Grade 3 Gravity is a Force Topic XI Big Idea 5: Earth in Space
and Time Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 2
Benchmarks SC.3.E.5.4:SC.3.E.5.4: Explore the Law of Gravity by
demonstrating that gravity is a force that can be overcome.
SC.3.N.1.3: Keep records as appropriate, such as pictorial,
written, or simple charts and graphs, of investigations conducted.
LAFS.3.SL.1.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly. Division of Academics - Department of
Science
Slide 3
What happens when you trip? You fall down. What happens when
you throw a ball up in the air? No matter how high it goes, it
always falls back on Earth. Do you know what makes things fall?
Thats right. GravityGravity Division of Academics - Department of
Science
Slide 4
GravityGravity is a force that is always pulling objects down.
What makes things fall down? Division of Academics - Department of
Science
Slide 5
Gravity (Sung to London Bridge is Falling down) Gravity is
pulling down, Pulling down, Pulling down. Gravity is pulling down
All around you! Take a ball and toss it high. Will it stay in the
sky? Gravity will pull it down All around you. Gravity is pulling
down, Pulling down, Pulling down. Gravity is pulling down All
around you! Jump up high and down youll go. Theres a force down
below. Gravity is pulley down All around you Division of Academics
- Department of Science
Slide 6
Gravity Division of Academics Department of Science Scroll over
the black screen and click. Did you learn anything new from the
video about gravity? Explain.
Slide 7
GravityGravity is the force that pulls things toward the center
of the Earth. Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 8
Try Discovery Education Exploration: GravityGravity Copy the
two column chart in your science notebook. Now open the Gravity
Exploration.Gravity Read the Introduction. Then click on the
objects one at a time to see how gravity affects them. Write your
responses on the chart you copied from below.
Slide 9
Discovery Education Exploration: Gravity ContinuedGravity 1. On
which planet is it easiest to lift a bowling ball? 2. On which
planet could you get a soccer ball the farthest? Copy the chart
below and then click on Next in the Gravity Exploration.Gravity
Follow directions to click on pictures of objects to see how much
they weigh on different planets.
Slide 10
What do YOU know about gravity? Pulls things down toward the
center of the Earth Can act on things far away Keeps objects in
orbit Gets weaker as you move farther from Earth Division of
Academics - Department of Science
Slide 11
Meet Fearless Felix Division of Academics - Department of
Science
Slide 12
What do you NOW know about gravity? Division of Academics
Department of Science 1.What is gravity? 2.What does gravity do?
3.Why is it harder to lift a bowling bowl than a tennis ball?
Answer: A bowling ball has more mass than a tennis ball, so the
pull of gravity on the bowling ball is greater than the pull of
gravity on the tennis ball. 4. List some examples of how gravity
affects us everyday.
Slide 13
Sir Issac Newton 300 years ago, this scientist was in his
garden, when an apple fell from a tree. Newton had a sudden
brainstorm. He connected the force that caused the apple to fall to
the force that kept the moon tied in orbit around the Earth. In
more scientific words, he began to discover the theory of gravity.
Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 14
Why did the book fall to the table? When I held up the book,
what force was I overcoming? Why did it stop on the desk and not go
to the ground? Press the side of a hand against the edge of a
table. What do you notice? You can feel the desk exerting a force
on your hand. Now press harder. The harder you press the harder the
desk pushes back on your hand. Division of Academics - Department
of Science
Slide 15
What is all around us? Thats right airair What do you know
about air? It is made up of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases. All
living things breathe air. It moves a lot. Lets watch the Five Air
Facts video.Five Air Facts What else did you learn about air? It
has weight. It can contain water vapor. Division of Academics -
Department of Science
Slide 16
Lets investigate air How are these two pieces of paper alike?
