Physics Olympics

A fully planned lesson that aims to provide

targeted preparation to pupils for the new
specification of GCSE Physics Exams.

Ashley Ellis
Preface .................................................................3
Teacher Lesson Aims ........................................................................................................ 3
Student Learning Objectives ............................................................................................ 3
Relevance to Careers and Future Learning...................................................................... 4
General Issues when Teaching Equations ....................................................................... 4
Risk Assessment ...............................................................................................................4

Background Material ...........................................5

Gravitational Potential Energy ......................................................................................... 5
Weight ............................................................................................................................... 5
Work Done ........................................................................................................................ 5
Power ................................................................................................................................ 5
Kinetic Energy................................................................................................................... 5
Acceleration ...................................................................................................................... 5

Lesson Description and Plan...............................6

Description .......................................................................................................................6
Plan with Timings .............................................................................................................7

Planning...............................................................8
Equipment ........................................................................................................................ 8
Modifications for SEN Students.......................................................................................8

Feedback .............................................................. 9
Lesson Reflections ............................................................................................................ 9
Link to Online Version of Lesson for Planning Use......................................................... 9

Appendices .........................................................10
Scoresheet ....................................................................................................................... 10
Event 1 Worksheet - Hurdles .......................................................................................... 11
Event 2 Worksheet - Highfall .........................................................................................12
Preface
With the new GCSE Physics specification comes an added level of difficulty. Students are
no longer provided with an accompanying equation sheet during their examinations and
instead, must remember them. This lesson will aid students with this challenge and
provide a fun, competitive lesson, that utilises the equations in a real life context. With a
number of different tasks to be completed throughout the lesson, it caters for all types of
learners: visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

The lesson is targeted specifically towards year 11 students taking their GCSE Physics
examinations, however, it can also be given to year 9 and 10 students who have covered
the topic of energy. All of the equations are needed for both combined science and triple
science and apply to both levels: foundation and higher. Therefore, the lesson can be
delivered to all pupils taking Physics in any particular year group.

In terms of timing, this lesson has been designed to last for one hour, provided that their
is enough equipment available for a number of student groups. If less equipment is
available, the lesson will take longer. For groups with students of a lower ability level, the
lesson may take additional time.

Teacher Lesson Aims

‣ Increase student’s awareness of difficulties that they may face in their examinations.

‣ Provide students with an opportunity to use important equations, alongside time to

practice the mathematics of rearranging these equations.

‣ Provide students with an activity that allows their memory to make specific connections
with particular equations.

‣ Introduce an added level of difficulty with tasks that require more than one equation to
be used at once.

Student Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson I should be able to:

‣ Recall, by heart, equations required for my GCSE Physics examination.

‣ Substitute values into these equations in order to calculate values.

‣ Rearrange these equations algebraically, in order to calculate each of the different

variables of the equations.

‣ Link together a number of different equations, in order to answer higher level questions.
Relevance to Careers and Future Learning
One of the main design features of this lesson is that it introduces a new level of difficulty,
with a need to use more than one equation at once in order to solve some of the problems.
This serves as a good introduction to those students who are considering studying Physics
post-16. This is something which should be pointed out to students as they go through the
lesson. One of the biggest problems with uptake of Physics at A-Level and beyond is the
perceived level of difficulty, therefore, introducing this type of problem to students will
serve to increase their confidence, reiterating the point that Physics is not just a subject
for those achieving top grades.

Outside of Physics, many subjects and jobs require students and workers to be able to
perform multi-step problems. This lesson gives students an opportunity to experience
some of the challenges they may face day to day in their future studies, or their future
careers.

General Issues when Teaching Equations

The main issue students face when learning equations is the association they make with
Mathematics. A lot of students find Maths difficult and hence transfer that mindset into
Physics lessons when they see any equations. Therefore, the practical aspect of the lesson
aims to keep students involved in order to avoid this connection.

Risk Assessment
‣ Risk 1 - In event 1, students will be performing as many steps ups as possible in 30
seconds. They will therefore be moving quickly and there is a possible risk of them
missing their footing and slipping. Therefore, it is important that steps are placed in a
location where they are stable and where if a student was to slip, they would not cause
themselves any harm.

