Describing motion
This list provides teaching strategies and activities which will allow students to explore the quantitative relationship between average speed, distance and time. The list provides a range of activities, lesson ideas, careers resources, background information, practical tips and suggested teaching strategies.
Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance.
Career Clips: Forces and motion in computer games *suitable for home teaching*
From the Institute of Physics, this seven minute film showcases how an understanding of forces and motion is required to develop certain video games. It looks at the work of a company which develops computer models that ensure objects and people in video games adhere to real world laws of motion. The work is an exciting application of physics and mathematics.
Around the World *suitable for home teaching*
In this activity, students use the speed, distance, time equation to calculate how long it takes to travel to destinations around the globe from the UK via today's global transport options. Students consider future options for global transport, thinking about environmental, economic, ethical and social impacts of each type of transport.
Distance/Time Graphs
This resource was intended for maths teachers, but this is an area of the curriculum where there is much cross-over between the two subjects and it will pay to speak to maths department to see how they teach distance/time graphs.
This film uses the context of a workout in a gym to analyse someone's performance using distance/time graphs. Calculations are performed in stages throughout the video, offering a pause point for teachers to hold a freeze frame on screen while students discuss the problem and perform the calculations themselves
Interpreting Distance – Time Graphs A6 *suitable for home teaching*
In this resource students learn to interpret and construct distance–time graphs; relating speeds to gradients of the graphs and accelerations to changes in these speeds. In this session, students begin by discussing a question that is designed to reveal common misconceptions about distance–time graphs. They then work in pairs and threes to match descriptions, graphs and tables. As they do this, they will interpret their meaning and begin to link the representations together.
Graphing stories
A great classroom resource to help students develop their graphing skills in an easy and accessible way. The site has a number of short video clips of various things that change over time (eg clock hand going round, child going down a slide, bouncing balls). There are downloadable templates but in the simplest sense you show the video and then the class sketch the graphs.