Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 50689
Distance and Displacement.
In this lesson students, will be able to identify frames of reference and describe how they are used to measure motion.
Identify appropriate SI units for measuring distances.
Distinguish between distance and displacement.
Calculate displacement using vector addition.
Subject(s): Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): 9, 10, 11
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Graphing Calculators,
Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection,
Interactive Whiteboard, Probes for Data Collection,
Basic Calculators, LCD Projector, Overhead Projector
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: Frame of Reference, Distance, Displacement.
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain, Confirmation Inquiry
(Level 1), Writing to Learn
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Quick Lab Comparing distance and displacement.docx
Motion Pre.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Explain the meaning of motion
Describe an object's position relative to reference point
Evaluate that all motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, and that there is no absolute frame of reference from which to observe all motion
Distinguish between distance and displacement
Identify appropriate SI units for measuring distance, position, and displacement
Calculate displacement using vector addition.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students MUST understand the following concepts:
units of measurement (Metric and English systems)
coordinate system (on a plane)
slope of a line
the differences between scalar and vector
Misconceptions:
page 1 of 5 Students believe that the distance an object travels and its displacement are the same.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
How would you describe the motion of the people and objects around you?
How do we know when an object is moving?
What is a frame of reference?
How do you decide which frame of reference to use when describing people or objects movements?
How far did the object go from the reference point?
Which direction is the object moving?
What is an object displacement?
How do distance and displacement differ?
What is a vector?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Motivation: Ask students for examples of motion in the world around them. Encourage them to think of both large and small examples, such as the motion of Earth and
the motion of atoms. Also ask for both fast and slow examples, such as a plane and a turtle. Also, discuss the importance of having a frame of reference when describe
motion. (Verbal)
1. Ask students if they have ever been in a situation where they could not tell if they or some other object was moving. Have them describe the situation.
(Briefly outline each student's description on the board).
2. For each description recorded in the previous discussion, have students describe which seemed to be the moving object, and which seemed to be the stationary
object. Develop the idea that an object has motion only in relation to a frame of reference which seems to be fixed.
3. Make an extension discussing these examples:
If you jump up in a moving school bus, will you land in the same spot? Why or why not? (You will because both you and the bus have the same speed; relative to the
bus you are not moving.)
When you are sitting at your desks, are you moving? (It depends : Relative to the Earth and other objects in the classroom, no; but relative to the Moon or other
objects in the space, yes.)
After you finished discussing all these different situations a simple demo, physics clip, movie or power point presentation will be helpful to reinforce the concepts of
position, distance, and displacement, as well as the motion is relative, depends of the frame of reference selected.
(PhysClips Constant velocity) http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/
4. The teacher will do a quick lab to compare Distance and Displacement.(See attachment)
5. The teacher will use a clip to introduce vectors ( A physical quantity that has magnitude and direction; magnitude can be size, length, or amount, direction could be
North, South, East, West, up, down, left, right, etc.) and some operations as addition and subtraction in one direction at a very simple level. When motion is a straight
line, vectors add and subtract easily, show it on the board using some manipulative arrows of different size. They should conclude that the resultant vector is the one
that connect the tail of the first vector and the tip of the last one(graphically).
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Students will participate in class discussion and actively answer questions about the content, guided by the teacher. Also they should be able to model and predict others
scenarios. They have to read and write about what they are learning in the lesson.
As a class activity, students will record their observations from demo and quick lab ( frame of reference, position at different time intervals, shape of the path; line or
curve, etc. ), and will graph position and time on a coordinate system at a qualitative level and interpret their results, presenting them orally to the rest of the class.
Students will discuss some transparencies activities or photos, or presentations with the teacher addressing distance and displacement.(examples are found at
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1dkin/u1l1c.cfm ( Unit 1 Motion )
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. Students are asked to write a definition for frame of reference in your own words in the left column of the table. (Answers may vary)
2. Frame of Reference
Frame of reference probably means (example: The range of distances from an object).
Frame of reference actually means (example: An object or objects not moving with respect to one another, a coordinate system (x, y) and a clock to record
time).
Reading Strategy: Students will read the content from their core text-book and using other resources available on the web or newspaper, or magazines. After
you read the section, compare your definition to the scientific definition and explain why a frame of reference is important.
Students will answer the following questions about the content:
1. What two things must you know to describe the motion of an object? (Direction the object is moving and how fast the objects is moving).
2. Is the following sentence true or false? A frame of reference is not necessary to describe motion accurately and completely. (False- Movement in relation to a frame
of reference is called Relative Motion).