‣ Risk 2 - In event 2, students will be experiencing free fall from table height. Before
students begin the event it is imperative that they are instructed to bend their knees
upon landing. This will avoid any injuries from landing which could occur, especially
twisted ankles. 

Chapter One

Background Material
All of the following Physics is required to have been taught to students prior to this lesson.
After students have encountered these topics, they will have met all of the relevant
equations which will be utilised throughout. It may be useful to briefly remind students of
these definitions, before beginning the lesson.

Gravitational Potential Energy

‣ GPE is defined as the energy stored by an object due to its position above the Earth. It is
affect by three variables: mass, gravitational potential energy and height above the
Earth’s surface. GPE is measured in Joules.
‣ EP = m . g . h

Weight
‣ W is defined as the force exerted on a body due to gravity. It always acts vertically
downwards and is affected by two variables: mass and gravitational field strength.
Weight is measured in Newtons.
‣ W=m.g

Work Done
‣ WD is defined as the energy transferred when a force acting on the object causes it to
move. It is affected by two variables: force and distance. Work done is measured in
Joules.
‣ WD = F . d

Power
‣ P is defined as the rate at which work is done, the amount of energy transferred per unit
time. It is affected by two variables: work done and time. Power is measured in Watts.
‣ P = WD / t

Kinetic Energy
‣ KE is defined as the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It is affected by two
variables: mass and velocity. Kinetic energy is measured in Joules.

‣ EK = 1/2 . m . v2

Acceleration
‣ a is defined as the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time. It is
affected by three variables: initial velocity, final velocity and time. Acceleration is
measured in Meters per Second squared.

‣ a = (v - u) / t
Chapter Two

Lesson Description and Plan

This lesson should be split down into four distinct sections: the introduction, event one,
event two and the results. Below, I will give a brief description of each and a plan that
should be consulted in order for the lesson to run smoothly. It has been modelled on the
Olympic games, a way of emphasising the real life context of what students are learning in
the classroom. The lesson does involve some physical activity and therefore it is important
that a lot of enthusiasm is shown throughout, some students may be less forthcoming in
getting involved with such an activity.

Description
This lesson should begin with an introduction. You should explain to students the aims of
the lessons and why it is so important they memorise each equation. Depending on the
ability level of the class, it may be useful to go over the background information. At this
point, the students should be made aware that the lesson is a competition and groups will
be competing for a prize at the end.

Event one takes the olympic hurdles event and breaks it down into its basic Physics, work
being done as the athlete steps up and over each individual hurdle. For this event students
should work in groups and take it in turns to do as many steps ups as possible in 30
seconds. Using the data of the number of steps, the height of the step and time taken,
students should work through the event one worksheet. This will calculate their weight,
their work done and their power. The event will conclude with each group converting their
power into horsepower and providing a value for their combined team horsepower.

Event two takes the second part of the high jump and uses the basic Physics in order to
stretch student’s understanding of energy. Firstly, each student will take turn to step off a
table and time how long it takes to land. Teams should find that everyone takes very
similar times because free fall velocity is independent of mass. They are asked to try and
come up with this conclusion from their measurements of time. The next part of the task
is a thought experiment. Students are asked to design a method of calculating the velocity
of each person as they fell. They should do this by equating the loss in GPE to the gain in
Kinetic Energy. This should improve students understanding of energy and how it can be
used in a real life context.

The lesson should end with a summary and a results collation. The groups should be
awarded points for their combined horsepower in event one and their methods in event
two. The groups should then be awarded small prizes for placing 3rd, 2nd and 1st, as with
the Olympics.
Plan with Timings
Below is a short plan of how the lesson should be carried out in order to fit everything in.
Reading over this before beginning the lesson will give you an idea of how the lesson
should run it order to maximise its effectiveness.

• Introduction to the lesson.

