Term 1 Week 7

Class and homework exercises on the tracing of ray diagrams for both a point object and a shaped object for an image in a mirror (2E1)

Pedagogy used:-

1. Teacher demonstration using visualiser and recap of previous learned concepts.

2. Time provided for the pupils to practise what they have learned and to share with their classmates the work that they have done through the visualiser

3. Pupils give comments to the completed work done by their classmates and learned whether their work is correct at the same time.

4. Further homework given to pupils to internalise the concepts and steps in the school-based designed workbooks.

Pupils' common mistakes made:-

1. drawing of the arrows from the eye to the image.

2. positioning of the image.

3. tracing of solid lines on the side of the mirror - should be dotted lines to show virtual rays and image

4. not using ruler to draw the rays

5. object and image size differs

Term 1 Week 6 - Learning Stations for refraction phenonmen in different objects

The 2E1 pupils observed and investigated the various forms of refraction phenonmenon in objects such as :-

1. coin in a styrofoam cup appearing after water has been poured in

2. bended straw in a beaker of water

3. magnifying glass effect of a glass block over a sentence of words

4. dispersion of light through a glass prism

Each pair of pupils was instructed to rotate at a 10 min interval. Within the 10 min intervals, the pupils had to follow a set of instructions at the learning stations and to perform the steps and to note down their observations and to think of explanations to explain what they have seen in their physics workbook. The pupils were advised to use their textbook as a form of reference to answer the questions if they are unsure of how to explain what they had observed.

Benefits of learning stations:-

1. Students need to learn to read instructions in order to perform the experiment. The skill involved in science practical is to be able to perform the experiment given a set of instructions.

2. By working in pairs, they learned to communicate with each other, clarify doubts and to come to a common understanding before they can explain what they have observed.

3. The pupils are given adquate opportunities to observe and to have hands-on experience. With their hands-on experience, the pupils would be able to appreciate the real-life examples to to find meaning in what they are learning. The physics concept of refraction would be real to them.

Term 2 Week 5 - Reflection in Mirror (Using Optical Pins)

2E1 pupil - Jamie @ work

In the previous practical lesson, the 2E1 pupils had investigated the properties of light as it bounced off the plane mirror by using a ray box. In this particular experiment, pupils would use another method to investigate the image of optical pins in the plane mirror and to trace the corresponding reflected ray to their eyes.

2E1 pupil placing the optical pins to trace the reflected ray

After tracing the reflected ray, the pupils will measure the angle of reflection and verification with repeated readings on the law of reflection. (i.e. angle of incidence = angle of reflection)

Reflection on the practical lesson

1. Pupils were given time to read through the whole practical experiment and given time to figure out how to perform and take measurements.

2. Due to the new skill of tracing the reflected ray by the placing of the two optical pins, elaborate instructions were given to two separate groups of pupils.

3. Work was assigned to the 2nd group as I explained the details and demonstration the procedures of the experiment. In doing this, the whole class would be engaged in the activity and class work.

4. Demonstration of the procedure would enhance pupils' learning and reduce the likelihood of them being unsure of how to perform the experiment.

5. Pupils who still have difficulties understanding how to perform the experiment and take the measurements were requested to bring their individual sets to the front of the teacher's bench as that extra assistance can be rendered to them while the rest of the class proceeded with the experiment.

6. A video of the placing of the optical pins would enable visual pupils to learn better.

7. Notes of the investigation can be found on the web - http://www.ugandaschoolresources.org/elate/physics/light/lighttchr.doc