10th Grade Acceleration Lesson Plan (Science)

Topic: acceleration

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to define and distinguish between uniform and non-uniform acceleration.
• Students will be able to calculate the rate of acceleration and the resulting velocity and displacement of an object undergoing unifom or non-uniform acceleration.

Materials

• College geometry textbook
• Calculator
• Whiteboard and markers

Warm-up

• Show students a video of an object accelerating on a track, such as a car accelerating from a standstill or a ball accelerating from throw into the air. Ask them to describe what they see in terms of the object's velocity and displacement.
• Ask students to consider a ball being thrown into the air. Ask them to predict how the ball's velocity and displacement will change with each successive throw.

Direct Instruction

• Define uniform acceleration as the change in velocity divided by the change in time for an object that is moving in a straight line.
• Non-uniform acceleration is any acceleration that is not uniform. This can include acceleration due to changing speed or acceleration due to changes in direction.
• Explain that the video that was shown as a warm-up was an example of uniform acceleration, since the object's velocity and displacement were changing at the same rate over time.
• Show students a video of an object accelerating non-uniformly, such as a car accelerating on a track or a ball thrown into the air. Ask them to again describe what they see in terms of the object's velocity and displacement.
• Ask students to consider a car accelerating on a track. Ask them to predict how the car's velocity and displacement will change with each successive acceleration.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with several examples of objects accelerating non-uniformly, such as a ball thrown into the air, a car accelerating on a track, and a rocket taking off.
• Have students work in pairs or small groups to analyze the videos, paying close attention to the object's velocity and displacement.
• Have students share their observations and conclusions with the class.

Independent Practice

• Provide students with a worksheet or online activity that requires them to analyze a given scenario and determine if the acceleration is uniform or non-uniform.
• Encourage students to use their reasoning skills and the given information to come to a conclusion rather than simply selecting the first option.

Closure

• Review the key concepts of uniform and non-uniform acceleration with the class.
• Ask students to share any insights or questions that they have about the concept.

Assessment

• Observe students during the guided and independent practice activities to assess their understanding of uniform and non-uniform acceleration.
• Collect and review the completed worksheets and independent practice activities for accuracy and understanding of the concept.