Slovenia Osnovna šola Curriculum - Projects in Physics and Technology

The elective subject "Projects in Physics and Technology" is offered in the 9th grade of the 9-year Osnovna šola program in Slovenia, comprising 32 hours. The curriculum emphasizes a project-based approach to learning physics, encouraging students to connect theoretical concepts with practical applications. Projects can range from short demonstrations to multi-week investigations involving fieldwork, research, and collaboration. The use of computers, standard laboratory equipment, and everyday objects is encouraged.

The following project titles and brief descriptions are outlined in the curriculum:

• Analysis of the operation of a watermill: This project involves analyzing water flow, measuring parameters like drop and flow rate, calculating available power, analyzing torque, and evaluating the mill's efficiency and economic viability.
• Measurements of parameters of a small watercourse for analysis of the feasibility of installing a small hydroelectric power plant: Students analyze water flow, estimate power output, and evaluate the economic feasibility of a small hydroelectric plant.
• Radon in the environment: This project focuses on the sources of natural radioactivity, the lifespan of fission products, and the importance of ventilation.
• Physics of alternative energy sources: Students measure solar irradiance, learn about its spectrum, and estimate the power of wind turbines, tidal power plants, and wave energy converters.
• Physics and the home environment: This project involves determining fuse ratings for household appliances, calculating energy costs, and comparing the cost of using different types of light bulbs.
• Earthquakes and physics: Students study the propagation of seismic waves, measurement of tremors, the physical scale for measuring energy released during earthquakes, and earthquake statistics in Slovenia.
• Physics in connection with a computer: This project involves using a computer with an interface for measurements, presenting measurements graphically, and using the computer for modeling natural phenomena.

Additional project sketches are also provided in the curriculum, covering topics such as measuring the speed of cars, Chladni figures, measuring the speed of sound, motion analysis with video, AM detectors, electrostatic phenomena, the speed of sound in a long tube, soap films on wire models, capillarity, statistics of tempo in songs, soil resistance and correlation with humidity, finding physics errors in the daily press, measuring power when climbing stairs, coupled pendulums, wave machine, string telephone, sound transmission with parabolic antennas, optical mirror with pressure and Kapton foil, analysis of the experiment to prove the percentage of oxygen in the air, assembling a simple prism spectrometer, Elektropionir (selection of experiments), the body as a machine, demonstration of the speed of sound, discharging a flat capacitor with a ping pong ball, physics of paper airplanes, a floating ball in an air or water jet, lighting a fire with friction, water rocket, floating water droplets on a finely rippled surface, accelerometer with a floating ball, light reflectors, drinking duck (analysis of events), model of an intermittent spring, physics on a bicycle, resistance sheet with wire and Wheatstone bridge, electric guitar, and detection of rope vibration with a laser beam. These additional projects are presented as sketches with brief descriptions, suggesting potential areas for student investigation.