11th Grade Biomechanics Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Angular Velocity

Objectives & Outcomes

• Understand the concept of angular velocity and how to calculate it.
• be able to apply angular velocity in a sports science context.

Materials

• Mechanical clock or watch with second hand
• pencil and paper for calculation practice

Warm-up

• Have students stand up and stretch for a few minutes.
• Ask them to think about how they might measure how fast they are turning if they were on a ride at an amusement park, such as a swing ride or a car ride that goes in a circle.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of angular velocity (ω), which is the rate at which an object is rotating around a given axis.
• Explain that the angular velocity is measured in radians per second (rad/s) and is calculated by dividing the angle of rotation by the time it takes to complete one revolution.
• For example, if it takes 1 second for a carousel to make one revolution, and the carousel is turning at an angle of 360 degrees, then the angular velocity is 360 rad/s.
• Explain that angular velocity is important in sports because it can help us understand how quickly an object is moving, such as a baseball or a football.
• For example, if a quarterback throws a football with an angular velocity of 10 rad/s and a wide receiver catches it with an angular velocity of 20 rad/s, then the wide receiver is moving twice as fast as the ball (and therefore has to adjust his or her body to catch it).
• Show an example using a baseball or a tennis ball to demonstrate how to calculate the angular velocity using the circumference and the angle of rotation.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to calculate the angular velocity of a carousel, a bicycle wheel, or a baseball using a calculator or a calculator app.
• Ask students to explain their calculations and how the angular velocity relates to the object in question.

Independent Practice

• Have students work on a project-based activity where they have to design and build a model car using a specific amount of materials.
• Students should calculate the angular velocity of their car using a calculator or a calculator app, and use this information to design the gearing of their car.
• Have students present their cars to the class and explain how they used the angular velocity to optimize the gearing of their car.

Closure:

• Review angular velocity and how to calculate it.
• Discuss the practical applications of angular velocity in sports and how it can be used to design equipment and strategies.

Assessment:

• Quiz on angular velocity and how to calculate it.
• Written report on a sport and how angular velocity was used to design equipment or strategies.
• Describe how angular velocity can be applied in the sport being studied, and any challenges that may occur in its use.