UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
Calculating Average Speed and Comparing Kinetic and Potential
Energy
Author: Matthew Kurth
Grade Level: pre-AP 6th grade Science (45 minute class)
Sources:
 CPO Science (Force and Motion)
o Curriculum Resource Guide: Car and Ramp, Section A-3
(some of the activity packet is from this source)
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:
6.8 Force, motion, and energy. The student knows force and motion are related to
potential and kinetic energy. The student is expected to:
(A) compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy;
(C) calculate average speed using distance and time measurements;
6.2 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific inquiry methods
during laboratory and field investigations. The student is expected to:
(C) collect and record data using the International System of Units (SI) and
qualitative means such as labeled drawings, writing, and graphic organizers;
(D) construct tables and graphs, using repeated trials and means, to organize data
and identify patterns;
Concepts:
In this lesson the students complete an activity where average speeds are calculated from multiple
trials that they do. Photogates will gather times of a car rolling down a ramp, and the students will
use the formula of distance over time to calculate the average speeds. Kinetic and Potential
energy will also be covered. Students will compare and contrast Kinetic and Potential energy in
different situations. It is important for students to understand these concepts, so they can
understand and describe the motion that they observe.
© 2010 The University of Texas at Dallas
UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
Performance Objectives: Students should be able to…
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State the formula to calculate average speed.
Calculate the average speed of an object and give its units when given the distance it
traveled over the amount of time it took.
Decide if Kinetic or Potential Energy is greater for an object and if they are increasing or
decreasing.
Appropriateness of Lesson to the Grade Level:
Hands on experience and student collaboration will help the students better understand speed,
Kinetic energy, and potential energy. Having defined roles will also help the students stay on task
and work together as a group.
Materials List:
Materials for a group of 4:
 1 straight physics ramp
 1 Physics stand
 1 car
 2 photogates with input cords for each
 1 CPO timer with outlet near it to plug it in
Materials for each student:
 Activity packet
 calculator
Advanced Preparations:



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Have the ramps already connected to the physics stands at the fourth or fifth hole from
the bottom.
Have a car already on each ramp
Have both photogates attached to each ramp and input into the CPO timer (the photogate
higher on the ramp goes into input A and the other into input B).
Have a ramp set up at the front of the class so the students can see when you demonstrate
the activity.
Safety:
There are no major safety concerns for this lesson.
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
ENGAGEMENT
What the Teacher Will Do
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
Time: ___10_ Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
As students enter the classroom
have them pick up a warm-up.
Have the students complete their
warm-up independently and pick
them up after they are finished.
How would you describe
this skier’s motion?
-He is going really fast.
-speed
Play video from you-tube of
Olympic skier going down ramp
and being projected out and down
from the end of the ramp.
What term can we use to
describe how fast he is
going?
What energy terms can we
use to describe the skier?
Have a discussion with the class
over what they put on the warmup. Discuss how to calculate
average speed
What is the formula for
average speed?
When does an object have
Kinetic energy?
When does an object have
potential Energy?
What is an example of a
decrease in potential
energy?
-high energy—Kinetic
Energy
-they might not include
potential energy because of
the speed of the skier.
Time over distance
When it is moving – correct
When it is held –not
necessarily it depends on the
objects height off the ground
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
EXPLORATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
Time: __20__ Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
Have the students move to the lab
tables in their predetermined
groups of 4 with ramps already set
up. Assign roles for each member
of the group. Assign a “driver”,
“catcher”, “timer”, and “mover”;
these roles’ responsibilities are
described in the activity packet.
Pass out an activity packet
(attached to end of this lesson) to
each student for them to fill out.
Demonstrate the activity to them.
Stress that the car’s wing must be
just above the photogate before
releasing it. Explain that they will
have 3 trials recording the time
before moving the photogate
lower. The times will be averaged
and times will be gathered from 3
distances. Have the class practice
calculating an average on their
calculators with you.
Have the class begin on the packet.
Walk around the class making sure
that they understand the activity
and are staying on task. Ask
questions throughout the activity
to see if they understand what is
taking place
-Before the car is released
does it have Potential and/or
Kinetic energy?
-When it moves down the
ramp is the Kinetic energy
increasing or decreasinghow about potential energy?
-Should the average speeds
change as the distances on
the ramps change? Why?
No, it has neither because it
is not moving.
It has no potential energy
when it is moving only
kinetic energy.
No, they should stay the
same because the times are
increasing too.
After the groups have finished the
packet, have the students turn off
the timers and return to their seats.
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
EXPLANATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Have a discussion on how they
calculated the average speed.
