Lesson Plan 5.

Unit 5: Energy in Transportation

Topic: Going Places
Time Frame: 3 days

I. OBJECTIVES

General:

Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of force and motion as applied to land

and air/sea transport.

Specific:
1. Define speed operationally.
2. Write the correct units of speed.
3. Differentiate constant speed and average speed; average speed and
instantaneous speed.
2. Measure speed of a moving body.
3. Demonstrate teamwork in gathering data.

II. SUBJECT MATTER

A. Lesson Title: Speed

B. References:
1. DECS (1992) SEDP Science & Technology IV textbook p.61
2. MEC (1981) Physics in Your Environment p. 7
C. Materials: Activity sheet
stopwatch or wrist watch, meterstick, and string

III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A. Review/Motivation
1. Review the previous lesson.
2. Check assignment
3. Pose this question: How do you describe the motion of an object?
4. Introduce the new lesson and ask students to define speed in their own
words.

B. Lesson Proper
1. Explain the concept of average speed and instantaneous speed.

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-4

 Speed refers to the rate of motion. It is the ratio of distance covered and
the time of travel. In equation,

distance___
Speed = elapsed time

If the In symbol,
speed is
not constant, this speed is called the average speed.
For example, a bus traveled 120 kilometers in 3 hours. What is the speed of
the bus? Did the bus travel at constant speed of 40 km per h in 3 hours?

Perhaps, the bus traveled at 20 km/h, 30 km/h, 60 km/h or 120 km/h or it

stopped several times. In other words, its speed was not constant as it
traveled for 3 hours. So the 40 km per h refers to the average speed of the
bus.

Are you familiar with the instrument called speedometer? It is one of the
devices on the instrument panel in front of the driver’s seat of a motor
vehicle. Is the speed indicated in the speedometer an average speed. (No.)
The speedometer indicates the instantaneous speed of the vehicle which
means the speed of the vehicle at the instant you were reading the
speedometer.
2. Explain the standard units of speed.
Since speed is distance divided by time, speed is expressed in terms of the
unit of distance and unit of time. The SI unit for distance is meter, and time
is second. Thus, speed is expressed in meters per second or m/s. For
vehicles, the standard unit for speed is kilometers per hour or km/h (kph).
In other countries such as USA, they use miles per hour or mph as unit of
speed. What about the speed of ship? Are they also expressed in kph or
mph? (No. Ship’s speed is expressed in nautical per hour or knots.)
3. Divide the class into groups. Distribute the activity sheets and
materials by group. If the school is near a busy street or highway where
there are vehicles passing by, let the students perform Activity 5.2.1.
Otherwise, let your class do Activity 5.2.2. For Activity 5.2.2, divide the
class into two groups only.
4. Clarify the procedure of the activity. For Activity 5.2.1, assign the different
groups to different streets within the school zone. Inform the class that you
will be going around as they perform the activity and rate the group’s
teamwork. Only one score will be given to the members of the group.

C. Activity proper (Data gathering only)

1. Check if all the group members are participating in the Activity. Remind
them that they are being graded according to the group’s teamwork.

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-5

IV. ASSESSMENT

Rate the group’s teamwork using the following rating scale with the equivalent
points while the students are doing the activity.

Points
5 - Excellent (All the members are actively participating in the
activity.)
4 - Good (Majority of the members are actively participating in
the activity.
3 - Satisfactory (At least half of the group is actively participating in the
activity.)
2 - Poor (Most member are not actively participating in the activity.)
1 - Very poor (Little effort is exerted by the group.)
0 (Not attempted at all)

V. ASSIGNMENT

Answer the questions in the Analysis of the activity.

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-6

 Activity 5.2.1
Speed of Vehicles

Objectives

After this activity, you should be able to:

1. measure the average speed of vehicles passing the school zone,
2. compare the speed of vehicles, and
3. demonstrate teamwork in gathering data.

