Australian Senior Physics Curriculum Neil Champion Buckley Park College ACARA Writer 14 February Oz Senior Physics Curriculum 3aj2r8

Design features of the curriculum Equivalent strands Science understanding Science as a human endeavour Science inquiry skills

Science Understanding Key knowledge required for a survey course that begins a student’s engagement with the physics discipline

What do physicists want in schools? Open letter to the President

Science Inquiry Skills Data driven Evidence based Informed by, and informs, theory Qualitative Quantitative Mathematical

Method and measurement: (i) Method Data Cause/effect Representations and models Algebra and graphs as models Quantitative relationships Law Theory

Method and measurement: (ii) Measurement SI units Data types: qualitative and quantitative Data analysis: raw, derived Uncertainty and error Error bars Carrying uncertainties through calculations

Science as a Human Endeavour Conceptual Representational Communal

Models Models are central to science because scientists use them to describe, explain, relate and predict phenomena. Models can be expressed in a range of ways – via words (with language that is commonly metaphorical), images (actual or imagined), mathematics (numerical, algebraic, geometric, graphical), or physical constructions (including some machines). Models help scientists to frame physical laws and theories, and these laws and theories are also models of the world. Models are not static – as scientific understanding of concepts or physical data or phenomena evolves, so to do the models scientists use to describe, explain, relate and predict these.

Communal Collaborative – Local – National – International Debate and peer review – Conferences, posters, papers, learned journals

Design features of the curriculum Canonical Methodological Narrative structure Continuity Equivalent strands Achievement standards

Design features of the curriculum Canonical The major features of any modern physics curriculum are covered.

Unit 1 Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics Heating processes Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions Electrical circuits

Unit 2 Linear motion and waves Linear motion and force Waves

Unit 3 Gravity and electromagnetism Gravity and motion Electromagnetism

Unit 4 Revolutions in modern physics Special relativity Quantum theory The Standard Model

Design features of the curriculum Methodological Explicit and implicit attention is drawn to the way physics, as a discipline, is undertaken.

Design features of the curriculum Repeated ideas with increasing complexity Particles Particles and energy Energy and waves Particles, space and time Particles and forces Forces and energy Particles and energy Forces, energy and fields Fields and spacetime Energy, particles and waves Particles, waves and energy Particles, waves, energy, force, spacetime …

Design features of the curriculum Narrative structure Key themes of observation, organisation and explanation recur in increasing complexity as the story unfolds.

Design features of the curriculum Continuity Senior physics completes an F-12 physical science curriculum for Australia

Segue from F-10 to Senior The Senior curriculum builds on, and assumes competence in F-10 standards (SU, SHE SIS)

Achievement standards Separate rubrics for Year 11 and Year 12 (5 taxonomical categories)  Physics concepts, models and applications  Physics inquiry skills ACARA Senior Physics Achievement Standards

Examples in context Each Unit is supported by a set of descriptive statements related to the Science as a human endeavour strand: Speculative Poorly coupled to Science Understanding Profound ignorance of current knowledge and methodological issues in related fields

Detailed studies? Unit 1 and Unit 2 Heating processes – Energy from the nucleus Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions – Medical physics Electrical circuits – Sustainable energy resources Linear motion – Flight Waves – Sound – Astronomy

Detailed studies? Unit 3 and Unit 4 Gravity and motion – Materials and structures Electromagnetism – Further electronics Special relativity – Synchrotron and applications Quantum theory – Photonics Standard Model – Astrophysics