Video Lesson

Subject
Physics

Description of the video lesson
This video could also be used for applied mathematics.
The main contents include:
Historical introduction: examination of all the different historical theories about space and orbits from Aristotle to Newton.
Introduction to Kepler’s laws to explain the movements of the planets and the law of universal gravitation
Explanation of the ellipse
Brief explanation of how satellites are launched into space; examining their orbits in order to introduce the concept of the parabola and of the hyperbola.

Level of English
Basic English vocabulary and grammar and some technical terms.

Pre-requisites
Students should have basic English listening and comprehension skills. They may also have encountered some of the technical parts in mathematics.

Language aims
Students should improve listening, reading and comprehension skills.
Keywords include:
Orbit
Space
Gravity
Mass
Gravitational pull
Orbited
Planets
Ellipse
Oval
Universal Gravitation
Exert
Force
Mass
Elliptical
Gravitational pull
Satellite
Parabolic
Hyperbolic
Parabola
Symmetrical
Hyperbola
Infinite
Eccentricity
Stable

Subject aims
The historical approach stimulates the students’ curiosity
The connections with reality stimulate the students’ observation skills.
The students should learn how to identify the laws of physics which are behind some phenomena and how to learn about the mathematical models which describe them

Students' Difficulties
Students often learn by heart about conics as a geometric place and their learning is meant to solve simple exercises with no connection to reality.

Students' Skills
Students should develop reading, listening and comprehension skills.
They should be able to connect abstract mathematical concepts with real-world examples.

Teaching Resources