Distance and Displacement
Free to teach as-is — the teacher guide, student handout, and slides are included.
Free — we'll email you an access link. Google Docs format.
Objective
I can differentiate between distance and displacement, and explain why displacement includes direction while distance does not.
Part 1 of 3
Warm-up video
GPB Education · 5:53
We don't generate video — this one is by GPB Education on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 3
Practice
7 questions
Explain the difference between distance and displacement in your own words. Give a real-world example to illustrate your explanation.
Why is displacement considered a vector quantity, while distance is considered a scalar quantity?
Part 3 of 3
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“A student walks 8 meters east and then 6 meters west. What is the total distance the student traveled? What is the student's displacement from their starting point, including direction? A dog runs 10 meters north and then 10 meters south. What is the total distance the dog ran? What is the dog's displacement from its starting point, including direction? ”
Sample answer included in the free materials
Get the materials
Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities
Student Handout
Printable worksheet
Slides
Ready to present
We'll ask for your email to send your access link — nothing else.
Teaching a group at a different level?
Where are your students right now? We'll rebuild this lesson to match — including the teacher guide, student handout, and slides, saved to your Google Drive.
Adapt This Lesson
