In physics, we take both an algebraic and calculus-based approach to, essentially, discover why the natural laws of the world work the way they do.
Kinematics calculates the movement of objects (disregarding outside forces, such as wind resistance) So far, we've gone over kinematic equations, which help determine certain aspects of motion based on others. Did you know that you can figure out how high an object fell from if you know the velocity it hit the ground with and the time it took it to fall?