When Gravity Gets You Down
Here is a Place to Start
(Gravity Misconceptions)
Objectives
•
•
Students will design a Webquest to clarify and synthesize information
dealing with the concept of gravity.
Students will formulate lists of concepts and misconceptions then compare
and contrast the two to create an accurate understanding of the concept of
gravity.
Suggested Grade Levels
6-8
Subject Areas
Science, Math, and Technology
Timeline
Minimum of two sessions as long as two weeks
Standards
Science
Physical Science
• Motions and Forces
Earth and Space Science
• Earth in the Solar System
History and Nature of Science
• History of Science
Background
The concept of gravity has a long history of misconception. Starting as far back
as Aristotle, the idea that there is an all-encompassing force pulling on every
object was difficult to understand and conceptualize. History is full of famous
scientists who spent years trying to decipher the Gravity Code. Three of the most
famous in this group are Galileo, Newton, and Einstein.
Yet even today, students from grades 2 through college still share
misconceptions on the actions of gravity and its expression in the universe. A
study by Bar, Zinn, Goldmuntz, and Sneider (1994) showed a distinct change in
cognitive awareness of the concept at grades 2 or 3, with an understanding that
items unsupported will fall. By middle school, students can incorporate the word
gravity, but tend to lack an understanding of what gravity entails or how it works.
A set of misconceptions takes root at this time and progresses all the way
through college physics. Even if the student can solve quantitative problems
dealing with gravity, they often lack a qualitative understanding of the concept.
This lesson is designed to assist the educator who is incorporating science
standards into their self-contained room, or the physical science educator who is
looking for a good way to introduce the subject.
The first thing to understand is the idea of FORCE. Newton’s second law gives
the following definition in a formula: F= MA or Force equals M (mass) times A
(acceleration or distance in a specific period and in a specific direction). Any
force must live up to this formula. Gravity fits this formula with a unique twist.
Gravity was defined by Newton as:
F=GMm/r2
F: Force of Gravity
G: Gravitational Constant (Newton's Constant) is a constant value equal to
6.67x10-11 m3/s2/kg
M: Mass of object 1
m: Mass of object 2
r2: radius of the distance between the centers of gravity of the two masses,
squared
The short version of this formula is that gravity is a force that occurs between two
objects and is inversely proportional to the space between their two centers of
gravity. So the farther apart they are the smaller the force of gravity is between
them. Please note that this formula shows that all objects, no matter how far they
are from each other, do feel a gravitation force from every other object. This is
the Universal Law of Gravity as proposed by Newton. When Newton proposed
the Universal Law, his critiques blasted him for such an “occult” concept – a force
that did not need direct contact. It was many years and many proofs before the
mainstream science community accepted the Universal Law of Gravity.
Here is a question we often face in the classroom: Did Sir Isaac Newton really
theorize the nature of gravity from a falling apple?
Newton probably did not discover gravity because of being hit by an apple as it fell
from a tree. He was the type of person who did not like getting dirty, so the real
story may be that he watched the apples fall from trees in his orchard, but from a
distance – perhaps even from his study. Either way, this famous scientist set in
motion a series of events that helped to redefine gravity and gravity research for
centuries to come.
Mass versus Weight. This is a difficult distinction for many students. Weight is a
property of mass and location. In other words, an object on an astronomical body
will have weight directly proportional to the mass of the body it rests upon. The
larger or more dense the astronomical body is, the greater the weight of the
object. Mass is a measurement of density, while weight is the result of the
interaction between large and small density objects. Mass and weight can be
demonstrated with the Archimedes class water experiment.
Speed of Falling. Galileo proved that all objects, no matter their mass, fall to
Earth at the same rate. This is very hard for many students to understand since it
seems counter-intuitive. However, the idea is that free falling is the interaction
between two or more masses. Students misinterpret surface area and thus air
friction as determining values of gravity and they are not.
Direction of Gravity. Gravity has to be understood as a drawing together force,
not a force in a specific direction (i.e. down). On Earth, we experience gravity as
a pull down. In reality, it is a force that draws all objects toward the core of the
planet. It is for this reason that our planet as well as most large or massive
astronomical objects is round. In a sphere, all points are equally drawn to the
center of a large mass.
Why doesn’t the moon crash into the Earth? This is a valid question because
gravity affects massive objects in close proximity this is a valid question. The fact
is that as the moon is drawn closer to the Earth it continually misses the Earth.
