PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Speed and Velocity: What’s the difference?
Teacher note:
This mini-lesson is geared for 8th grade, but can be introduced to the
6th and 7th in order prepare them for upcoming science lessons.
Allowing 6th and 7th grade to participate in this lesson gives them
the prior knowledge they will be able to use in 8th grade.
Educator prep:
Familiarize yourself with the two definitions of speed and velocity.
Also become familiar with three example questions (answers are
highlighted red). Make copies of the next page for students to read
(class set or individual copies)
Teacher Objective: Introduce and reinforce to students the definition of speed and velocity.
Learner Objective: Students will be able to differentiate between speed and velocity.
Lesson Launcher:
1.
Ask students, “What is speed?”, “Is speed and velocity different?”
Once kids have given their thoughts, let them know that they are
different. Speed is different from velocity.
Instruction: Have a student read the definition of speed aloud. Ask students for
examples of speed: Miles per hour, meters per second, light speed!
Once they have given their thoughts and ideas, ask students “What
piece of information is NOT given that could help in visualizing this
speed?” The answer you want to guide them toward is DIRECTION.
The idea of direction will lead you into the definition of velocity which
you can call on another student to read.
2.
Answers for the examples are 1. Speed 2. Velocity 3. Speed
3.
When you get to the example number 2, a great follow up question is
“Why do we know we have velocity and not speed?” They should be
able to answer “Eastward is given for direction. Velocity gives us
direction and how fast the object was going.”
4.
The critical thinking question after the breakdown of Usain Bolt’s
speed is a lead in for the mini-lesson on acceleration.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Speed and Velocity
•
•
Speed is generally defined as the distance traveled divided by the time of travel.
Velocity is generally defined as measure of the rate of motion of a body expressed as
the rate of change of its position in a particular direction with time. It is
measured in metres per second, miles per hour, etc. More simply put it would be the
speed AND the direction of motion.
Examples:
1.
2.
NASCAR drivers race at close to 200 mph, this is an example of: Speed / Velocity
An airplane flies 250 km/hr eastward for 3 hours: What measurement is given to us?
Speed / Velocity
3. Tiger Woods swings his driver at about 135 kph, what is this an example of:
Speed / Velocity
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From the start, Fox News reports that [Usain] Bolt reaches a speed of 28 mph. The BBC breaks
down how he reaches this speed. Bolt's 2009 world record time: Bolt covered the course from a
standing start at 23.35 miles per hour. However, he dashed from the 60m to the 80m mark in 1.61
seconds, approximately 27.79 mph. If he could maintain that speed over the whole 100m, with a
flying start, he would record a time of 8.05 seconds.
Critical Thinking Question: What measurement are we missing to help understand this break
down of Bolt’s phenomenal speed?