• Go through student aims.
10
Introduction • Go through the background information if necessary.
Minutes
• Make students aware of how this lesson will help with
future studies and future careers.
• Read through the event 1 worksheet.
• Give a safety briefing regarding step ups.
• Give out the equipment to the groups and start students off
on event one.
25 • Whilst students do step ups, monitor safety of the class.
Event 1
Minutes • When students start working on the calculations help can
be given where necessary. The purpose of this event is to
use equations to acquire results and get practice
rearranging equations and subbing in values. Therefore,
any help can be given where necessary.
• Read through the event 2 worksheet.
• Give a safety briefing regarding stepping off from height.
• Start students off on the part of the event that times them
stepping off of a height.
• Set students off on the through experiment part of the
20 event.
Event 2
Minutes • Help should be given sparingly in this part of the lesson, it
is important that students work together to think about the
relationships of energy and how they can use them.
• If students are struggling, they can be told that their free
fall times should all be the same, this may help them with
the thought experiment,
• Total up the points.
• Emphasise key points from the lesson and go over the
5 Minutes Prize Giving equations briefly.
• Give out prizes.
• Summarise student learning objectives.

It is important to note that this plan is not set in stone and the lesson should progress at a
pace which is appropriate for the group ability level. If necessary, it is possible to split the
lesson into two and do event 1 and event 2 separately.
Chapter Three

Planning
This section details any additional planning teachers will need to do before delivering this
lesson. This includes an exhaustive list of equipment and lesson modifications which
should be put into place for a number of common classroom learning difficulties.

Equipment
‣ Stopwatch (1 per group.)

‣ Metre rule (1 per group.)

‣ Step (1 per group. Minimum height of 0.4m preferable.)

‣ Weighing scales (1 per group. Must measure in Kg.)

‣ Table to step from (1 per group. Sensible height.)

Modifications for SEN Students

For students with a physical disability which would impede their ability to do step ups and
or step down from the table there are three options. The best option would be to provide a
smaller step so that they can still be involved or provide physical help with the activity, if
this is enough support. However, for students who aren’t able to carry out any of the
physical parts of the lesson, a set of average results should be provided for them so that
they can still carry out the calculations side of the lesson.

For students for speak English as a second language and would benefit more from having
the worksheets in their mother tongue, the sheets are purposefully written in standard
English so that they can be translated easily and comprehensibly on google translate.

For students who have some level of visual impairment and would benefit from an
enlarged version of the worksheets, an online link has been provided to the documents
which will allow the font to be edited and hence a larger version printed off.

To aid students that have either dyslexia or dysgrahpia, the lesson has been designed to be
a team effort. At the start of the lesson, when teams are formed, any students who have
either of these learning difficulties should be paired with another student. Therefore,
students with dysgraphia have a partner who can help them write and students with
dyslexia have a partner who can help them read and understand the task.

For students with dyscalculia the worksheet has purposefully been designed to be very
light on numbers, with equations only stated at the start. However, the worksheets do
require a fair number of calculations and therefore anyone delivering the lesson should be
on hand to help students where necessary.
Chapter Four

Feedback
Lesson Reflections
From my own experience of running this lesson I would like to share some reflections and
points to note, which will hopefully serve to improve its effectiveness. To the classes I have
delivered the lesson to, it has worked very well and by the end I could see students making
connections with the equations, that would not only help them remember them, but also
help them understand the purpose of each.

One problem that did arise was something that is generally apparent when students are
made to work in groups, some students like to take a more active role. The lesson is
specifically designed so that everyone in the team has to take part, however, there are
points when the groups need to think as a group and it is important that those delivering
the lesson make sure that the workload is shared. From the lessons I delivered, it was very
easy to spot those pupils who tried to take a back seat and it is important to encourage
them to get involved.

Another problem that arose was that some students were worried about a number of
things: weighing themselves, completing the step ups and stepping off of a table. In order
to try and manoeuvre these problems, it is very important to be enthusiastic. Reassure
pupils that doing this will really improve their Physics knowledge and that their results
will not be a reflection upon them at all. From my own deliveries of this lesson, all pupils
got involved and benefited from the lesson. If any students are really concerned about
taking part, it is possible to give them a set of average data so that they can still continue
with the mathematical part of the lesson.

Finally, as with any competition, it can become quite competitive and therefore it is
important to be vigilant. Any groups that are either getting competitive within their own
team, or between teams should be warned that they will lose points for arguing and that
the point of the lesson is to learn in a friendly, competitive manner.

