Speed
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👩 Teacher’s Guide
🎯 Objective
Students will be able to:
- Define speed and describe what it measures
- Use correct units for speed (m/s, km/h) and convert between them
- Compare speeds using simple data and reasoning
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📝 Teaching Notes
- Key idea to emphasize: Speed compares distance travelled to time taken.
- Common misconception: Confusing speed with acceleration.
- Suggested teaching approach:
- Use a short sprint example: measure 10 m and time it.
- Compare average speed vs momentary changes during a run.
- Emphasize units and conversions.
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💬 Discussion Starter
Ask students:
- How can two journeys have the same average speed but different motion?
- Why do units matter as much as the numbers?
- How can graphs tell a story about motion?
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🧒 Student Worksheet
Concept and Helping Material
Speed describes how fast an object moves. It compares distance travelled with the time taken, and is usually measured in metres per second (m/s).
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Vocabulary and Definitions
- — Distance travelled per unit time.
- — How far an object moves along a path.
- — The duration of an event, measured in seconds.
- — Total distance divided by total time.
- — Metres per second, an SI unit of speed.
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Hands-On Experiment or Activities
Activity 1: Toy Car Sprint
What You Need: toy car, tape measure, stopwatch, masking tape.
What You Do: Mark 2 m, roll the car, time the run; repeat 5 times and calculate average speed.
Think and Talk: What changed? What stayed the same?
Activity 2: Human Walking Speed
What You Need: tape measure, stopwatch, cones.
What You Do: Measure 10 m, walk it at normal pace, time it; compare with jogging.
Think and Talk: What changed? What stayed the same?
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Practice Questions (QA)
1. What does speed measure?
2. What is the SI unit of speed?
3. What is average speed?
4. If you travel 100 m in 20 s, what is your speed?
5. What happens to speed if time increases for the same distance?
6. What happens to speed if distance increases for the same time?
7. Why might two runners have the same average speed but different motion?
8. Is speed a scalar or vector?
9. Give one example of when average speed is useful.
10. Why must you include units with speed?
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Reflection
- Where do you see this idea in sports, travel, or everyday movement?
- What is one measurement or graph habit that would improve your answers?