Alright, everyone, take a look at Tommy, who’s dressed nicely and sitting at his desk right now. Who can tell me how fast Tommy is moving? What if I were to tell you that he’s actually moving at around 1000 mph? How is that possible? Tommy is indeed moving at a rate of about 1000 mph because, if we were up in space, that’s the rate at which most of the Earth is spinning.
I once had a student come up to me with a curious question. He had always wondered what would happen if he jumped on a moving train. So one day, with his little brother, he grabbed onto the railing and took the leap. And where did he land? He landed at the same spot from which he jumped.
Here are some fantastic videos I like to show when introducing this topic:
1) Imagine a car driving to the right at 20 miles per hour, and a cannonball is shot out of it in the opposite direction at 20 miles per hour. How would it appear to someone watching this happen? [Video Link]
2) While riding a skateboard, you throw a ball straight up into the air. Where will the ball land? In front of you, behind you, or on you? [Video Link]
3) How do cars seem to move when they are driving next to each other or against each other? [Video Link]
Additionally, here are some discussion questions I love to engage students with:
1) If you were on an airplane that was crashing, would you be able to jump out of it at the last second before it crashed and be safe? Why or why not?
2) Why is it that when you’re learning to do a layup in basketball, it’s common to overshoot the ball?
3) Is it easier to catch a ball when you’re running toward it or away from it?
This topic offers a wealth of fruitful discussion about everyday occurrences. I hope your class enjoys it as much as mine does! 😊
Best wishes,
Ray Burns
