1. Course planning for 2024
The Course Planning Day held on Friday, 10th Nov, was a very valuable and productive day, The three presentations on i) Assessment Tasks, ii) Study Design changes and SR, and iii) Practical Activities were very well received and gave participants many ideas.  The powerpoints from these presentations are now on the Vicphysics website along with the audios from two of them, the third is awaiting VCAA approval..

An additional file was supplied by Rachael Gore from Albert Park College, the presenter of the talk on practical activities. In her talk Rachael described 12 different styles of practical activities along with examples.  The file is a spreadsheet of the activities she does. They are categorised by style, Area of Study and Key knowledge. There are 36 rows of entries, which have a one line description or a link to a video.

The website above has sample assessment tasks, along with the material the participants used in the small discussion groups. In their first session, the groups developed assessment tasks from the starting points generated at PHYSCON 2023.  Their assessment tasks will be progressively added to this webpage in the coming weeks.

2. Vicphysics Solutions to VCE Physics Exam
Solutions to this year's Physics exam are now available on the Vicphysics website.
The solutions have been prepared by members of the Vicphysics Teachers’ Network to assist teachers and students when using the exam paper as a revision exercise. A suggested marking scheme is provided in italics. For some questions, alternative methods are also described.
At the end of the solutions there are additional revision questions that are based on the information provided in the stems of some of the exam questions.
When made available by VCAA, the average and maximum scores, and the average as a percentage will be included at the end of each solution in square brackets.
You may also be interested in the spreadsheet of Grade Points, the raw score cut off for each grade.  The data goes back to 1999 and the data for 2023 will be added when it becomes available early next year.  In the mean time, the spreadsheet is at the bottom of webpage linked at the top of this item. 4. Events for Students

a) Physics Days at Luna Park in 2024
The dates for 2024 are Monday 4th March to Friday 8th March.
Luna Park bookings will not open until December, but schools can now seek approval for their school administrations.  The student fee will be $31.50 and a deposit of 30% is required to confirm the booking.
Aerobatic displays have been requested, but confirmation is not received until February.
The worksheets have not been updated since they were first written in 2004.  The terminology for forces has changed and there have been some content changes, so the worksheets will be updated in Term 4.

b) DARK MATTERS: Interactive Tour, Science Gallery University of Melbourne
In this facilitator-led experience, students will be guided through the DARK MATTERS exhibition. In collaboration with Arts at CERN and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, DARK MATTERS explores the fundamental essence of life and the universe, and how so much of it remains a mystery to us. This exhibition deep dives into the unseen, the unknown and the unspoken – will we ever fully understand the forces at play in our own lives, both on an individual level and on a planetary and universal scale?
Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours.
Times and Dates: Between 11am and 5pm, Tues to Friday until 2nd Dec
Cost: $50 service fee plus $8 per student or $4 for low-SES and regional schools
Venue: Science Gallery, 700 Swanston St, Carlton
To Book: Click here.

c) STEM Schools Roadshow, 27th Nov - 8th Dec
University presenters will travel to low SES and regional schools, delivering activities to inspire high school students to study science.
Science Delivery aims to encourage students from a diverse range of backgrounds to study science and go to University, and ensure any barriers they are facing do not stop them from achieving their career goals. The program is presented by Bachelor of Science students from the University of Melbourne, who have all overcome challenges to achieve success in their studies. 
The program is aimed at students in Year 7 – Year 10
Dates: 27th Nov - 1st Dec (Melbourne), 4th - 8th Dec (Warrnambool region)
Cost: Free
Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours for 1 to 2 classes
Style: Students will firstly gather together to watch the science demonstrations, and then break off into small groups to work through science activities. They will then gather together again to hear more from the presenters and to wrap up the session.
For more details, click here. 5. Events for Teachers 

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8.   Physics News from the Web
Items selected from the bulletin of the Institute of Physics (UK).
Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.
a) Thomas Young: prolific polymath and unassuming genius
Physics students across the globe are familiar with the classic optical experiment (Young’s slits), as well as his definition of elasticity (Young’s modulus). But not everyone may be as aware of Young’s many other astonishing achievements across the sciences – covering everything from fluids to human vision – or the fact that Young was a trained physician and self-trained linguist. Not only did he understand many ancient and modern languages, he also analysed the vocabulary and grammar of some four hundred languages, and is especially celebrated for his role in deciphering the scripts on the Rosetta Stone.
b) What the movie Oppenheimer can teach today’s politicians about scientific advice
One of the scariest moments in Robert Oppenheimer’s career was not shown in Oppenheimer, the recent blockbuster movie. That moment occurred during the contentious hearing on his security clearance, which concerned Oppenheimer’s role on a committee to advise the US government on nuclear weapons. Ostensibly about his loyalty to America, the hearing also revealed deeper concerns about his left-wing sympathies and opposition to an early project to build a hydrogen bomb.
c)  New type of magnetic levitation makes its debut
Magnetic levitation is already employed in systems such as Maglev trains, flywheels and high-speed machinery. Now researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have given this old technology a fresh twist by explaining how a magnet can be levitated simply by rotating another magnet of a similar size near it. This unusual effect was first demonstrated in 2021, and the TU-Denmark team say it could be exploited in the contactless handling of objects or used to trap and manipulate ferromagnetic microparticles.

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