The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Speed Calculation

Calculating Distance, Speed, and Time

A STEM lesson for grades 6-7

Aaron Whiting

March 10, 2023

Notes for teachers

• Context: This lesson takes as little as one hour, but can be expanded into several hours (with multiple standards) if the teacher desires.
• Can use air rockets from a previous lesson, but a baseball may be used if air rockets are not available.
• Requires small groups of 2-4

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List of Materials

• Air rockets and launcher. Search ASU ASAP lesson plans for “Air Rocket Design Challenge” to go with this option.

OR

• A baseball for each group.

ALSO

• Timers for each group.
• Clipboards, pencils, and paper for recording data away from the classroom.

AZ Math Standard

Grade 6-

6.RP.A.2. Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship.

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Grade 7-

7.RP.A.1 Compute unit rates associated with ratios involving both simple and complex fractions, including ratios of quantities measured in like or different units.

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7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities

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AZ Science Standards

Grade 6-

(If using rockets) 6.P4U2.5 Analyze how humans use technology to store (potential) and/or use (kinetic) energy.

Objective(s):

Today we will explore the relationship between the speed(rate of travel) of an object, the distance it travels, and the amount of time it travels for.

Today we will use simple air rockets, and a timer to calculate the average speed of a rocket at a given launch psi.

or

Today we will us a baseball, and a timer to calculate the average speed of a throw… repeated three times.

Agenda (60 Minutes)

1st- Introduction to distance, rate, and time relationship.

2nd- Use that information to calculate speed in an investigation.

3rd- Analyze and present data

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How can you calculate speed, distance, or the amount of time an object travels?

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With all moving objects, there is a relationship between its distance traveled, speed, and time traveling.

Check out these videos to learn more!

Distance, Speed, and Time Intro Video

Another… Find Distance, Rate, or Time

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How fast is your throw?

How fast is your air rocket?

Use math to find out!

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Students should be placed into groups of two to four. You may choose to have a timer, a recorder, and a launcher(or thrower) in each group.
• Student should be taken to an area where they can safely launch their paper rockets or throw the baseballs at a wall from a given distance. The timer should use the stopwatch to time this action from launch(or throw) to the wall.
• They will then use the distance and the time to calculate the average speed of the launch(or throw).

Assessment

Students can be assessed based on their group participation as well as their recorded calculations.

Differentiation

It may be difficult to be accurate with the timer. Ensuring enough of a distance from the wall can make this easier.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

You may choose to have students start with metric measurements, then convert to standard measurements and rework the problems. I.E. both miles per hour and kilometers per hour.