3. Imagine that you are a passenger in a train. Circle the letter of the best frame of reference you could use to determine how fast the train is moving relative to the
ground. (b) a. The driver of the train b. A sign post on the side of the road c. The people sitting next to you in the front-seat. d. Car traveling in the lane next
to your car
4. Distance is the length of a path between two points. Circle the letter of the SI unit best suited for measuring the length of a room in your classroom. (c) a.
Millimeters b. Centimeters c. Meters d. Kilometers
page 2 of 5 5. Is the following statement true or false? Three blocks north is an example of displacement. (True)
6. What would your total displacement be if you walked from your school, around two blocks, and then stopped when you reached your school again? (Zero)
7. A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.
8. Circle the letter of each answer that could describe the magnitude of a vector. (b) a. size b. length c. direction d. amount
9. Circle the letter that answers the question. What is the displacement of a motorcycle who travels 2 miles South, then 2 miles North, and finally 3 miles? (d. 3 miles
East) a. 2 miles South b. 2 miles c. 4 miles d. 3 miles East.
The vector sum of two or more other vectors is called the resultant vector
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Teacher will ask students:
What have you learned about in today's lesson?
Possible outcomes should be:
To describe motion accurately and completely, a frame of reference is needed(recall the definition of frame of reference)
To determine how fast something is moving, you need to choose an object of reference, a coordinate system, and a clock to record time.
Motion is relative, it depends on the frame of reference chosen.
Distance is the length of the total path. (scalar) and displacement(vector) is the direction from the starting point and the length of a straight line from the starting
point to the final or ending point.
The SI units for measuring distance(d), displacement (final position - initial position) is meters(m)
Vectors are quantities that have magnitude and direction.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/mot.html
Summative Assessment
The teacher will determine if the students have reached the learning targets for this resource by making students take traditional Multiple Choice, Modified
True/False, Completion or Filling the blank assessments as the Pre-Test. ( Have student re-take the Pre-Test) NOTE: Assessments created on Examview are from
various resources
The teacher will ask students to write a paragraph describing a situation in which the same motion appears differently from different frames of reference for
homework.
Also the questions from the independent work should be used as a way to check gains attain for students at this point.
Formative Assessment
They are may opportunities to gather information about the student understanding throughout the lesson.
1. Engaging: A pre-test will be given at the beginning of the chapter to check students foundation in math and physics, and collect formal data ( see attachment).
2. Explaining: After every student is finished with the pre-test, a discussion about possible answers could allow the teacher to collect informal data about strengths and
weaknesses of the class overall.
3. Defining: Ask students to rate their knowledge of the vocabulary terms for this section in a chart with the following heading: Term, Can Define or Use it, Have Heard
or Seen It, Don't Know, on their journals. Teacher will walk around the classroom to observe students work and will assess them verbally.
Distance and Displacement Vocabulary Chart.docx
Feedback to Students
Students will get feedback about their performance or understanding throughout the lesson at several parts:
After they have read the section in the textbook, hand-out, or other material, they have to return to the chart and update it to reflect any increase in understanding,
also the teacher will add any missed information in relation to the learning goals.
Self-Questioning and Self-Adjusting while reading will help students to understand difficult technical material. This strategy enables students to focus on their own
thought processes as they actively question and apply fix-up strategies to improve comprehension.
During the lesson, students are encouraged to participate by supporting or refuting questions, solving problems or lab results on white boards and presenting them
to the rest of the groups, after they finished, teachers may take over and add any new idea or material not covered by students. Later, students will have an
opportunity to apply this feedback to improve their performances.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Inclusion students will be given extra time to answer some of the assessment questions and will work in groups.
ESOL learners can better understand science content when it is framed in the context of a personal narrative. Have students use narrative to better understand
displacement that isn't along a straight path. Pair ELL students and encourage them to narrate the route they take from the science classroom to the cafeteria, or
another room in the school. As one student narrates, the other student may sketch a simple map. Challenge the student to mark the resultant vector on the map.
Extensions: Earth Science Connection:
Earth- our most common frame of reference for describing motion-rotates around its axis. Because of this rotation, something traveling in a straight line from a pole
to the equator-such as a jetliner, wind currents, or ocean currents- appears to curve. This is called the Coriolis Effect.
For someone in the northern hemisphere looking toward the equator, Earth appears to rotate counterclockwise. As a result of this rotation, ocean and wind currents
traveling straight appear to curve to the right. Someone in the southtern hemisphere observes the opposite direction of rotation (clockwise), and wind and ocean
currents appear to curve to the left.
