News
Changes to myphysics.org.uk
I've been working on some significant exciting updates to myphysics.org.uk this weekend (11 and 12 Feb) - two big changes:- Revisions to GCSE pages for the new Twenty First Century Science course.
- New interactive quiz pages
This school year (2011-2012) sees the introduction of a new GCSE Science course. In terms of what students need to know for the exams, lots has stayed the same, but there have been some significant changes.
- Key Stage 4 page now links to new pages for the new course:
- there's a brand new page for the new chapter 3 (Sustainable Energy);
- there's a new page for the new chapter 6 (Radioactive Materials)
- I've added some links to the pages for chapter P1, chapter P2 and new course chapter P3.
- Bitesize has been updated for the new course. I've checked many of their pages, sent in lots of corrections and now have added links to appropriate chapter pages.
- I've produced checklists for all seven chapters of the new course - these are all available to download from the appropriate chapter pages.
- I've added some new links, videos, simulations for chapter 1 and for chapter 2 to include the few new bits of content in these chapters.
I've just learned how to use some software (Hot Potatoes) to make some interactive quizzes. My first four quizzes are online now.
The Cambridge Machine - Netherhall group wins prize
Sunday 23 October 2011, at the Guildhall, The Cambridge Machine was started by local MP Julian Huppert when he pulled a string to launch this extraordinary Heath Robinson contraption. Netherhall pupils were delighted to be awarded the prize for the best school section - for including the best range of science.Dozens of ideas had been suggested, considered and trialled during many lunchtime meetings by the team members: Ellie, Isabella, Isabelle, Helene, Madeline, Sarah, Sarah, Salvy and Sushil.
Isabelle said "In the end, we had to limit what we included as we knew we had to assemble all the pieces on the day; and it had to work reliably."
The team with their section of the Cambridge Machine
The team receive the £100 prize from Chris Lennard, Founder of the Cambridge Science Centre
"It was great fun - it was brilliant to put lots of physics ideas together." - Sarah.
"I loved it. Physics is really fun, and it was excellent working on a cooperative project like this." - Salvy.
Ally Davies (Physics teacher at Netherhall) said "I am so proud of them all; they were incredibly creative, very determined and they worked fantastically well as a team. What's more, they were all so good at explaining the physics of our machine to the public."
Watch the movie of our section.
SPEED 2011 - Stimulating Physics East of England Day 2011
On Saturday 1 October Netherhall welcomed over 50 physics teachers to a fantastic day of hands on training. The day began with an amazing talk by Chris Lester (from the University of Cambridge High Energy Physics Group).
Then there were workshop sessions given by the team of IOP Teacher Network Coordinators and visitors from the University. Among the twelve workshops on offer were: Radioactivity, Making Rocket Launchers, Encouraging Groupwork, Using Audacity. Not only was all the training free, but teachers were treated to a delicious free lunch.
Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive. 98% rated the sessions as 'high' or 'very high', and 95% said they would incorporate ideas into their scheme of work.
Teachers interested in future Stimulating Physics events should email me - ally.davies@physics.org
Physics at Work Exhibition September 2011
- Both Year 11 triple award science classes went to Physics at Work for the whole day. They came back to school buzzing about how physics is used in so many different jobs and careers.
- see last year's photo gallery
Physics Heaven - East Anglia Year 9 Gifted and Talented Competition July 2011
On 4th July the Netherhall School participated once more in the East Anglia Physics Tournament 2011. On this tremendous day Helene, Timo, Noah and myself arrived at school armed with three teachers and something comfortable to sit on. But nothing could have prepared us for the difficulty of the Physics problems we were about to face.When we arrived in Ipswich to attend the event that had been named "Physics Heaven", we discovered that it was not so much an afterlife, more a sort of après-vie. After signing in we received information pertaining to the many experiments in which we were about to enrol. The experiment zone looked daunting - but we soon got over that.
We were given a briefing by co-ordinator Gerry Blake as to how the day would unfold. Afterwards, we put our minds to carrying out the range of experiments and figuring out the causes of their outcomes. We would expand our ideas, and then create in-depth theories. I really enjoyed this because it was so different to formal school lessons where they give you all the answers. We could think independently, and apply already gained knowledge to new and extraordinary situations. However, it may have been beneficial to include something we had already learnt. Or at least, that's my hypothesis.
When we had finished gaining as many points as we could, we were told the ranks. When the winners received their prize, those of us lower down the evolutionary ladder sat and clapped and watched in awe at those students with brains the size of planets. A fun day was had by all, as was confirmed by our "Physics is FUN!" rubbers - just one of the items in our goody bag.
I am very pleased to have taken part in this event and I hope that similar things are on offer in the future. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making it such a pleasant day.
Madeline
Smashing Particles
Students from Netherhall School, Cambridge, teamed up with particle physicists at the University of Cambridge for a programme of practical investigations and research to mark the start of the world’s biggest ever physics experiment - the switch-on of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The LHC is the world’s largest particle accelerator and hadron collider, located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. It has been created by the collaboration of hundreds of universities in more than 30 countries and is expected to answer fundamental questions about the universe, such as the relationship between the four fundamental forces which make life on Earth possible.
The Netherhall students worked on a project called ‘Smashing Particles! – let’s celebrate the LHC’. Not only did the students from Years 10, 11 and 12 undertake practical experiments to accelerate electrons, they also created a new website for the project, and prepared posters for their own stand for National Science and Engineering Week.
In conjunction with pupils and teachers from Yardleys Science College in Birmingham and researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, the students at Netherhall School attended an inter-school conference and created and manned a stand at the Cavendish Laboratory Open Day.
The project was made possible by funding from both the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Royal Society.
“I understand a little about the LHC and I want to expand my knowledge as well as helping others to expand theirs.”
Carl Suard, physics student involved in project.
“I love science, especially physics. This project has been great fun and a wonderful experience.”
Sean Hughes, physics student involved in project.
“It is especially rewarding to share the tremendous excitement about the Large Hadron Collider as it starts to zoom in on our universe further than we’ve ever seen before. Some of the Netherhall school children are the scientists of tomorrow and all are citizens in a world where science and its applications are everywhere."
Dr Deirdre Black, research partner at the High Energy Physics Department, University of Cambridge
