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Kinematics: Describing Motion

Students learn the language of motion — displacement, velocity, and acceleration — and use the kinematic equations to predict exactly where a moving object will be and how fast it’s going, from a dropped ball to an accelerating car.

Grade 11Mechanics55 minutes1 class period5E ModelExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Distinguish velocity and acceleration.
  • ✓Use the kinematic equations.
  • ✓Read a motion graph.
  • ✓Predict distance and speed.
Essential Question

If you know how fast something is accelerating, you can predict its speed and position at any future moment. How does physics turn motion into math?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Motion Grapher · Interactive

The Motion Grapher

Project this and change the acceleration and time. Watch the distance-vs-time curve and see velocity and distance calculated live.

📈 Change a and t — predict velocity & distanceTry it
Acceleration a: 2 m/s²
Time t: 4 s

The Lesson · 5E Model

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Engage — Predict the Future

5 min

Can you know exactly where a car will be in 5 seconds?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pose an accelerating car.
  • Ask where it will be.
  • Set the goal: kinematics.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Consider the motion.
  • Wonder how.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Explore — Explore Motion

12 min

Students investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Motion Grapher.
  • Change a and t.
  • Record v and d.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Change a and t.
  • Read v and d.
  • See the curve.
3

Explain — The Equations

13 min

Teacher explains.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define velocity and acceleration.
  • Introduce v = at and d = ½at².
  • Read distance-time graphs.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn the terms.
  • Learn the equations.
  • Read the graph.
4

Elaborate — Solve Motion

12 min

Apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Solve kinematics problems.
  • Interpret graph slopes.
  • Predict a falling object.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Solve problems.
  • Read slopes.
  • Predict a drop.
5

Evaluate — Exit Ticket

5 min

Three quick checks.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Hand out the exit ticket.
  • Look for equation use.
  • Collect as formative data.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Define terms.
  • Use an equation.
  • Read a graph.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (High School Physics) and Common Core literacy in science.

NGSS
HS-PS2-1

Analyze data to support Newton’s second law describing motion.

NGSS
HS-PS2-2

Use mathematical representations of motion (kinematics).

NGSS
HS-PS2-3

Apply Newton’s laws to design a solution.

CCSS
RST.11-12.7

Integrate quantitative information expressed in graphs and equations.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Label a motion graph.
  • Sentence frame: “v = a times t.”
  • Use a motion diagram.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with constant velocity.
  • Provide the equations.
  • Use a calculator.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Solve two-dimensional motion.
  • Analyze free fall with g.
  • Derive a kinematic equation.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Science notebooks
  • 💻The Motion Grapher
  • ⏱️Stopwatches + ramps
  • 🧮Calculators
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

kinematicsthe study of motiondisplacementchange in position (with direction)velocityspeed with directionaccelerationthe rate of change of velocityscalara quantity with size onlyvectora quantity with size and directionfree fallmotion under gravity alonekinematic equationa formula relating motion variables
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the difference between velocity and acceleration?
Velocity is how fast (and which way) something moves; acceleration is how fast the velocity is changing.
QUESTION 2
An object starts at rest and accelerates at 3 m/s². What is its velocity after 4 seconds?
12 m/s (v = a × t = 3 × 4).
QUESTION 3
On a distance-vs-time graph, what does a steeper curve mean?
The object is moving faster (covering more distance per unit time).

Going deeper? Free fall.

Have students apply the kinematic equations to a falling object using g = 9.8 m/s² and predict its speed and distance. A printable kinematics sheet is in the Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Kinematics (Motion)Flip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Kinematics (Motion)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Kinematics (Motion)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: acceleration, displacement, free fall, kinematic equation, kinematics, scalar, vector, velocity
  1. a quantity with size only
  2. change in position (with direction)
  3. a quantity with size and direction
  4. the study of motion
  5. the rate of change of velocity
  6. a formula relating motion variables
  7. motion under gravity alone
  8. speed with direction

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the difference between velocity and acceleration?
  2. An object starts at rest and accelerates at 3 m/s². What is its velocity after 4 seconds?
  3. On a distance-vs-time graph, what does a steeper curve mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) scalar · 2) displacement · 3) vector · 4) kinematics · 5) acceleration · 6) kinematic equation · 7) free fall · 8) velocity
Part B: 1) Velocity is how fast (and which way) something moves; acceleration is how fast the velocity is changing. 2) 12 m/s (v = a × t = 3 × 4). 3) The object is moving faster (covering more distance per unit time).