This is what defines its orbit. As the moon speeds to meet the Earth, the Earth
moves on a curved path, thus the sideways motion of the Earth keeps the moon
from impacting the Earth.
Weightlessness. Actually, micro-weight is experienced in free fall (not just in
space). The feeling of being without weight is a result of several things. One is
free fall or a continual falling without hitting the ground/Earth. Since free fall is
essentially the same idea as “orbit,” a person does not feel the same force of
gravity as if they were to stand on the planet. Since they are further away from the
center of the Earth, the force is substantially lower, but still in effect. Remember,
the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
the centers of two masses (the force decreases very fast the farther the two
masses are separated). A nice demonstration would be to have a steel ball and a
feather dropped together in a vacuum where there is no air resistance. In this way,
you can see them fall at the same rate. A similar experiment was done by one of
the Apollo 15 astronauts on the Moon (see URL
http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/feather.html).
Four Universal or Fundamental Forces: Of the four pivotal forces in the
universe, it appears that gravity is the weakest. The four are defined as the
electromagnetic force, the “weak” atomic force, the “strong” atomic force, and
gravity.
The electromagnetic force is the force that appears to be the most common. It is a
force which drives, interacts, and reflects the activities of the universe. The weak
and strong atomic forces deal with forces at the atomic level, holding nuclei and
subatomic particles together. These three forces are trillions of times stronger
then the gravitational force, yet the latter is perhaps the force which makes our
universe possible because it cannot be cancelled (charge interactions) out like the
other three forces.
Vocabulary
Escape velocity: The speed necessary to escape the gravitational influences of a
massive body. This depends on the distance you are from the center of the body and
mass of the body. The closer you are to the center of mass, and the more massive the
body, the harder it is to escape and the faster you will have to travel.
Force: Anything that can cause a change in speed of an object that has mass.
Fusion: The process in which nuclei of lighter elements combine to make heavier
elements. For example, in the center of main sequence stars, hydrogen nuclei combine to
make helium, resulting in a large energy release. This is the way in which stars are fueled.
Gravity: The force of attraction between two bodies that results from their masses.
Inertia: The tendency of a body at rest to stay at rest until met by an opposite equal or
greater force, and a body in motion to keep moving until met by an opposite equal or
greater force.
Mass: The quantity of matter in an object. A measure of how much matter an object
contains.
Space-time: The combination of three spatial dimensions length, width, and height, with
time. The four together form the four-dimensional nature of our universe. The effects of
gravity can be regarded, because of the curving of space-time due to the presence of
massive objects.
Speed of Light: The ultimate speed limit in the Universe. Nothing can go faster than the
speed of light and indeed, it requires infinite energy to reach this speed for any particle
with mass.
Star: A tightly packed ball of mostly hydrogen gas and some helium gas with a nuclear
fusion furnace that produces a huge amount of light and heat.
Stellar black holes: The end product of the lifetime of very massive stars, but not for our
sun or other less massive stars.
Supermassive black holes: Enormous black holes believed to be in the centers of active,
large galaxies.
Supernova: Dramatic explosions marking the death of stars much more massive than our
sun. Neutron stars or stellar black holes are the objects that can be left behind.
Universal Law of Gravitation: Every mass exerts a force of attraction on every other
mass. The strength of the force is directly proportional to the product of the masses
divided by the square of the distance between them. F=GMm/r2.
Weight: The force on an object due to the gravitation influences of a massive object. A
person has weight because Earth tries to pull that person to its center. In space, a person
would have less weight because the force of gravity is less, however mass would remain
the same.
(Adler Planetarium 2007)
Materials
Part 1. Graphic Organizers printed for each student group and one for overhead
or board.
1. Fact v. Opinion Worksheet
2. KWL Worksheet
Part 2. Disavowing Misconceptions
1. Webquest PowerPoint or
2. Intel Teaching Tool – Showing Evidence Tool or
3. Handout – Fact v. Misconception
Lesson
These two (or more as needed) lessons can serve as an introduction to the
concept of gravity. The idea is to first discern how much your students really
know about the subject and get an idea of their misconceptions. You can then
use this information to guide your curriculum and presentations to help them
learn the current concepts surrounding the idea of gravity.
This lesson outline can be used for any new science unit. All you will need to do
is adjust the concept, vocabulary, and URLs for the Webquest.
