SPECTROSCOPY IN SCHOOLS
Our Goals: Shine a Light
Working with ReMSTEP our primary goal was to create a web based resource that informs lower secondary teachers (Year 7) within Victoria about the applications of spectroscopy. Through exploration of the core principles of spectroscopy we expand to an involved dissection of this scientific method, which highlights current scientific research and applications of Spectroscopy. To achieve our goal we designed five classroom activities and teaching resources encompassing spectroscopic theory which steadily progress the students practical and observational skills, while incorporating and pushing the boundaries of the Victorian school curriculum:
· VCSSU089: Scientific knowledge and understanding of the world changes as new evidence becomes available; science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas across the disciplines and practice of science
· VCSSU090: Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations
· VCSSU095: Mixtures, including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques
· VCSSU105: Light can form images using the reflective feature of curved mirrors and the refractive feature of lenses, and can disperse to produce a spectrum which is part of a larger spectrum of radiation
CLASS ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1
Observing Refraction: Disappearing Test-Tubes and Laser
This activity targets the students understanding of the basic foundations of Spectroscopy. The students will observe and document the interaction of light and matter by observing refraction, which is a key interaction and concept utilized by many spectroscopic techniques.
