Speed & Distance-Time Graphs
Calculate average speed using the equation speed = distance ÷ time, represent journeys on distance-time graphs, and interpret gradient as speed and flat sections as stationary periods
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Speed & Distance-Time Graphs means practising the idea at the table with a simple hands-on check. We will demo once, then your child tries.”
Bring to the table
- A small toy car or ball
- A ramp or book stack and a ruler
Extra for the adult
Worked example. A stronger push sends the car farther down the table than a gentle push.
Optional challenge. For Speed & Distance-Time Graphs, add one harder example after success.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: examples tried; results; support used. This session samples Speed & Distance-Time Graphs, not mastery.
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Speed & Distance-Time Graphs means practising the idea at the table with a simple hands-on check. We will demo once, then your child tries.
Materials: A small toy car or ball; A ramp or book stack and a ruler. 1. Say the goal of Speed & Distance-Time Graphs in plain words once. 2. Adult gives one gentle push and one stronger push, then compares how far the object travels. 3. Child tries three push or pull trials and records which force made a bigger change. 4. Fresh check: one fresh push/pull comparison. Record and stop. Done: three recorded trials with a clear force comparison. Proof: parent note of examples and results. Stop: End after the fresh check; keep optional challenge for another day.
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Practice this concept
Start practiceSpeed & Distance-Time Graphs practice
Practice key ideas from Speed & Distance-Time Graphs.
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Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
PhET Interactive Simulations · Practice link — not the full lesson
Forces and Motion: Basics
Before you open · source notes
Forces and Motion: Basics supports hands-on exploration for Speed & Distance-Time Graphs. Not every lab worksheet.
Free interactive page, no sign-in required for the tested path.
Before you openAsk the learner what they changed in the sim or page and what they observed.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public PhET Interactive Simulations page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
PhET Interactive Simulations. “Forces and Motion: Basics.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Uses speed = distance ÷ time to calculate average speed with correct units (m/s, km/h)
- Draws a distance-time graph for a given journey with correct axes and labels
- Reads a distance-time graph to determine speed, stopping points, and direction of travel
- Identifies which section of a distance-time graph represents the fastest speed
“If your child tracked a cycle ride on a map and knew how far they went and how long it took, could they calculate the average speed — and then sketch a rough graph showing the journey including a stop for lunch?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Forces & Motion
- Age range
- Ages 11–12
Standards