Link to Online Version of Lesson for Planning Use

Chapter Five

Appendices
Scoresheet
Team Behaviour Event 1 - Event 1 - Event 2 - Event 2 -Method Total
Number throughout Guess at total Highest total Conclusion to calculate Scores
the lesson. team horsepower from landing velocity
horsepower times.

For behaviour, all teams should start with 3 points. A point should be deducted each time the team
has to be told off for their behaviour. The competition aspect of the lesson should ensure students
are better behaved, due to the disappointment of losing points.

For the guess at total team horsepower, teams should be awarded 1 point for the correct answer
and 0 for the wrong answer. The answer to this should not be revealed until the whole event has
been completed.

For the highest total horsepower, the teams should be put in rank order and the team with the
highest combined total should be awarded 6 points. The next highest total should be awarded one
point less each time, with the team with the lowest combined horsepower being awarded 1 point.

For the conclusion on landing times, teams should be given 1 point if they realise that free fall time
is independent of mass and everyone should have the same time in theory but slightly different
times in practice due to human error.

For the effectiveness of the method to calculate velocity, teams with a good working method
should be awarded 3 points. Teams with a method that is almost there should be awarded 2 point
and teams who don’t come up with a method should be awarded 0 points.

The total scores should be calculated and a small prize should be given to the teams in 3rd, 2nd
and 1st, as with the Olympics. Depending on the maturity of the class, it may be more fun for the
class to have the scoresheet visible throughout the lesson. However, this is at the discretion of
individual teachers and will not have any bearing on the overall effectiveness of the lesson.
Event 1 Worksheet - Hurdles
In this first event you will be calculating the horsepower of your group. Your team will be awarded
points for different parts of the event including your attitude and behaviour throughout.

During this first event we will be using the following equations:

- Work = Force x Distance (1)
- Power = Work / Time (2)

For your first point, as a team please tick the box that you think will best represent the total
horsepower of your team.

3 Horses - 3 Hp

Smart Car - 71 Hp

Vauxhall Astra - 98 Hp

BMW M3 - 240 Hp

Ferrari 458 - 562 Hp

Now for the event! Each team will now take turns to do step-ups. Each member of the team will
get 30 seconds to do as many step-ups as possible and then using the steps below you will
calculate your individual horsepower and your total team team horsepower. You will also weigh
yourself at this point. The height of the step is _____ m.

Person Number Distance Mass Weight / N Work / J Power / W Horsepower /

Number of steps Climbed / m / Kg Hp
climbed

Step 1 - Calculate the distance climbed by multiplying the height of the step by the number of
steps completed.

Step 2 - Multiply your mass by gravitational field strength to calculate your weight. (g=9.81ms-2).

Step 3 - Calculate your work done by multiplying your weight by your distance climbed.

Step 4 - Calculate your power by dividing your work by the time spent stepping. (30 seconds)


Step 5 - Calculate your horsepower by dividing your power by 746. Total up your team’s
horsepower.

Our team’s total horsepower is _________ Hp.

Event 2 Worksheet - Highfall
In this second event you will be undertaking the second half of the high jump and participating in
the high fall. This event will be a measure of your understanding of a number of quantities. For this
entire event we will be ignoring the effect of air resistance.

During this second event you will be using the following equations:
- Gravitational Potential Energy = Mass x Gravitational Field Strength x Height (1)
- Kinetic Energy = One Half x Mass x Velocity2 (2)

To begin the event you should take it in turns within your team to step off something of table
height, measuring the time each person spends falling. Each person will step off twice and record
the times in the table below.

Person 1

Person 2

Person 3

Person 4

Person 5

Person 6

Now take a moment to talk within your group about the times you have measured. There should
be something interesting about your results. Write down what you think it is below, a point will be
awarded for the correct answer.

The next part of the task involves a thought experiment. As a group you need to think about how
you could calculate the velocity of each person as they experience free fall when they step of the
table. You will be given up to three marks for your method and this should include some algebra.
You may find it useful to think about the answer you have to the previous question, along with the
equations listed above.