Part 1
1. Separate your class into small groups of two or three. Have each group
cooperate to fill out the Fact v. Opinion (FvO) handout. Stipulate the
minimum number of items that you want – five to seven for middle school,
seven to 10 for higher grades. It is often best to require more items than
you think the students can develop; this will tax them to think critically.
2. Have the groups appoint a speaker. This person will provide data from
their group observations to the rest of the class. Have these students
either stand or step to the front of the class.
3. On a master FvO chart, write down every different fact and opinion the
students provide, disregarding duplicates. This is best done on an
overhead.
4. When the list is completed, quickly review it with the class. Have the
students express which ideas they think are facts and which are opinions
(misconceptions).
Part 2 (This can take several sessions, depending on teaching style and tools
used.)
1. Using the master FvO sheet, take out the top five misconceptions and use
these as topics of discussion. If you don’t have access to the Internet or
adequate technology, present a demonstration using a round balloon, a
shoebox, and a flat rock.
a. Take a large balloon and blow it up. Demonstrate how a sphere
allows gravity to affect the surface equally in all locations. Pick up
the shoebox and show how this form with its corners and edges
does not allow gravity to affect each part equally. Pick up the rock;
note its shape (draw on board). Ask why the students think the rock
is not round (critical thinking questions). Ask if they think asteroids
are all round (show picture above dealing with planets and
astronomical objects).
b. Discuss the ideas behind the 10 most common misconceptions
developed with the FvO activity.
c. Handout an assessment with matching, T/F, and short answer.
2. If you are technologically savvy or have a good tech teacher, use the
Webquest to have students discover the reality behind gravity. You can
use the attached Webquest for a guide or directly. Its always a good idea
to personalize the Webquest for the grade level and capabilities of your
students. This can serve as both a discovery tool and an assessment tool.
3. If you have taken the Intel Teaching Thinking with Technology course, this
is a perfect opportunity to use the Seeing Reason tool. Set up two or more
misconceptions as the question and have the students research and
develop evidence about the idea. You can make this a small group project
and have groups present their findings to the class. A rubric on evidence
development, citations, correct use of the medium, etc. can be developed
and presented before the activity. This can serve as both a discovery tool
and an assessment tool.
Extensions (Research topics for advanced students, high school students, or extra credit)
1. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity
2. Black Holes
•
A black hole is an object so massive and so dense that not even
light can escape.
•
To understanding a black hole, it is useful to consider how it is
formed.
•
A typical black hole is formed from the collapse of a high-mass star.
•
A black hole has two important regions. The first is the singularity.
The singularity is all that remains of the star that formed the black
hole.
•
Surrounding the singularity is the event horizon. This can loosely be
thought of as the surface of the black hole.
3. Gravity Waves
Imagine we change the position of an object. Now the gravitational force will
be slightly different. In Newtonian theory, this change takes place
instantaneously. However, Special Relativity forbids this! Nothing can go
faster than light. At best, the change in the gravitational force can propagate
outward at the speed of light. Is this a propagating change? It is not just a
wave but also a warping of space and time. Therefore, the change that is
propagating out from a shifted system is a distortion of space-time! It's like a
ripple.
As the ripple goes by, objects are stretched and stressed (very gently).
However, stretching objects takes energy. Where does this energy come
from? It can't just appear because energy is conserved! Energy is neither
created nor destroyed - it may change form (motion to heat or potential to
kinetic), but it can't simply disappear or appear. The energy comes from the
original object. The gravitational wave takes its energy from the source of the
wave. Therefore, accelerating objects lose energy.
Now for most objects in our experience, this is hardly important. The masses
involved are small and the velocities far less than that of light, and so the
gravitational radiation is miniscule, almost too tiny to comprehend. (Adler
Planetarium, 2007)
Evaluation/Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Small group Fact v. Opinion worksheet
Student discussion interaction
Fact research
Webquest results (if applicable)
Intel TTwT, Seeing Reason activity
My Own Proof – student developed experiment
Resources
Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org/education
Ask a Scientist: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm
Bar, V., Zinn, B., Goldmuntz, R., & Sneider, C. 1994, "Children’s Concepts about
Weight and Free Fall," Science Education, 78(2), 149
From Apples to Orbits http://library.thinkquest.org/27585/frameset_intro.html
Kavanagh, C. & Synder, C. Learning about Gravity I – Free Fall. Astronomy
Education Review. Vol. 5: Issue 2, 2007. Online version retrieved on October 15,
2007 from http://aer.noao.edu/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=220
Livingston Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. John Thacker
educational director. http://www.ligo-la.caltech.edu/.
