Friction, Gravity, Sports: Physical Science in Action
Unit Portfolio Presentation
Mia Hamza
Unit Summary
Whether it’s cycling, skating, skiing, or auto racing that you’re
into, friction and gravity play an important role in sports
performance! Students will watch videos in class, conduct
online research, collaborate with classmates to share ideas and
brainstorm about how physical science factors in with sports
performance. Students will conduct an experiment in groups
that involves using the critical body motions and sports
apparatus’ involved in the sport of their own choice to gather
data on acceleration, air resistance, force, friction, and gravity.
Students will put all collected data into a table. Using this data
along with given physics formulas, they will calculate values for
acceleration, air resistance, force, friction, and gravity. Students
will write a report sharing their collected data, and will write a 2
page paper that connects these findings to a sport of their
choice.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential Question
Is conquering the impossible possible?
Unit Questions
How are motions affected by forces?
What is energy transfer?
Content Questions
How is speed different from acceleration?
How is speed calculated?
Are objects ever completely at rest?
How does a bicyclist riding without brakes slow down?
Physical Science in Action
This project will help my students
develop 21st century skills by:
Collaborating with peers
Analyzing data about motion and forces to complete a report that
answers Unit Questions in the discussion and conclusions sections
Using Physics formulas and making decisions about their experiment
Presenting their own evaluation in a paper about their chosen sport
Becoming independent learners by taking responsibility for their own
experiments
Goals for My Students
To become self-started in learning
To learn how scientists address questions by collecting data,
setting up / conducting experiments, and analyzing the process
To develop an interest in scientific topics
Gauging Student Needs Assessment
Purpose of the Assessment
To gather information about what students already know and what they still have to learn
about motion and forces
What I want to learn from my students?
I want to know what they already know about the curriculum-framing questions and how
they well they can work in groups to perform a variety of tasks – share ideas, write reports,
set up experiments
How have I tried to promote higher-order thinking?
I ask students to relate the concepts of force and motion to everyday activities and
interests.
How the assessment information helps me and my students plan for upcoming activities in
the unit?
The assessment will be used and reflected upon throughout the unit. This will allow
students to keep track of their learning and understanding. This will allow me to know
where I might need to provide more in-depth explanation and discussion time. Also, I will
be able to see the strengths and weaknesses of my students individually.
What feedback or additional ideas I’d like?
I would like some insight on my assessment, and also some perspective on how successful
this project might be by leaving the particular “sport study” up to each group of students –
rather than assigning them all the same one.
Goals for Myself
To get my students to connect science education with their
everyday lives, so as to increase engagement in the learning
process
Reflect throughout the unit so that I can refine the lessons and
Unit Questions
Learn about the different laboratory materials and experimental
setups that my students and I can use