PhyPhysicssics

Prompt Question: What is Physics?Answer:Physics is the study of matter and energy and how they interact.

Gesture: Pretend to open a book (studying), then make two fists with your hands and then roll them energetically around each other in bicycle motion.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:3.2.10.B1

Relative Relative MotionMotion

Prompt Question: What is Relative Motion?Answer: Relative motion is movement of an object compared to something else.

Gesture: Hold hands out, palms up, and make a “weighing” motion to compare one hand to the other.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

LifeLife Science Science

Prompt Question: What is Life Science?Answer: Life Science is the study of living things. It includes biology, zoology, and botany.

Gesture: Pretend to open a book (studying) and then put hand on heart and make a “beating” gesture.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

PhysicalPhysical Science Science

Prompt Question: What is Physical Science?Answer: The physical sciences study matter that is not alive: geology, astronomy, chemistry & physics

Gesture: Pretend to open a book, then make a fist, like a rock. (for lifeless “matter”)

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

ChemChemistryistry

Prompt Question: What is Chemistry?Answer: Chemistry is the study of how matter is put together, how atoms combine to form molecules, and molecules combine to make up all kinds of matter.

Gesture: Pretend to open a book, then make two fists to represent atoms and stack them on top of each other in a building motion. Then make a sweeping “all” gesture.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

BioBiologylogy

Prompt Question: What is Biology?Answer: Biology is the study of living things and life processes.

Gesture: Pretend to open a book, then make a “growing motion” with your hands.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

FactFact

Prompt Question: What is a Fact?Answer: A Fact is an agreement between observers regarding the same phenomenon.

Gesture: Shake hands with yourself.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Law Law oror Principle Principle

Prompt Question: What is a Law or Principle?Answer: A Law or Principle is a hypothesis that has been tested over and over and never contradicted.

Gesture: Hold both hands palm up, and quickly slap the bottom hand with the back of the top hand several times (“over and over”).

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Is the germ theory of disease “just a theory?”

Scientific Scientific TheoryTheory

Prompt Question: What is a Scientific Theory?Answer: A Scientific Theory is a collection of facts, laws and well-tested hypotheses used to explain aspects of the natural world

Gesture: Hold arms out and make a “gathering in” motion (for “collection”).

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

ScientificScientific Method Method

Prompt Question: What is Science?Answer: A method of answering theoretical

questions. It’s a way of knowing.

Gesture: Observation=make “goggles” with hands, Hypothesis=point to head,Experiment=Pretend to pour one test tube into another, Data Analysis=pretend to punch numbers on calculator, Conclusion=Tap head with both hands in “Aha” motion..

Ninth Grade

PA Std:3.2.10.B7

Observation

Hypothesis

Experiment

Data Analysis

Conclusion

HypothesisHypothesis

Prompt Question: What is a Hypothesis?Answer: A scientific Hypothesis is an educated guess, presumed to be correct, that is

measurable and can be proven false.

Gesture: Point to head (guess) then hold hands apart, palms in (as in “so big” for “measurable). Then shake finger as you would to tell a child “NO!” (as in “false”)

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Metric Metric SystemSystem

Prompt Question: What is the Metric System?Answer: The metric system is a measurement method based on the powers of 10.

Gesture: Hold open right hand high, up by left shoulder. “Step down” and to the right, saying each prefix as you go.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Kilo

Hecto

Deka

Base Unit

Deci

Centi

Milli

Length: meters (m)Mass: grams (g)Volume: liters (l)Time: seconds/hrs

DisDisplaceplacement ment

Prompt Question: What is displacement?Answer: Displacement is the shortest distance you can travel from one position to another in a given direction..

Gesture: Hold hands apart, palms facing in. Move one hand toward the other in a straight path.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Displacement = 120m NEDistance = 200m

Average Average SpeedSpeed

Prompt Question: What is Average Speed?Answer: Average speed is total distance/total time for any given trip.

Gesture: Hold up both hands, palms in, to show distance. Make a slash/divide gesture with one hand, followed by a letter “T” formed by one hand on top of the other.

Ninth Grade

PA Std 3.2.10.B7

t

dv =

Instantaneous Instantaneous SpeedSpeed

Prompt Question: What is Instantaneous Speed?Answer: Instantaneous speed is an object’s speed at any given instant.

Gesture: Clap hands together as you say “instant.”

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Which way is the wind blowing?

VeloVelocitycity

Prompt Question: What is Velocity?Answer: Velocity is an object’s speed in a given direction.

Gesture: Point index finger to the left and “zoom” hand in that direction.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

AcceleAccelerationration

Prompt Question: What is Accleration?Answer: Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes over time.

Gesture: Make a “taking off” motion with one hand, like an airplane.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

DeceleDecelerationration

Prompt Question: What is Deceleration?Answer: Deceleration is a decrease in speed (will be negative if original direction was positive)

Gesture: Pretend to hold a steering wheel while stepping on an imaginary brake with your foot

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

GraGravityvity

Prompt Question: What is Gravity?Answer: Gravity is an attractive force that exists around all objects with mass.

Gesture: Make two fists and bring them together.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

FreeFreefallfall

Prompt Question: What is FreeFall?Answer: FreeFall occurs when an object falls under the influence of gravity only.

Gesture: Make a falling motion followed by the the gesture for gravity (two fists and bring them together).

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Independent Independent VariableVariable

Prompt Question: What is an Independent Variable?Answer: The Independent Variable is the one controlled directly by the experimenter. Usually goes on the X-Axis.

Gesture: Point up with one index finger, then make a “gameboy control” motion, followed by a horizontal motion (X-axis).

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

X-Axis

Dependent Dependent VariableVariable

Prompt Question: What is a Dependent Variable?Answer: The Dependent Variable is influenced by the Independent Variable and is measured by the experimenter. Usually goes on the Y-Axis on a graph.

Gesture: Cross your index over your middle finger so it “depends” on the middle finger, then make a “measurement” gesture, followed by a vertical motion for Y-axis.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Y-A

xis

Slope = Slope = Rise/Run Rise/Run

Prompt Question: What is the slope of a line?Answer: The slope of a line is the change in the y-axis divided by the change in the x-axis, or rise/run.

Gesture: Make a vertical motion with one hand, then the divide slash motion, followed by a horizontal motion.

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

x

yslope

∆∆=

run

rise

xx

yy =−−=

12

12

Air Air ResistanceResistance

Prompt Question: What is air resistance?Answer: Air resistance is the frictional force of air that slows down a falling object.

Gesture: Make a “falling-leaf” gesture with one hand (or both).

Ninth Grade

PA Std:

Terminal Terminal VelocityVelocity

Prompt Question: What is Terminal Velocity?Answer: Terminal Velocity occurs when air resistance equals the weight of a falling object, and the speed becomes constant.

Gesture: Point one index finger up, then push down on it with the other. Make a “balancing scale” motion and then a constant velocity motion downward.

Ninth Grade

PA Std: