Our Grade 11 Physics students were challenged to research and take a position regarding technology that applies concepts related to kinematics, a branch of mechanics sometimes called ‘the geometry of motion’. Our young physicists examined a range of current technologies and their impacts on our society and the environment. They weighed their pros and cons, and concluded by taking a position for or against their chosen form of mechanical innovation.
Subjects included the use of GPS, the uptick in the number of speed cameras being placed around the City of Toronto, the operation of spaceship launch boosters, and the value of velocity tracking devices for speed athletes. Students were responsible for both submitting a position paper and designing an informatics diagramme to process and present their information. Here are a few highlights from their writing:
Navigation applications that use GPS… have helped millions worldwide to save on time in transportation and fuel consumed.
...the use of speed cameras should be supported as they make our roads an altogether safer environment, not only for those on the street but also in the vehicle.
As much as we think space is a far away thing, without the technological advancements that have occurred to our ability to send rockets into space, life as we know it would not be the same or as facilitated as it is today.(Velocity training devices)improve efficiency of the training process, prevention of injury, accuracy of progress and more.The price … is definitely an investment, but it is a price athletes should be willing to pay in order to maximize their talents.
Thank you to Physics teacher Ms. Coyle for guiding our students in this intriguing field of science. Reading their work, she was inspired to bring their results to a wider audience via this article, and she looks forward to sharing their informatics posters at Hawthorn’s All-School Exhibition on January 29, 2026. She loved learning new ideas through their assignments, saying with delight, ‘Sometimes, they just surprise me!’