Plait, Philip C. (2004) What if the sun collapses into a black hole? Bad
Astronomy. Retrieved November 10, 2007 from
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/black_hole_sun.html.
Sweetland, Robert. Science Misconceptions. Retrieved on October 29, 2007:
http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/science/misconceptions/space.html.
University of Tennessee-Knoxville Astronomy 161. (n.d.) Sir Isaac Newton: The
Universal Law of Gravitation. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newtongrav.html
Walker, John. (1997, July 8) Bending spacetime in the basement. Basement
Astronomy. Retrieved November 10, 2007 from
http://www.fourmilab.ch/gravitation/foobar/.
Graphic Organizers
1. Fact v. Opinion Worksheet
2. KWL Chart Worksheet
3. Side Detail Worksheet
Common Misconceptions about Gravity
•
Gravity is weaker the higher you go. That’s why things fall faster the
farther they fall.
•
Gravity is the attraction of the larger body. I am not affected by any
other objects pulling up on me.
•
Gravity causes objects to fall down through the center of the Earth
and out the other side if there was a hole in the Earth.
•
Gravity pulls objects toward the South Pole and if the Earth would not
stop it, they would go off into space away from the South Pole.
•
Heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.
•
There is no gravity in space.
•
Weightlessness means no gravity.
•
Gravity is very strong.
•
Gravity is stronger the higher you are in a building or mountain and
that’s why it is easier to fall.
•
Gravity will be stronger the longer an object falls.
•
Shape affects gravity.
•
Gravity is caused by Earth’s spin, air pressure, or a push from above.
•
Gravity is weaker under water.
•
Astronauts are weightless because they are beyond Earth’s gravity.
•
Gases are not affected by gravity.
•
Weightlessness is a result of being in space.
•
Weightlessness happens with the absence of air.
•
Weightlessness happens when an object leaves Earth.
•
Emptiness or nothingness creates weightlessness.
•
A free fall near Earth does not have weightlessness.
•
There is an additional force involved with a free fall.
•
The moon has no gravity.
Gravity Facts
•
Gravity is not down - it is together!
•
Weightlessness does not exist because one is in space; it exists because one is
falling! Space has gravity just like everywhere else, however, there are no fixed
objects to hold against to keep from falling.
•
Antigravity doesn't exist. Gravity is always attractive, always a "together" force.
•
Black holes don't suck everything into them, unless the object is falling toward them
in the first place. If the sun were converted into a black hole, the Earth would
continue in its orbit unperturbed.
•
Heavier objects don't fall faster! The speed of free fall is consistent over the surface
of the Earth.
•
Astronauts on the moon were not weightless! The moon has gravity much like the
Earth, however, since the moon is less massive, the gravitational pull is smaller.
The astronauts were pulled to the moon with about 1/6th the force of gravity on
Earth.
•
Galileo probably didn't drop cannonballs from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He most
likely experimented in another location and with other items.
•
Newton probably wasn't hit on the head by an apple. He might have had the idea
for extending the realm of gravity to the heavens by watching an apple fall. If so, he
was likely in the safety of his study looking out a window. (He was a fastidious man
in many ways, and it's hard to imagine him lounging around in an orchard.)
•
Gravity is universal. All objects in the universe are affected by all other objects in the
universe. The farther two items are from their centers, the weaker the gravitational
force.
•
Gravity affects time and space. Moving of masses in the universe warps time and
space and creates gravity waves.
•
Since gravity pulls things together, the most efficient shape for an object is a sphere.
This way gravity pulls on all parts of the whole equally.
Student Developed Facts:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
My Own Proof
Subject: Gravity
Student name:
/
date:
/
Observe, State Experimental Questions – Knowing what gravity
can do, you may wonder why it is happening, and what caused it
to happen. Write down your observations and your questions. 2. Gather Information - Do a background investigation on the
phenomenon in which you are interested. Find out what is known
already. Here is a sample of Websites that are appropriate for
most students.
