West Contra Costa Unified School District
Using Bar Models to Solve Rate Problems
Pupils visualize distance-rate-time problems by using bar models. The lesson presents examples of four different types of rate problems and shows how they can be solved using bar models and equations. Each example is followed by a...
Balanced Assessment
Dinner Date
Determine just how far to run before dinner. The short assessment asks pupils to determine the distance a person can jog in the time left before dinner. To answer the question, scholars determine the distance if the person jogs one way...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Journey
Drive home math concepts with an engaging task. Learners follow a verbal description to fill in a table and create a distance-time graph representing a car journey. They then answer questions by interpreting the graph.
Bowels Physics
Methods of Motion
How could you earn a $6,000,000 speeding ticket? This presentation uses an analogy that relates speed in the universe to the cost of a speeding ticket. Scholars ultimately understand that motion is relative. Also covered is the concept...
Curated OER
Describing the Motion of a Battery Powered Cars
Middle schoolers explore distance a toy car travels by changing the amount of batteries used to power the toy car. In this force and motion lesson, students calculate the average speed of a car while investigating the power from various...
Curated OER
Speed Trails
For this Algebra I/Algebra II worksheet, learners conduct an experiment with toy cars in order to calculate and compare average, instantaneous, and constant speed. The two page worksheet contains three questions. Answers are not...
Teach Engineering
Measuring Viscosity
Groups use a marble to determine the viscosity of household fluids. The procedure calls for pupils to measure the amount of time it takes a marble to fall a specified distance in the fluids. Using unit conversions and algebra, the teams...
Curated OER
Speed of a Forest Stream
Students study stream speed. For this stream speed lesson students complete an activity and formulate an opinion and study its effects.
Curated OER
Domino Dash
Eighth graders examine the relationship between speed, time and distance. In this motion lesson plan students complete a lab activity that allows them to calculate average speed.
Curated OER
Flying With Mathematics!
Third graders fly miniature airplanes to discover characteristics related to velocity and average speed. After measuring the time and distance of their flights, 3rd graders calculate the average velocity of their planes.
Curated OER
Earth's Magnetic Pole
In this Earth's magnetic pole learning exercise, students use a diagram showing the changes in the magnetic pole of the Earth over time. Students use the given scale of the changes to answer 6 questions about the average speed of the...
Curated OER
Details from an Exploding Star
In this nebula worksheet, students read about the Crab Nebula and calculate the average speed of the expanding gas. They determine the size of the smallest clumps of gas and they draw the diameter of the solar system to scale.
Curated OER
Hubble Spies Colliding Asteroids!
In this colliding asteroids instructional activity, students are given the equation to determine the collision time for asteroids. Students use this equation to solve 4 problems including finding the area of a cross-section through the...
Curated OER
The Dawn Mission: Ion Rockets and Spiral Orbits
In this ion rocket and orbits worksheet, students read about the spiral orbit the Dawn spacecraft took due to its ion rocket motor. Students solve 3 problems including finding the path taken by the spacecraft, determining the total path...
Curated OER
Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction
Eighth graders build and run mousetrap cars in order to measure distance, time, and mass for their cars. They use these measurements to calculate average speed and kinetic energy, then create a slide show to visually explain how the car...
Curated OER
Refraction Through a Circular Disk
In this refraction through a circular disk worksheet, students are given a diagram of a circular disk of leaded glass with light striking it. Students use the diagram to find the angle of incidence of the light, the angle of refraction,...
Curated OER
Road Trip to Pennsylvania
In this road trip problem, students examine information about road trip and determine the constant rate necessary to travel a predetermined distance. This one-page worksheet contains 1 problem. The answer is provided.
Curated OER
Prey or Pray? Could YOU Escape a Cheetah?
Tenth graders estimate the size of an adult cheetah by research and measurement of a picture. They determine the approximate distance and speed of the cheetah from a filmed chase and compare that to their own running speed.
Curated OER
Toboggan Science
Young scholars conduct toboggan time trials to investigate the variables that have the greatest effect on toboggan speed. In small groups, they develop a hypothesis to test and perform three trials on the toboggan run for each variable.
Curated OER
How Fast is "Fast"?
In this movement worksheet, students will complete 5 sentences by filling in the blank with vocabulary words associated with movement: acceleration, gravity, and speed. Then students will be given 3 units of measurement and they will...
Curated OER
Take a Walk
Sixth graders graph acceleration and practice using the metric system. In this physics lesson, 6th graders take turns timing each other as they walk 15 meters. Students then chart and graph their data using the metric system.
Curated OER
Kepler's Laws-Worksheet #1
In this Kepler's laws learning exercise, students solve 8 problems using Kepler's laws to find the eccentricity of the planet's orbit, to determine the average distance of Haley's comet from the sun and to determine Kepler's constant for...
Curated OER
Wave Math
Students identify the different factors affecting the size and shape of ocean waves. In this math lesson, students calculate wave speed and wavelength given a mathematical formula.
Mathalicious
The Fall of Javert
Falling off a bridge might not sound like your idea of a good math problem, but incorporating the final scene of Les Misérables is sure to spark interest. The goal is to use the time Javert fell off the bridge to determine how high he...