Have a discussion over the change
in potential and Kinetic energy.
ELABORATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Have a discussion with the class
over speed in real life. Disuses
with the class which units to use in
a situation.
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
How do you calculate the
average speed of an object?
How do you get the units for
the speed?
What process do you use to
figure out the units you will
use?
Before the car is released
down the ramp does it have
kinetic energy and/or
Potential energy?
At the bottom does the car
have potential and/or
Kinetic energy?
Which increases and which
decreases as the car rolls
down the ramp?
If you were given the
Kinetic energy of an object
could you calculate the
potential energy?
What kind of relationship
does potential and kinetic
energy have?
Time: __5__ Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
It’s always miles per hour
No energy because it is
being held.
Kinetic energy – correct
Kinetic energy increases and
the potential energy
disappear after it begins to
move.
Maybe
One goes up when the other
goes down
Time: __5__ Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
When do we use speed to
describe motion?
What objects do we describe
by speed when we talk about Cars, planes, baseballs,
them?
tennis serves, skiers
If you knew your flight from
Dallas to Houston lasted 1
hour and Houston is 240
miles away, could you
calculate the average speed
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
you were moving on the
trip?
What process do you use to
figure out the units of an
average speed?
What would the units be of
the average speed of a bird
that flew 5 wing lengths in
one second?
Have a discussion over potential
and kinetic energy by having the
class describe the motion of a
person riding a swing. Place a
picture on the overhead that shows
a person on a swing at different
points. Have them point out the
highest potential and Kinetic
energy, the lowest kinetic and
potential energy, and
increasing/decreasing potential and
kinetic energy.
EVALUATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Where is the highest Kinetic
energy?-Potential?
Where are Kinetic/potential
energy
increasing/decreasing?
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
-The highest Kinetic energy
is at the farthest point of the
swing forward
The Kinetic energy
increases from the far back
of the swing to the front of
the swing.
Time: __5__ Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
Pass out the Evaluations to each
student and have them fill it out
individually. Evaluations are
attached at the end of this lesson.
Pick up the evaluations when they
are done.
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
Warm Up
1) What is the equation for average speed?
2) A plane flew 350 kilometers in 30 minutes, calculate the average speed
and include its units.
If I was holding a tennis ball at shoulder level and dropped it, so it fell towards
the ground…
3) While it was falling was the Kinetic energy increasing or decreasing?
4) Before I released the ball was the Kinetic or Potential energy greater?
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
(Activity Packet)
Describing speed
What information do you need to describe your speed? To describe your speed,
you need two things:
1. The distance you traveled, and
2. The time it took you to travel that distance
Practice calculating average speeds by filling out the table below. Make sure that
each speed has units with it (ex: meters / hour).You may use a calculator.
Example
Distance
Time
100 meters
10 seconds
50 miles
1 hour
10 feet
15 seconds
Speed
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
Average Speed Experiment
1. Make sure the photogate connected to input A is placed near the top of the
ramp with enough room for the car’s wing to be above the photogate’s sensor.
2. Place the other photogate at a distance of 20 cm from the first photogate,
making sure that this photogate is connected to input B on the Timer.
3. Make sure the Timer is plugged in and turn it on using the switch on the left
side. Adjust timer to measure “interval” by pushing the bottom yellow button
until the green light indicating “interval” is lit up. Then make sure photogates A
and B are activated (push yellow buttons above A and B on timer, to light up
green light)
4. With car as close to the top of the ramp as possible, have the driver release it
so it runs to the end of the track where the catcher can stop it. Make The “timer”
makes sure a time was recorded. If it was, this should be the amount of time it
took for the car to travel between the photogates. Record this time in Data Table
1, under Time 1 for 20 cm. The “timer” then resets the timing device by pressing
reset.
5. Repeat this measurement two more times, recording them as time 2 and time
3. Calculate the average time and record. (add the three times and divide by 3)
6. The mover moves the lower photogate down the ramp, 40 cm from the top
photogate. Repeat steps 4 and 5, except recording times on the 40 cm row.
7. The mover moves the lower photogate down the ramp, 60 cm from the top
photogate. Repeat steps 4 and 5, except recording times on the 60 cm row.
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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template
Data Table 1 Position-Times
Position of Car
Time 1
Time 2
Time 3
Average time
20 cm
40 cm
60 cm
Evaluation
1) What is the formula for average speed?
2) Calculate the average speeds and include its units.
A camel walked 20 km in 10 hours
3) On a rollercoaster a cart is resting at the top of a hill, is the Kinetic energy or Potential
energy greater?
4) As the cart rolls down the hill, is the Potential energy increasing or decreasing?
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