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
www.adlerplanetarium.org/gravity
www.badastronomy.com
http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/science/misconceptions/weightGrav.html
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question232.htm
http://www.stanford.edu/~buzzt/gravity.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/research/microgex.html
http://www.fourmilab.ch/gravitation/foobar/
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm
3. Formulate a Hypothesis - Write a statement that predicts what
may happen in your experiment based on your knowledge and the
data you’ve gathered.
4. Design an Experiment to Test Your Hypothesis - Determine a
logical set of steps to be followed in your experiment.
o Independent/Experimental Variable - Determine or guess
which factors could affect the phenomenon you are
studying. The experimental variable is the one variable the
investigator chooses to vary in the experiment.
5. Perform the Experiment
6. Collect Data - Record the results of the investigation in a table or
chart.
Steps
Action
Observation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7. Summarize Results - Analyze the data and note trends in your
experimental results. Mention if you would change your
experiment in any way and why this would make it better.
8. Draw Conclusions - Determine whether or not the data support
the hypothesis of your experiment.
A Rubric for Evaluating
WebQuests Beginning
Developing
Accomplished
Score
Overall Aesthetics (This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external
resources linked to it.)
0 points
There are few or
no graphic
elements. No
variation in layout
or typography.
Overall OR
Visual Color is garish
Appeal and/or
typographic
variations are
overused and
legibility suffers.
Background
interferes with the
readability.
0 points
Getting through
the lesson is
Navigation & confusing and
Flow unconventional.
Pages can't be
found easily
and/or the way
back isn't clear.
0 points
There are more
than five broken
links, misplaced or
Mechanical missing images,
Aspects badly sized tables,
misspellings
and/or
grammatical
errors.
2 points
Graphic elements
sometimes, but
not always,
contribute to the
understanding of
concepts, ideas
and relationships.
There is some
variation in type
size, color, and
layout.
4 points
Appropriate and
thematic graphic
elements are used to
make visual
connections that
contribute to the
understanding of
concepts, ideas and
relationships.
Differences in type
size and/or color are
used well and
consistently.
See Fine Points
Checklist.
2 points
There are a few
places where the
learner can get
lost and not know
where to go next.
4 points
Navigation is
seamless. It is
always clear to the
learner what all the
pieces are and how
to get to them.
1 point
There are some
broken links,
misplaced or
missing images,
badly sized tables,
misspellings
and/or
grammatical
errors.
2 points
No mechanical
problems noted.
See Fine Points
Checklist.
Introduction
Motivational
Effectiveness
of
Introduction
Cognitive
Effectiveness
of the
Introduction
0 points
The introduction is
purely factual,
with no appeal to
relevance or social
importance, OR
The scenario
posed is
transparently
bogus and doesn't
respect the media
literacy of today's
learners.
1 point
The introduction
relates somewhat
to the learner's
interests and/or
describes a
compelling
question or
problem.
2 points
The introduction
draws the reader
into the lesson by
relating to the
learner's interests or
goals and/or
engagingly
describing a
compelling question
or problem.
0 points
The introduction
doesn't prepare
the reader for
what is to come,
or build on what
the learner
already knows.
1 point
The introduction
makes some
reference to
learner's prior
knowledge and
previews to some
extent what the
lesson is about.
2 points
The introduction
builds on learner's
prior knowledge and
effectively prepares
the learner by
foreshadowing what
the lesson is about.
Task (The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting
there.)
Connection
of Task to
Standards
0 points
The task is not
related to
standards.
0 points
Task requires
simply
Cognitive comprehending or
Level of the retelling of
Task information found
on Web pages and
answering factual
questions.
2 points
The task is
referenced to
standards but is
not clearly
connected to what
students must
know and be able
to do to achieve
proficiency of
those standards.
4 points
The task is
referenced to
standards and is
clearly connected to
what students must
know and be able to
do to achieve
proficiency of those
standards.
3 points
Task is doable but
is limited in its
significance to
students' lives.
The task requires
analysis of
information
and/or putting
6 points
Task is doable and
engaging, and elicits
thinking that goes
beyond rote
comprehension. The
task requires
synthesis of multiple
sources of
together
information from
several sources.
information, and/or
taking a position,
and/or going beyond
the data given and
making a
generalization or
creative product.
See WebQuest
Taskonomy.
Process (The process is the step-by-step description of how students will accomplish
the task.)
0 points
Process is not
clearly stated.
