We believe this Interactive is best used in the middle to later stages of a learning cycle on position-time graphs after students have some familiarity with graphing principles. Students can put their developing understanding to a test with Pace Tracer 1.
Pace Tracer 1 uses the camera of the device as a motion-detecting instrument. With most operating systems, the user of the device must first give permission to Pace Tracer to use the device. (It's safe. You have our pledge that no video is collected by Pace Tracer. It is only used for motion detection). The user then calibrates Pace Tracer by pointing the camera at the printed ArUco marker from a distance of 1 m away. This 1-meter distance does not need to be precise; from the tip of the finger on an outstretched arm to the nose when standing sideways can be called 1 meter. Once calibrated, a small dot will appear on the position axis of the graph. As the phone is moved towards or away from the marker, the dot will move along the axis. When ready, the student can tap
Go and move in an effort to match the graph. The position of the phone is marked on the graph in real time and the percentage of the graph that is matched is displayed. If a student matches 80% or more of the graph, then the esteemed Trophy is rewarded and displays on the Menu of Graphs. If the graph is not matched, the student can tap on
Reset and try again.
Some graphs (in our experience) are more difficult than others. There is a small Menu icon on the bottom left of the Camera view than can be used to exit the camera and return to the Graphs menu in order to select a new graph. There are a total of 14 graphs that include at rest, constant speed, speeding up, and slowing down motions. The + direction is away from the ArUco marker.
The Physics Classroom has provided a classroom-ready
activity sheet for use with this Interactive. It can be used in the classroom with students positioned at their own lab station. If hallway use is permitted, it can also be performed in the hallways as a stations-style lab. The lab includes a strong post-lab analysis section where students summarize their movements in words and make distinctions between the different shapes of position-time graphs.
Many teachers will prefer to do that lab without the activity sheet and utilize the Trophies on the Main Menu as validation of student mastery. Depending on the level of class, teachers may wish their students to match all 14 graphs or simply challege them to do any 7 graphs (as an example).
Our Pace Tracer 1 Interactive is now equipped with Task Tracker functionality. Teachers with Task Tracker accounts for The Physics Interactives section can track their student's progress on Pace Tracer 1.
Learn more.
A Pace Tracer 2 Interactive is also available. Pace Tracer 2 is velocity-time graph matching exercise. Visit
Pace Tracer 2.
There are numerous resources at The Physics Classroom website that serve as very complementary supports for the Pace Tracer 1 Interactive. These include: