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Chapter 5 focuses on interpreting distance-time graphs to understand motion on Earth and in space. It outlines learning objectives, outcomes, and resources needed for teaching, including practical activities and common misconceptions. The chapter also emphasizes skills development, group work, and the importance of evaluating risks during experiments.

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3.5.3_Lesson_pages

Chapter 5 focuses on interpreting distance-time graphs to understand motion on Earth and in space. It outlines learning objectives, outcomes, and resources needed for teaching, including practical activities and common misconceptions. The chapter also emphasizes skills development, group work, and the importance of evaluating risks during experiments.

Uploaded by

gwilliams
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 5: Motion on Earth and in Space

5.3 Exploring journeys on distance–time graphs


Lesson overview
Learning objectives
 Interpret distance–time graphs to learn about the journeys represented.
 Relate distance–time graphs to different situations and describe what they show.

Learning outcomes
 Explain some of the features of a distance–time graph. [O1]
 Explain what is represented on a distance–time graph. [O2]
 Explain what is represented on a more complex distance–time graph. [O3]

Skills development
 Thinking scientifically: evaluate risks
 Working scientifically: record evidence
 Learner development: ask questions
Resources needed large sheets of paper, e.g. flip chart paper; marker pens; mini-whiteboards; equipment and
materials as detailed in the Technician’s notes; Worksheet 3.5.3; Practical sheet 3.5.3; Technician’s notes 3.5.3
Digital resources Quick starter; Video; Interactive activity: Drag the statements into the correct group - those
which describe acceleration, and those which do not
Common misconceptions A straight line sloping upwards on a distance–time graph indicates that speed is
increasing.
Key vocabulary distance–time graph, time-lapse sequence, accelerate

Teaching and learning


Engage
 Show a video clip of a sporting activity that involves running at different speeds and stopping, such as tennis
or football. The students work in small groups and use a large sheet of paper to sketch a distance–time
graph for the sporting activity. They should add captions to describe what the sportsperson is doing in each
part of the graph. [O1, 2&3]
 The students compare their graphs to those of other groups, ask questions and make any modifications
required. [O1, 2&3]
Higher-attaining students should be encouraged to draw their graphs showing the sportsperson returning to their starting
position.

Challenge and develop


 Group work If the technology is available, the students should work in groups to collaborate effectively to
make time-lapse sequences to help them to record evidence and analyse the movement of different objects
– like a ball or a trolley on a ramp. A clearly visible scale should be placed alongside each moving object so
that its position can be observed at regular time intervals. The students use data from the time-lapse images
to plot and analyse distance–time graphs. Before starting the practical activity, the students should assess
the risks. (The main risks are from obstruction and tripping in the work area.) Practical sheet 3.5.3 gives
instructions for this practical work and the analysis of the results. [O1, 2&3]
If you do not have access to enough suitable cameras, this could be carried out as a teacher demonstration
in which the students are involved in making important decisions and help to record the images.
 Show a video clip of an 800 m athletics race. Ask the students to imagine three athletes in the race – one
who sets off running fast, gets tired and finishes in 2 minutes 15 seconds; one who runs at a slightly slower

Key Stage 3 Science Teacher Pack 3 142 © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2014


Chapter 5: Motion on Earth and in Space

pace but is able to sprint the last 50 m and finishes in 1 minute 58 seconds; and one who runs slower than
the others for most of the race but then speeds up for the last 200 m and overtakes them to finish in 1 minute
48 seconds. [O2&3]
 Pair talk The students discuss the three athletes and sketch distance–time graphs to show the races.
[O2&3]
Explain
 The students then explain what the graph(s) of the three athletes’ races shows about their motion. [O2&3]
Higher-attaining students could be asked to superimpose additional lines on the graph to show a 100 m sprinter in action
and a marathon runner.

Consolidate and apply


 Pair talk The students discuss and interpret the distance–time graphs and answer the questions in the
Student Book. [O1, 2&3]
 The students complete the tasks of Worksheet 3.5.3. [O1, 2&3]
Extend
 Ask students able to progress further to calculate acceleration from some of the distance–time graphs in the
Student Book. For example, for Figure 3.5.3b they could calculate the speed for the first and second straight-
line sections. They could then estimate the time span over which the change in speed took place.
Acceleration = (initial speed – final speed) ÷ time taken to change speed. In this case, the answer will be
negative because the car is slowing down. [O3]
Plenary suggestions
Mini-whiteboard quiz Select students to ask questions of the rest of the class about the lesson, which they
answer on mini-whiteboards. Students will need to be primed to ask questions that require a short answer, such
as a calculation or sketching a graph. [O1, 2&3]
Answers to Student Book questions
1. speed = distance travelled ÷ time taken 2. The line is not straight; the slope has changed.
3. Student reads the graph and uses the speed formula correctly; speed = 3 m/s in first section; 2 m/s in second section.
4. 25 minutes 5. 43.2 km/h 6. Graph should have linear scales: x-axis = time; y-axis = distance; straight, accurate line
2
through (0, 0) and chosen point. 7. a) B b) C 8. m/s
9. a) The line is extended along the same slope, and then suddenly becomes horizontal. b) The straight line curves
smoothly to become horizontal underneath the horizontal section of line A. c) The line becomes straight and shallow.

Answers to Worksheet 3.5.3


1. a) i) where the graph is steepest ii) where the graph curves upwards iii) where the upward curve of the graph gets
shallower iv) where the graph is horizontal b) The force due to gravity/weight pulls it downwards so it gets faster; once
it is level on the floor, friction slows it down. c) The spaces between the images increase until the ball leaves the ramp,
and then reduce again. The last two images should be very close together, or even overlapping, because the ball is
hardly moving as it comes to a stop.
2. a) 4 b) 460 m c) 210 m d) The ball travels fastest as it leaves the club. After that, the forces acting are air resistance
and then friction with the ground, which slow the ball down until it stops. The curves show that the speed is changing;
straight lines are where speed is not changing, e.g. the horizontal sections show the ball is stationary.
3. a) For a car travelling 1 km in 1 minute, speed = distance travelled ÷ time taken = 1 km/min = 60 km/h.
b) Car A travels at a steady speed (60 mph) for the whole journey. Car B travels at a higher speed at first (approx.
1.5 miles in 1 minute = 90 mph) and then slows for the first camera (approx. 0.1 miles in 0.2 minutes = 30 mph). It then
travels at its original speed again, before slowing for the second camera. Finally, car B speeds up to its original speed.
Allow reasonable tolerance on reading data from the graph, but encourage precision. Also encourage them to convert
speeds into ‘per hour’ rather than ‘per minute’. c) Driver of car A would not be convicted. Driver of car B could be
convicted even though it passes both cameras at 30 mph, because it takes approximately 0.8 minutes to travel 1 mile =
75 mph average speed between the two cameras.

Answers to Practical sheet 3.5.3


1. to 3. (students’ own graphs) 4. A shorter time interval samples the data a higher number of times, so gives more
information and makes the graph and analysis more accurate.
5. It allows frequent observations that could not be done by eye; the data is automatically recorded; an alternative would
be light gates and a datalogger.

Key Stage 3 Science Teacher Pack 3 143 © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2014

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