A step forward in kinesthetic activities for teaching kinematics in introductory physics

Abstract

We present a set of kinesthetic activities that utilize a local positioning system to teach kinematics in the physics classroom or laboratory. The activities build on previously reported activities in scope and complexity, incorporating two-dimensional motion and the simultaneous motions of multiple bodies. In these activities, students act out motions illustrated in graphs of kinematic quantities while holding a local positioning system device that tracks their position. Students are able to watch the data as they are graphed in real-time. These activities provide a kinesthetic experience of kinematics by allowing students to analyze their own movement rather than just the movement of specialized laboratory equipment.