Velocity & Acceleration Task
Category: Sport Skills · 2-page printable PDF · Ages 7-8, 9-10 · Free for ConnectedPE members
A biomechanics task that takes two concepts students routinely mix up — velocity and acceleration — and grounds them in sporting performance. Students calculate both from movement data, graph the results, interpret what the curves show, then explain where each quantity matters most in sport: the sprinter's drive phase, the swimmer's turn, the winger's change of pace.
The calculation-and-graphing core makes this a genuine cross-over with Maths and Science, while the application questions keep it anchored in sport — students finish able to explain why the fastest athlete isn't always the quickest, and which sports reward each quality.
Two pages, designed for Years 7–10 including senior-secondary preparation. Use it within a biomechanics topic, as an assessment task, or alongside practical sprint testing where students generate the very data they analyse. Pairs with the movement-analysis tasks (Running, Striking) for a complete biomechanics sequence from concept to observation.
What students learn
Students distinguish velocity from acceleration, calculate each from movement data, graph the results, and apply the concepts to specific sport scenarios.
Topics: Biomechanics, Velocity, Acceleration, Motion Analysis, Senior Secondary
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