How Fast? Calculating Speed

About This Resource

A free Grade 6 science worksheet on speed: what speed means, the formula speed = distance ÷ time, rearranging it to find distance and time, the units m/s and km/h, comparing the speeds of people, animals and vehicles, and reading a simple distance-time story. Students calculate with real-life examples, from snails to trains, and explain why average speed is not the same as top speed. Includes a timed lesson plan, a six-activity worksheet, an editable Word version and answer key.

Overview

Students learn that speed tells us how far something travels in a certain amount of time. They use the formula speed = distance ÷ time, and rearrange it to find distance (speed × time) and time (distance ÷ speed). They learn the common units, meters per second and kilometers per hour, and always write the unit with the answer. Students calculate speeds for runners, cyclists, cars, trains and even snails, compare them, and learn that most journeys have an average speed because things speed up and slow down along the way.

Resource Details

Subject: Science
Topic: Calculating Speed
Category: Forces & Energy
File Type: PDF
File Size: 261.9 KB
Published: 09 Nov 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 6 science (ages 11–12) 45 minutes Physical science measuring calculating using formulas comparing data

Student Task

Ask two students to walk 10 m, one slowly and one quickly, while the class times them. Ask: "Who was faster? How can we show it with numbers?"
Do activities 1 and 2 together, writing the formula and the unit each time.
Students complete activities 3 to 6 on their own. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Use

Speed trials: students walk, hop and walk backwards over 10 m; partners time each trial and calculate the speed in m/s.
Speed league table: rank animals and vehicles by speed using data cards.
Toy car test: time a toy car over 1 m on different surfaces and compare speeds.

Differentiation

Support: use only speed = distance ÷ time with whole-number answers and give the formula triangle. Challenge: students convert between m/s and km/h (multiply by 3.6) and compare a cheetah's speed with a car's.

Answer Key & Assessment

Activities 1 to 5 check calculating speed, distance and time and choosing units (answer key included). Activity 6 shows whether students understand average speed.

Learning Objectives

Explain what speed means and name its units.
Calculate speed, distance and time using speed = distance ÷ time.
Compare speeds and explain the difference between average speed and top speed.

Teacher Tips

Use the formula triangle (distance on top, speed and time below) to help students rearrange the formula. Insist that every answer has a unit, and check that the units match: kilometers with hours, meters with seconds.

What's Included

7-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (6 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (6 activities)
Editable Word version of the worksheet
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)