8/13/2019 Lesson Plan for Vector Math

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Lesson plan for Vector Addition1: Introduction to Vector math

phet.colorado.eduTime for activity 80 minutes

Learning Goals: Students ill !e a!le to

"#plain vector representations in their on ords

$onvert !eteen the of angular form of vectors and the component form

%dd vectors.

&ac'ground:

I used this as part of an introduction to vectors. The students had !een or'ing ith vector and

scalar (uantities for a!out a month. )y students had no e#perience ith vector math. %lmost all

the !oo' pro!lems give vectors in angular style. )y te#t uses all acute angles in mapcoordinates. In our !oo'* +0,- means +0 north of est. %fter this activity* Ill have to help the

students thin' a!out vectors ith this system since the simulation a different system. The angles

in the sim have a ma# of 180. They are measured from due east. $ounter/cloc'ise is positive.So 0 ,- is 10. $loc'ise is negative. So 0 S" is /0 and 0 S- is /10.

%lso* I revieed some geometry including the definitions of sine* cosine and tangent. )y

students are not very familiar ith the unit circle and fe have had trigonometry. I dre a righttriangle ith a*!*c notation li'e they used in geometry and then ith #*y*2 notation that is used

in physics. I also dre a unit circle and helped ma'e sense of the angle measure. 3ne thing I

found* during the activity* as that some of them anted to use sine* etc on any triangle and thatthey needed to !e reminded that the triangle must !e a right triangle.

Vector Addition Introduction: I did not demonstrate ho to use the sim* I 4ust gave them the

path from the home page. If they use 5irefo#* they need to hit the refresh !utton to get the latestversion of the sim.

Lesson:2emind the students to change their calculator mode to Degrees.

6ave the students use the la! sheet for guidance after the class discussion. )y students

or'ed in pairs. I fre(uently chec'ed understanding !y stopping at each group. %fter theyfinished (uestion +* I as'ed them a!out their understanding of linear verses 7 math using their

anser for e#ample: 9If you are driving 11 mph east and 8 mph north* are you going 1 mph;18>701+ Loe!lein

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