English National Curriculum - Science

Velocity and acceleration

Mission Objectives

Describe what velocity is

Describe what acceleration is

Calculate change in velocity and acceleration

Sign up to access this content
Rocket Words Quiz

Rocket Words Quiz

See if you know all the meanings of the rocket words

Assessment Quiz

Assessment Quiz

Test your knowledge of this lesson

Word Search Game

Word Search Game

Find all the rocket words in the grid

Lesson Resources

Lesson Plan

View and print the lesson plan

View

Downloads

Save files related to this lesson

Keywords

Words and meanings to learn

velocity

the speed of an object in a specific direction; it is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction

speed

the rate at which an object covers distance; it is a scalar quantity, meaning it has only magnitude, without direction

distance

the total length of the path travelled by an object, irrespective of direction; it is a scalar quantity

acceleration

the rate of change of velocity per unit time; it describes how quickly an object's velocity changes and can be positive (speeding up) or negative (slowing down)

deceleration

negative acceleration, where an object’s velocity decreases over time (slows down)

This lesson has been written by

Samantha Batch

Samantha is an accomplished science educator with over 15 years of leadership experience and a strong background in scientific analysis. She has a proven record of leading departments effectively, improving practice, and working collaboratively with stakeholders.

In her current work, Samantha embeds evidence-informed pedagogical principles such as retrieval practice, clear modelling, and effective sequencing to support high-quality curriculum design and professional development. She draws on assessment insight and common misconceptions to help teachers secure strong student understanding.

She is a former Head of Chemistry and Sixth Form Tutor at Ilkley Grammar School, with extensive Key Stage 4 and 5 experience, and an AQA examiner, giving her valuable insight into assessment standards and exam requirements.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys playing the accordion with her local orchestra and has recently taken up cricket. 

Required Resources

Differentiated handouts

Exam questions

These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval from Developing Experts of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organisation or individual.

Developing Experts bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

You will be redirected to:

Expert film

Sign up to access this content

This lesson is only available to users with an active subscription.

Mission assignment film

Sign up to access this content

This lesson is only available to users with an active subscription.

Stay connected

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on features and releases

Address
Developing Experts Limited
Exchange Street Buildings
35-37 Exchange Street
Norwich
NR2 1DP
UK

Phone
01603 273515

Email
[email protected]

Copyright 2026 Developing Experts, All rights reserved.