1. Misconceptions in Kinematics
A review of research with connections to Active Physics

2. “DIFFICULTIES IN CONNECTING MOTION GRAPHS TO PHYSICAL CONCEPTS” McDermott et al, June 1987

3. Misconceptions

4. Misconceptions Students have difficulty with:
The difference between the slope and height of a graph.
Changes in height and slope.

5. Misconceptions Students have difficulty with:
Relating one type of graph to another(position, velocity, acceleration)
Matching narrative information with related features of a graph
The meaning of the area under a graph

6. Misconceptions Students have difficultly with:
Representing continuous motion with a line or curve
Differentiating between the shape of a graph and the path of the motion
Negative velocity, constant acceleration

7. Instructional Strategies

8. Instructional Strategies
Three graphs of same shape
Position, Velocity, Acceleration
Aids in students’ ability to identify differences in ways information is conveyed

9. Instructional Strategies
Graphs in different contexts
Other physics topics (ex: heat transfered vs. temperature)
Contexts outside scope of physics (ex: oil consumption vs. time)

10. Instructional Strategies
Transfer between graph and real-world phenomena
Given an object’s behavior, graph observed phenomenon
Given graphs, construct a track that will show corresponding behavior.

11. Active Physics

12. Active Physics Many of these strategies are built in
Connection of real-word and graphs
Ex: Sports 1 Activity Four: Carl Lewis’s Race
Challenge for teacher--remember misconceptions
When possible, confront students with those misconceptions (ex: The position graph is going up, so that means it’s speeding up, right?)

13. Active Physics
Take advantage of opportunities to connect real-world phenomena with graphs.
Quick sketches of graphs for observed phenomena develop students’ understanding of the nature of graphs.
Given graphs, have students reproduce phenomena.
Show graphs that “appear” similar. What makes them different?