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Total Duration:
61 to 90 Minutes
Materials and Resources:
For each student:
helicopter template,
scissors,
review questions,
pencils,
sceince journals, and
tape
Technology Resources Needed:
Computer with internet access
Projector
Background/Preparation:
The teacher should preview the gravity slideshow prior to the lesson.
Engage:
Show skydiving video (3:05). Begin a whole group discussion to activate background knowledge on gravity and how it affects the skydivers in the video. Next, students will turn and talk to their groups to discuss why the gravitational pull of earth does not cause the International Space Station to fall out the sky, but it does cause the skydiver to fall to earth. Students will record their answers in their science journals.
Explore:
Students will use the helicopter template found on slide 4 of the slideshow to create a model helicopter that can be used to demonstrate how the gravitational pull of the Earth affects objects. A PDF file of the helicopter template can be found here. Students will create the helicopters from the template and drop them from a height of 3 feet. In their science journals, the students will record their observations of what happens to the helicopter as it is released.
Elaborate
Using the template, each group of students will create 2 additional helicopters. All 3 helicopters will be dropped at the same time. One from a height of 3 feet, one from 4 feet, and one from 5 feet. Students will time the descent of the helicopters and record the data in their science journals. Repeat 5 times.
Students will use data from this activity to construct an explanation to support their claim that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed downward towards the center of Earth.
Teacher observation of science journals - students should be able to explain the following: the International Space Station is a long distance away from Earth and the gravitational pull of our planet is not strong enough to pull it down to Earth. Since the skydivers are much closer to Earth, the gravitational pull causes them to fall to Earth.
Teacher observation of helicopter model design, construction, and testing.
CER: Students will make a claim regarding how the gravitational force of Earth affects objects and use data from their helicopter activity to support that claim. They will conclude this assessment with an explanation or reasoning for their claim.
Acceleration:
Intervention:
ELL: The student handouts could be translated into the native language of the student. The ELL teacher can also provide assistance to students.
Students with disabilities: Students can work with a peer helper or with the pull-out teacher.
View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.