Suggested Technology: Graphing Calculators, Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, Interactive Whiteboard, Probes for Data Collection, Basic Calculators, LCD
Projector, Overhead Projector
Special Materials Needed:
1. Set of visual transparencies for the over-head projector or computer projector.
2. Reading materials Physics books, magazines, etc, and hand outs with math support, and journals.
3. Materials for teacher-demo or quick lab ( Cars, Balls tennis or rubber, graph paper, metric rules, set of different arrows.
page 3 of 5 Further Recommendations:
Search online for websites as your-tube Physclip, NASA, CNN to show clips or short documentaries movies to
reinforce the understanding of relative motion, frame of reference, distance, displacement, and vectors.
To build Science Skills as :
Measuring- Have student use a map of the city or area to measure the straight-line distance from their homes to the school. They will have to use the scale
information on the map to convert from distances on the map to actual distances. Then, have them determine the distances they travel from their home to the
school by observing the odometer of a car or bus. To get the distances traveled, they should subtract the odometer readings at their start point form the odometer
readings when they arrive to the school. Have them compare the distances. In almost every case, the distance traveled should be greater than the straight-line
distance on the map. This should be a great homework assignment to reinforce the difference between distance and displacement as well as a measurement skill.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This resource is an important foundation for students understanding Kinematics; the concepts of frame of reference, distance, position, displacement, vectors and scalars
represent a strong base for mechanics coming later in the physical science course.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Rafael Suarez
Name of Author/Source: Rafael Suarez
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Miami-Dade
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
Description
Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space
science, and do the following:
1. Pose questions about the natural world, (Articulate the purpose of the investigation and identify the relevant scientific
concepts).
2. Conduct systematic observations, (Write procedures that are clear and replicable. Identify observables and examine
relationships between test (independent) variable and outcome (dependent) variable. Employ appropriate methods for accurate and
consistent observations; conduct and record measurements at appropriate levels of precision. Follow safety guidelines).
3. Examine books and other sources of information to see what is already known,
4. Review what is known in light of empirical evidence, (Examine whether available empirical evidence can be
interpreted in terms of existing knowledge and models, and if not, modify or develop new models).
5. Plan investigations, (Design and evaluate a scientific investigation).
6. Use tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data (this includes the use of measurement in metric and
other systems, and also the generation and interpretation of graphical representations of data,
including data tables and graphs), (Collect data or evidence in an organized way. Properly use instruments,
equipment, and materials (e.g., scales, probeware, meter sticks, microscopes, computers) including set-up,
calibration, technique, maintenance, and storage).
7. Pose answers, explanations, or descriptions of events,
8. Generate explanations that explicate or describe natural phenomena (inferences),
9. Use appropriate evidence and reasoning to justify these explanations to others,
10. Communicate results of scientific investigations, and
11. Evaluate the merits of the explanations produced by others.
Remarks/Examples:
Florida Standards Connections for 6-12 Literacy in Science
For Students in Grades 9-10
LAFS.910.RST.1.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to
the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
SC.912.N.1.1:
LAFS.910.RST.1.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
LAFS.910.RST.3.7 Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form
(e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into
words.
LAFS.910.WHST.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
LAFS.910.WHST.3.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
For Students in Grades 11-12
page 4 of 5 LAFS.1112.RST.1.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to
important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
LAFS.1112.RST.1.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.
LAFS.1112.RST.3.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
LAFS.1112.WHST.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
LAFS.1112.WHST.3.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Florida Standards Connections for Mathematical Practices
MAFS.K12.MP.1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
MAFS.K12.MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
MAFS.K12.MP.3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. [Viable arguments include
evidence.]
MAFS.K12.MP.4: Model with mathematics.
MAFS.K12.MP.5: Use appropriate tools strategically.
MAFS.K12.MP.6: Attend to precision.
MAFS.K12.MP.7: Look for and make use of structure.
MAFS.K12.MP.8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities and assess which should be used to describe an event.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.1:
Distinguish between vector quantities (e.g., displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, and linear momentum) and
scalar quantities (e.g., distance, speed, energy, mass, work).
MAFS.912.N-VM.1.3 (+) Solve problems involving velocity and other quantities that can be represented by
vectors.
Analyze the motion of an object in terms of its position, velocity, and acceleration (with respect to a frame of
reference) as functions of time.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.2:
Solve problems involving distance, velocity, speed, and acceleration. Create and interpret graphs of 1-dimensional
motion, such as position versus time, distance versus time, speed versus time, velocity versus time, and
acceleration versus time where acceleration is constant.
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.912.N-VM.1.3 (+) Solve problems involving velocity and other quantities that
can be represented by vectors.
Recognize that time, length, and energy depend on the frame of reference.
SC.912.P.12.9:
LAFS.1112.RST.3.9:
Remarks/Examples:
The energy E and the momentum p depend on the frame of reference in which they are measured (e.g. Lorentz
contraction).
Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding
of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
page 5 of 5