Distance / Time Graphs

Further Ideas

Students can be presented with simple graphs like the ones below and invited to tell a story about a journey that fits the graph. They will need to recognise the meanings of horizontal sections and sections with negative gradients. They should also begin to appreciate the connection between gradient and speed. Omitting scales gives greater scope for imagination, and allows contrasting contexts to be explored. They could, for example, make two stories for the same graph, one involving a journey made by a Space Shuttle and the other by a snail. As the stories evolve, scales can be introduced to fit the contexts, with appropriate units discussed and chosen. Making speed calculations and checking the fit of their results with the context allows further development of the concepts. Students could then create their own graphs for class discussion, or make up stories that the class then illustrate on graphs.