Mathematics of Motion: Distance, Speed, and Time
Students begin by focusing on ways to measure, estimate and represent motion
and by looking at components of motion, such as distance, direction, speed
and time. They then start to develop different distance-time graphs, including
distance-from, distance-to and total-distance. In the final phase, students
gain additional practice translating among distance-time graphs and verbal
descriptions of the real-life situations the graphs represent. The emphasis
throughout the unit is on connections between different representations.
NCTM standard: Algebra
- Understand patterns, relations, and functions
- Represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using algebraic
symbols
- Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships
- Analyze change in various contexts
Primary Mathematical Goals
- Use equations and graphs to represent motion
- Compare rates by comparing slopes of lines
- Translate between written and verbal descriptions, tables, graphs, and
equations
- Collect, display, and analyze data related to various types of motion