Same size and shape Im crumpling one up. Now observe what happens
to these two pieces of paper as I drop them. What happened? The
crumpled ball went straight down, while the flat sheet floated
down, moving all about. Why? The air is pushing against the flat
sheet of paper with more surface area, causing friction to slow it
down. More contact, more friction. Division of Academics -
Department of Science
Slide 17
How did air affect gravity's pull on the paper? The air pushing
up against the flat paper caused friction between the two affecting
gravitys pull. This force is called air resistance. To prove this
defying of gravity, astronauts d ropped a hammer and a feather on
the moon where there is no air. Lets watch the video:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_15_feather_drop.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_15_feather_drop.html
What would happen on Earth, would the objects hit the ground at the
same time? No, the feather would have more friction with the air,
it has more surface area). Division of Academics - Department of
Science
Slide 18
What are some examples of ways that we "defy" gravity? rockets
airplanes jumping up sitting in a chair Division of Academics -
Department of Science
Slide 19
Stop the Drop - An Engineering Design Challenge Imagine you
live in an apartment complex, on the 2nd floor that has a balcony
overlooking the pool area. You are up watching a movie but your mom
is at the pool and has just texted, asking you to bring down a cup
of water. You don't want to walk to the pool, it is a long way and
you will miss your movie! You would like to just drop the water to
your mom, she is right there, so close! You take a paper cup, fill
it with water and drop it to your mom. It lands on the ground. As
you are getting another cup of water, resigned to the long walk and
missing the movie, you think, "There has to be a way to set the cup
down softly!" Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 20
Are you ready for a challenge? Can we defy gravity to bring a
cup of water to the ground safely? You will be engineers in this
design challenge. What do you know about engineers and the work
they do? Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 21
Slide 22
The goal is to not lose any water, not even a drop In your
engineering group: brainstorm ideas and design considerations,
coming up with multiple possibilities, determine which design they
will focus on, each member will be required to draw and label the
design on an Engineer's Report form. You must bring your plans to
the Project Head (teacher) for approval before building the
prototype. Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 23
Project Specifications Each Engineering group will be given the
same materials to work with. See Materials list. You will only get
new index cards between each test; no additional materials will be
given out. You may use all the string and tape they want, no limit
on those but you MUST be careful before they cut something, you
won't get a new one. Nothing may cover the cup. All materials must
be a minimum of 15 cm above the cup opening The cup of water will
be dropped by the Project Head from the top of a chair/table. All
cups will have the same starting elevation. Each group will have 50
ml of water in a graduated cylinder. You will pour the water into
the cup just before the test and then later measure the amount of
water that remains in the cup after landing. Division of Academics
- Department of Science
Slide 24
Project Materials - 4 index cards per testing round (they get
wet and need to be replaced) 4 straws 4 Popsicle sticks 4 rubber
bands 2 pipe cleaners/chenille stems half of a plastic
Publix/Wal-Mart/Target bag (don't give them the whole bag) 1 roll
of masking tape (no limit on the amount) String (no limit on the
amount) Anything else you can think of to include Small Dixie cup
(will need 50 ml of water) Graduated cylinder Division of Academics
- Department of Science
Slide 25
Sample Data Chart Starting VolumeEnding VolumeWater Lost Test 1
Test 2 Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 26
The Final Engineer's Report Each student works on the analysis
on his/her own. 1.How successful was your teams project? Use
evidence from the "Drop-off for support. 2.What are the successful
design components (parts that worked well) that you did to overcome
gravity? 3.What are the areas that didnt work well. Why? 4. Which
did you find the most challenging? Why? Division of Academics -
Department of Science
Slide 27
Alternate AIMS Investigation: Gravity-Defying Olympics
Essential Question: What are some ways that gravity can be
overcome? Learning Objectives: Participate in a series of
gravity-defying events. Recognize that gravity is a force that can
be overcome. Division of Academics - Department of Science
Slide 28
Gravity-Defying Olympics Connected Learning 1.How do you know
that gravity exists? 2.What are some things that you can do to
overcome gravity? 3.Which Olympic event did you find the
easiest?...most challenging? Why? 4.Why do you think we found the
median average score for the events? 5.What are you wondering now?
Division of Academics - Department of Science