Lesson Plan: Velocity Mathematics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to distinguish between velocity and speed and how to solve problems involving average velocity and average speed.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- understand the difference between speed and velocity,
- understand that velocity has both a magnitude and a direction,
- calculate the average velocity of an object traveling in one dimension (rectilinear motion),
- understand and interpret graphs of displacement to calculate the average speed or velocity over an interval,
- understand and interpret graphs involving speed and velocity,
- calculate average speed and velocity of an object whose motion is described by vectors,
- calculate an unknown distance or length of times based on given knowledge of speed or velocity.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- finding average speed,
- vectors.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- 3D systems,
- acceleration,
- finding instantaneous speed or velocity,
- relative speed or velocity,
- differentiation or integration to find speed or velocity.