sweets?

How is food manufacture monitored and controlled?


Chocolate confectioneryfluid flowviscosity

Sweets and biscuitsmechanical properties of materials

laboratory practical skills

Food distributionpackagingfood miles


Spare Part Surgery (SUR)

What factors are important when designing replacement joints and prosthetics?

How can the properties of a material be measured and controlled?


Replacement joints and prosthetics

stress, strain, Young modulus

Designer materials

polymersstructure and properties

Ethical issues relating to surgery


The Sound of Music (MUS)

What determines the pitch and loudness of a sound?

What affects the quality of sound from a musical instrument?

How does a CD player work?


Musical instruments

travelling wavessuperpositionstanding waves

use of ICT e.g. Audacity


CD player

superposition

photons and energy levels

reflection and refraction

polarisation


Technology in Space (SPC)

What is the best way to provide electrical power for instruments on a space craft?

How do extremes of temperature affect electrical components?

How can position and speed be measured remotely?


33

Power supply

dc circuits

current, emf, power, resistance

internal resistance

maximum power transfer

Solar cells

photoelectric effect

radiation flux

efficiency


34

Space environment

temperature and resistance

Remote sensing

pulse-echo

Doppler effect

Space research

ethical questions

environmental issues


Digging up the Past(DIG)

How do archaeologists decide where to dig?

How can specimens be examined and analysed?


Site surveying

dc circuits resistivity

X-ray analysis of artefacts

electromagnetic spectrum diffraction and superposition


Microscopic analysisresolutionelectron diffraction

Archaeologists at work

detecting fakes and hoaxes

digging sensitive sites


AS Unit 3 Exploring Physics

EITHER a record of a physics-based visit

OR a case study report

Visits have been made to cinemas, aero-engineering labs, university departments, hospitals, swimming pools, heating plants, opticians, particle accelerators, supermarkets …

AND one related laboratory practical assessment


SHAP A2

Unit 4 Transport on TrackThe Medium is the MessageProbing the Heart of Matter

Unit 5 Build or Bust?Reach for the Stars

Unit 6 Internal assessment


Transport on Track(TRA)

How can a rail transport system be designed to operate safely and efficiently?


Rail transportation

DC circuits and switchingForce and momentumWork and energyMagnetic fieldsElectromagnetic forceCapacitors: dischargePlanning a rail route


The Medium is the Message(MDM)

How is information sent, received and displayed?


Telecommunication and display

Uniform electric field Capacitors: energy Charged particles in magnetic field LED and LCD displays Power demands – environmental issues Fibre optics: exponential attenuation


Probing the Heart of Matter (PRO)

How do particle physicists explore matter?

What are the fundamental particles of matter?

What forces govern their interactions?


Particle physics research

nuclear atomCoulomb’s lawmomentum and energycircular motionmass-energyparticles in E and B fieldsquark-lepton model

fundingpeer review


Build or bust? (BLD)

How can buildings be designed to withstand earthquakes?

How can buildings be sound-proofed?

How can buildings be heated and cooled?


Building design to withstand earthquakesSHMresonance and dampingmechanical properties

Heating and coolingspecific heat capacity


Reach for the Stars(STA)

How can we study distant stars and galaxies?

How do stars form? How do they die?

How old is the universe? How will it change in the future?


Astrophysics and cosmologystandard candlesStefan’s and Wien’s lawsgravitationmotion in a circleradioactivity

and decayfission and fusionmolecular kinetic theory


50

A2 Unit 6 Experimental Physics

A ‘long experiment’ (2 hours) planned and undertaken by individual students




3 SHAP in practice


SHAP students

“I do a lot of bungee jumping myself ... So when you actually do the physics of it and it is presented in a less than formal manner when the teaching starts off, then it can be quite entertaining. It was just interesting to calculate.”

“I liked the Secrets of Resistance, because the topic would mean nothing without being able to apply it to something. It made sense with this application.”

“The compact disc player, that is obviously something we use quite a lot as teenagers. You just take it out and just assume it plays. It was interesting to learn about how.”


Destinations of SHAP students

Engineering 20%

Physics 12 %

Computer science 10%

Maths 10%


SHAP teachers and technicians

are supported by the SHAP project office at the University of York

receive regular newsletters

join email support groups

can attend CPD courses.


SHAP teachers

“In all of our contacts with outside companies ... there has been a tremendous response in terms of wanting to help students understand physics and engineering in the real world, and to encourage students into careers in these areas.”

“Everything they have learnt so far has fallen into place and they can now explain new material for themselves.”

“This is physics in the real world, the world my students live in. It is physics which is so obviously useful and interesting.”


SHAP teacher

“I’ve enjoyed SHAP so much, as have my students and theother teachers. We have had fantastic results – usually Physics is the students’ best subject, equalling or beating Maths. Our ALIS data shows a 3% above the normal ranges.

I think it is the context which keeps the students’ interest. Students usually carry on to A2 after AS – usually the only ones who drop it are those who leave the school having failed everything else. We have more studentsgoing on to physics at University, too, than ever before.”


SHAP publications

AS Student Book ISBN 978 1 4058 9602 3

AS Teacher and Technician Resource Pack ISBN 978 1 4058 9603 0

A2 Student BookISBN 978 1 4082 0586 0

A2 Teacher and Technician Resource PackISBN 978 1 4082 0587 7


SHAP publications

Student books contain

Contextual information Explanation of physics concepts and principlesWorked examplesBrief details of activitiesMaths notesQuestionsAnswers to some questionsSummaries of expected learning outcomes


SHAP publications

Teacher and Technician Resource Packs contain

Additional student sheets reviews of earlier workextension workfurther details of activitiesend of chapter testslists of data and formulae

Chapter overviewsSummaries of expected learning outcomesAdvice and suggestions for teaching Answers to questions from the bookMark schemes for testsAddresses of apparatus and software suppliersInstructions for making and assembling apparatus


Contacts

SHAP project website at University of Yorkhttp://www.york.ac.uk/org/seg/salters/physics

SHAP Director [email protected]

SHAP Administrator [email protected]

Awarding body Edexcelhttp://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/physics/Pages/default.aspx

Course materials distributed by Pearson Education http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/SHAP


Other Salters Advanced Science projects

Salters Advanced Chemistry (SAC)http://www.york.ac.uk/org/seg/salters/chemistry

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology (SNAB) http://www.advancedbiology.org/

Administrator for SHAP, SAC and SNAB [email protected]

Salters Horners Advanced Physics The context-led approach for Edexcel GCE Physics.

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