Learning Outcomes for 1D Kinematics

 


Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs


The list below displays sample learning objectives for the unit on 1D Kinematics. The various activities from the Lesson Plans have been organized by objective. This format of organizing The Physics Classroom's activities may be more useful to some teachers than the Lesson Plan format. It is worth noting that the activities identified below only include those activities included on the Lesson Plans and in the Pre-Built Task Tracker courses. Additional activities are referenced on the Teacher Notes page.
 

1. The Language of Kinematics

Define and distinguish between the concepts of distance and displacement, speed and velocity, instantaneous velocity and average velocity, and positive and negative acceleration.

Reading:



Video:
Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Vector Walk (includes built-in Task Tracking)


Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission KC1 on Scalars and Vectors

Mission KC2 on Distance and Displacement

Mission KC3 on Speed and Velocity

Mission KC4 on Acceleration
 


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Kinematics 1 on Position-Velocity-Acceleration





 

2. Describing Motion with Dot Diagrams and Data Tables

Recognize examples of the motion of objects moving with constant speed and the motion of objects moving with an accelerated motion and to relate such contrasting motions to their respective dot diagrams and numerical descriptions.
 

Reading:



Video:

Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Name That Motion (includes built-in Task Tracking)


Minds On Physics:
Mission KC8 on Position-Time and Velocity-Time Data


Concept Builders:  

 

3. Position-Time Graphs

Construct and interpret position-time graphs for stationary, constant speed, and accelerating objects and use such graphs to analyze the motion of objects and to solve problems.
 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 1 – Position-Time Graphs Lab (requires motion detectors)


Think Sheets:
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Pace Tracer 1  (includes built-in Task Tracking) with Student Activity Sheet


Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission KG1 on Basics of Position-Time Graphs

Mission KG2 on Position-Time Graphs

Mission KG3 on Position-Time Graphs


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Kinematics 2 on Position-Time Graphs



 

4. Velocity-Time Graphs

Construct and interpret velocity-time graphs for stationary, constant speed, and accelerating objects and use such graphs to analyze the motion of objects and to solve problems.
 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 2 – Velocity-Time Graphs Lab (requires motion detectors)


Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Pace Tracer 2  (includes built-in Task Tracking) with Student Activity Sheet


Minds On Physics:
Mission KG5 on Basics of Velocity-Time Graphs

Mission KG6 on Interpreting Velocity-Time Graphs

Mission KG7 on Interpreting Velocity-Time Graphs


Concept Builder:

CalcPad Problem Sets:
Kinematics 3 on Velocity-Time Graphs



 

5. Integrating Various Kinematic Representations

To translate information represented in one form (e.g., a position-time graph or a position-time table) to a different form (e.g., a velocity-time graph or a dot diagram).
 

Reading:



Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Graph That Motion (includes built-in Task Tracking)

Two Stage Rocket (includes built-in Task Tracking)


Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission KG9 on Kinematic Graphs and Oil Drop Patterns

Mission KG10 on Common Misconceptions of Motion Graphs

 



 

6. Kinematic Equations

Utilize kinematic equations to solve problems involving the motion of objects in one-dimension.
 

Reading:



Video:

Think Sheets:

CalcPad Problem Sets:
Kinematics 4 on Kinematic Equations

Kinematics 5 on Kinematic Equations



 

7. Free Fall

Determine the acceleration of a free-falling object and use this value of the acceleration of gravity in conjunction with kinematic equations in order to solve problems.
 

Reading:



Labs:
Lab 3: Free Fall Acceleration (requires motion detectors/video analysis)


Video:

Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:

CalcPad Problem Sets:
Kinematics 6 on Free Fall and Kinematic Equations

Kinematics 7 on Free Fall, Rocket Science, and Kinematic Equations


 

Review Resources

Kinematics 8 on Mathematics of Kinematics (Review of entire unit's math)

Review Session - One Dimensional Kinematics




 

Also Available ...

Physics teachers may find the following for-sale tools to be useful supplements to our Lesson Plan and Pacing Guide section:

 

  1. Task Tracker Subscription (annual purchase)
    A subscription allows teachers to set up classes, add students, customize online assignments, view student progress/scores, and export student scores. Task Tracker accounts allow your students to begin assignments in class or at school and to finish them at home. View our Seat and Cost Calculator for pricing details.
     
  2. The Solutions Guide
    We publish a free curriculum with >200 ready-to-use Think Sheets for developing physics concepts. The Solutions Guide is a download containing the source documents, PDFs of source documents, and answers/solutions in MS Word and PDF format. An expanded license agreement is included with the purchase. (Cost: $25 download)
     
  3. Teacher Presentation Pack
    This is a large collection of downloadable content packed with nearly 190 Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks, the corresponding Lesson Notes (as PDF and fully-modifiable MS Word format), about 170 animations (in .gif, .png, and .mp4 file formats), a countless number of ready-to-use images (including the original source documents that would allow for easy modification of those images), and a license that allows teachers to modify and use all the content with their classes on password-protected sites (such as course management systems).  (Cost: $40 download)
     
  4. Question Bank
    We distribute a Question Bank that includes more than 9300 questions neatly organized according to topic. The Question Bank is the perfect tool for busy teachers or new teachers. Even if you don't use the website with your classes, the Question Bank will assist you in quickly putting together quizzes, tests and other documents with high-quality questions that target student's conceptions of physics principles. And if you do use The Physics Classroom website, the Question Bank is the perfect complement to the materials found at the website. (Cost: $25 download)