Unit Planner: Mini investigation

Unit 5: Mini investigation

Start date:

End date:

Diploma assessment

When will the content be assessed?

Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3
Investigation x

Text book reference

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Transfer Goals
List here one to three big, overarching, long-term goals for this unit. Transfer goals are the major goals that ask students to “transfer”, or apply, their knowledge, skills, and concepts at the end of the unit under new/different circumstances, and on their own without scaffolding from the teacher.

  • Phrasing a research question
  • Writing a report
  • using deductive skills to evaluate data

Content
List here the key content that students will know by the end of the unit

  • No new content in this unit which is mainly about applying what they know to a novel situation

Skills
List here the key skills that students will develop by the end of the unit.

  • Report writing
  • Graph plotting in LoggerPro
  • Use of a spreadsheet
  • Taking measurements and processing uncertainties
  • Drawing conclusions
  • Interpreting data
  • Use of simulations to help explain results

Concepts
List here the key concepts that students will understand by the end of the unit

  • Real systems don't exactly follow the physical models that we have developed
  • In general measurement uncertainty are bigger than instrumental uncertainty
  • Graphs are the key
  • Conclusions should be based on evidence

Applications
Examples of real world practical applications of knowledge.

  • This unit is an application in itself

Action: teaching and learning through Inquiry

Approaches to teaching
Tick boxes to indicate pedagogical approaches used.

Lecture
Simulation
Small group work (pairs) x
Hands on practical x
Video
Student centred inquiry

TOK
Examples of how TOK can be introduced in this unit

  • The scientific method
  • The importance of being honest about data (ethics)

NOS
Examples of how NOS can be introduced in this unit.

  • The scientific method
  • The importance of being honest about data
  • Uncertainties as a way of expressing confidence
  • The use of mathematical models
  • Using experiment to test predictions
  • The role of the hypothesis
  • Experimental results are use to support claims
  • Physics is about relationships
  • Repeated measurement reduces uncertainty

Assessments
Tests, exams and marked labs

worksheets and exercises

Mini investigation

Resources
Video clips, simulations demonstrations etc.

Example

Reflections

What went well
List the portions of the unit (content, assessment, planning) that were successful

What didn’t work well
List the portions of the unit (content, assessment, planning) that were not as successful as hoped

Notes/changes/suggestions:
List any notes, suggestions, or considerations for the future teaching of this unit.

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