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Got Gravity?

A 5th grade STEM lesson

Author:

Arianna Johnson

Date

6/30/2023

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Notes for teachers

Taught in Classroom

Students will work in groups in the classroom and complete this project over a few days. It will need to be done by the discretion of the teacher based on class size and needs of the classroom.

Objects Falling Video:

https://youtu.be/TOSVk1a8MW4

Gravitational Pull Video:

https://youtu.be/HWuCf3A0maY

Gravity Comparisons Video:

https://youtu.be/Jgw06BckhQ0
Explain that each planet will show plinko people free falling, being thrown, and then a building falling down on that planet.

Calculate Weight Website:

https://www.astronomy.com/science/how-much-would-i-weigh-on-other-planets/

List of Materials for Models

Various objects of different weights and sizes (balls, blocks, toys, etc.)
Measuring tape
Stopwatch
Science Notebooks
Any items teacher or students choose to bring in to add value to the project.

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Essential

Standards

SCIENCE

5.E2U1.8 Obtain, analyze, and communicate evidence to support an explanation that the gravitational force of Earth on objects is directed toward the planet’s center.

TECHNOLOGY

Standard 3: Knowledge Instructor

3-5.3.c Students, in collaboration with an educator, use a variety of strategies to collect and organize information and make meaningful connections between resources.

Supporting

Standards

ELA

5.RI.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

WRITING

5.W.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work and provide a list of sources.

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Objectives:

Today, I will be able to…

Obtain and evaluate information to determine how gravity affects different objects.
Communicate evidence that supports my understanding of gravity and how it pulls objects towards the center of Earth.

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Agenda (2-3 days)

Day 1

Anchoring Event (10m)
Discussions (5-10m)
Building Background Knowledge (30-45m)
Instruction (5m)

Day 2

Hands-On Activity (30-40m)

Day 3

Assessment (20-30m)
Enrichment (if needed, 30m)

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

(Day 1)

Anchoring Event (10m)

Students will view a short video demonstrating gravity pulling on objects and discuss what they see.
Discussions: (5m)

What did you notice?
What do you wonder?

Building Background (10m)

Students will observe the teacher holding a ball attached to a string and dropping it in front of the class.
Discussions: (5m)

What did you observe when the ball was hanging from the string?
What forces were acting on the ball when it was hanging?
What happened when the ball was released from the string?
Why do you think the ball fell towards the ground?

Instruction (5m)

Teachers need to inform students that they will be observing how gravity affects objects on Earth.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

(Day 2)

Group Structure: 3-4 people per group, student choice (depending on your class’ size).

Students will be given various objects of different weights and sizes.
Students will choose one object at a time and predict whether it will fall towards the center of the Earth when dropped.
Students should measure the height from which the object is dropped using the measuring tape.
Ask one student in each group to drop the object while another student times how long it takes to reach the ground using the stopwatch.
Have another students record their observations, including the time taken for the object to fall and any patterns they notice.
Students will repeat the experiment with different objects and heights to gather more data.
After conducting the experiments, each group of students will use a poster paper to show their findings to the class.
Ask students to look for patterns or relationships between the weight of the object, the height from which it was dropped, and the time it took to fall.

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Independent Work & Assessment

(Day 3)

Independent Work:

Students will watch a short video explaining gravitational pull on objects.
Each student will be given an assigned planet from our solar system.

They will need to watch the gravity comparisons video and take notes about how objects fall on their planet (you may need to rewatch some parts of the video and explain what they are seeing).

Assessment:

After watching, each student will need to Calculate their weight on other planets using the LINK. They must write a short paragraph explaining what they think would happen if they jumped on their planet. They must use evidence from the website and video to support their answers.

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Assessment

Formative

Verbal Check-ins
Walk around and ask groups questions about their designs.

Why did you decide to do that?
What do you think that will do for your design?

1-3-5 on hands. How do you feel? 1; I’m not getting it at all. 3; I’m kind of getting the idea. 5; I’m a total pro.
What do you still wonder? (On a notecard before leaving the room)

Summative

A successfully tested hands-on activity. Use journal observations to evaluate:
Students will write a short paragraph explaining what they think would happen if they jumped on their planet and why. Make sure they show evidence from the resources and videos used this unit to support their answers.

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Differentiation

If students are struggling with the content and need a supporting activity, you can have them…

Review key vocabulary terms before the lesson and their translations, if applicable.
For discussions…

Have sentence stems ready for students who need help getting their ideas out.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

If students are demonstrating mastery of concepts and need an extension activity, you can have them…

Research how gravity plays a role in space exploration.
Design a space mission that involves navigating gravitational forces.
Analyze how gravity is portrayed in science fiction movies or books. Is it correct? Why or why not?