Materials:

 25 m string
 5 stopwatches or wristwatches per group
 5 flags or handkerchiefs

Procedure

1. Select a street around the school where there are vehicles passing by.
2. If you are using wristwatches, synchronize the time of the five watches.
3. Mark the starting position. Assign one member to stand at the starting
position.
4. Measure 25 m distance from the starting position and assign another
member to stand at this position.
5. Repeat step 2 for the 50 m position, 75 m position and 100 m position.
6. Select and time a vehicle that passes your positions as follows:
a. Start position – indicate the vehicle being timed by waving the flag
or handkerchief as the vehicle crosses the start position.
b. 25 meters position – begin timing at the “Start” command and stop
timing as vehicle crosses the 25 meter position.
c. 50 meters position – begin timing at the “Start” command and stop
as the vehicle crosses the 50 meters position.
d. 75 meters position – begin timing at the “Start” command and stop
as the vehicle crosses the 75 meters position.
e. 100 meters position – begin timing at the “Start” command and stop
as the vehicle crosses the finish line (100 m position).
7. Record your data on Table 5.2.1
8. Do step 6 two more times.
9. Calculate the average speed traveled by the vehicle.

Data and Results:

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-7

 Table 5.2.1
Distance Time Speed
d (m) t (s) v (m/s)
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
0
25
50
75
100

Analysis

1. Compare the speed of the vehicle for each distance traveled by the vehicle.
2. Calculate the average speed of the vehicle.
3. Compare the average speed and the speed at any particular distance
traveled.
4. Compare the average speed of the 3 vehicles? Are the vehicles’ speeds
within the speed limit in the school zone?

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-8

 Activity 5.2.2
How fast can you run?

Objectives

After this activity, you should be able to:

1. measure how fast can you run and

2. demonstrate teamwork in gathering data.

Materials

1 stopwatch or wristwatch
1 meterstick
1 short wooden stick
2 big stones or any markers
ash, sawdust, or powdered chalk

Procedure

1 Each team has a watcher, a timekeeper with a watch, and a recorder with a
notebook and pen.

2. Each team places two stones (or any marker) 20 m apart. One member of
each team draws a straight line from one stone to the other by using ash,
sawdust, or powdered chalk if teams are playing on grass; if on ground use
a stick.

3. The recorder makes a table similar to Table 5.2.2. The recorder places as
many rows as there are runners in the team.

4. The members of each team position themselves at the starting point and
wait until the teacher gives the signal.

5. When the teacher gives the signal, the first runner of each team runs along a
straight line from stone 1 to stone 2. The runner steps on stone 2, turns
about, and runs along the line back to stone 1. As soon as the first runner
starts to run, the watcher calls out “READ,” and the timekeeper notes the
time.

6. As the runner returns and steps on stone 1, he or she gives the stick to the
next runner. At the same time, the watcher calls out “READ.” the
timekeeper notes the time and the recorder records it on his or her table.

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-9

 (the recorded time is the time it takes a runner to go from stone 1 to stone 2
and back to stone 1.)

7. As soon as the next runner receives the stick, he or she repeats what the first
runner has done. The timekeeper, the watcher, and the recorder repeat
what they have done as accurately as they can.

8. Continue playing until all of the runners have their turn. when the game is
finished, the recorder of each team writes the data on the blackboard.

Data and Results

Team _____
Total distance traveled by each runner = 40 m
Time to Average
Runner travel 40 m speed
(s) (m/s)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Analysis

1. Copy the tables and label your tables.

2. (a) Which is the winning team? (b) Support your answer using the data in
the tables.
3. (a) Can you tell by observation who runs fastest in your team based on the
data gathered by the different watchers, timekeepers, and recorders?
(b) Is your observation the same as that of your classmates?
(c) Why do you use a watch and not just observe who runs faster?

Unit 5. Energy in Transportation Lesson Plan 5.2 -Speed 5-10