Clarity of Students would
Process not know exactly
what they were
supposed to do
just from reading
the process.
2 points
Some directions
are given, but
there is missing
information.
Students might be
confused.
4 points
Every step is clearly
stated. Most
students would know
exactly where they
are at each step of
the process and
know what to do
next.
0 points
The process lacks
strategies and
organizational
tools needed for
students to gain
the knowledge
needed to
complete the task.
Activities are of
little significance
to one another
and/or to the
Scaffolding accomplishment
of Process of the task.
3 points
Strategies and
organizational
tools embedded in
the process are
insufficient to
ensure that all
students will gain
the knowledge
needed to
complete the task.
Some of the
activities do not
relate specifically
to the
accomplishment
of the task.
6 points
The process provides
students coming in
at different entry
levels with strategies
and organizational
tools to access and
gain the knowledge
needed to complete
the task.
Activities are clearly
related and designed
to take the students
from basic
knowledge to higher
level thinking.
Checks for
understanding are
built in to assess
whether students
are getting it. See:
•
•
Process
Guides
A Taxonomy
of
Information
Patterns
•
•
•
Richness of
Process
0 points
Few steps, no
separate roles
assigned.
1 point
Some separate
tasks or roles
assigned. More
complex activities
required.
Language
Arts
Standards
and
Technology
WebQuest
Enhancement Tools
Reception,
Transformation &
Production
Scaffolds
2 points
Different roles are
assigned to help
students understand
different
perspectives and/or
share responsibility
in accomplishing the
task.
Resources (Note: you should evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they
are in sections other than the process block. Also, note that books, video, and other
offline resources can and should be used where appropriate.)
0 points
Resources
provided are not
sufficient for
students to
Relevance & accomplish the
Quantity of task. Resources OR
There are too
many resources
for learners to
look at in a
reasonable time.
2 points
There is some
connection
between the
resources and the
information
needed for
students to
accomplish the
task. Some
resources don't
add anything new.
4 points
There is a clear and
meaningful
connection between
all the resources and
the information
needed for students
to accomplish the
task. Every resource
carries its weight.
0 points
Links are
mundane. They
lead to information
that could be found
Quality of in a classroom
Resources encyclopedia.
2 points
Some links carry
information not
ordinarily found in
a classroom.
4 points
Links make
excellent use of
the Web's
timeliness and
colorfulness.
Varied resources
provide enough
meaningful
information for
students to think
deeply.
6 points
Criteria for success
are clearly stated
in the form of a
rubric. Criteria
include qualitative
as well as
quantitative
descriptors.
The evaluation
instrument clearly
measures what
students must
know and be able
to do to accomplish
the task.
See Creating a
Rubric.
Evaluation
0 points
3 points
Criteria for success Criteria for success
are not described. are at least
partially described.
Clarity of
Evaluation
Criteria
Total Score
/50
K-W-L Chart
Before you begin your research, list details of your research in the first two
columns. Fill in the last column after completing your research.
Topic ___________________________________________________________
What I Know
What I Want to Know
What I Learned
Fact and Opinion
Write your topic at the top. Add details to each column.
Fact
Opinion
Side-idea Frame
Order
Main Idea
is about …
Details
So what? What is important to understand about this?
Gravity Webquest
Gravity
Discovery
Webquest
In the middle of difficulty lies
opportunity. Albert Einstein
Teacher: ___________________
Date due: /
/
Lets Discover Gravity!
You are starting on a quest – one to discover the reality of the
force of gravity. Your role will be that of a Scientist,
discovering information to create a power point that will
help other students answer the following questions:
1. Why do I need to learn about gravity?
2. Why does it work?
3. How does it work?
4. Does it work everywhere?
Your Task…
Ø Your goal is to develop an
understandable power point
presentation to help younger
students understand the force of
gravity.
Ø You’ll search the internet using
the sites provided as well as at
least two more from your own
search.
Ø The goal is to help students learn
about gravity, its history, and why
it is important.
The true delight is in the finding out rather
than in the knowing. Issac Asimov
Off to your Journey of Discovery
Ø Your first step is to
create a PowerPoint
Template – Follow the
directions on the next slide.
Ø Next, it is time to start
your research
…Remember the more
creative you are in
your presentation, the
better!
Ø Now lets get started!
Formatting Requirements
To ease the viewing of your slides, please
follow these tips:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Format the cover slide with Your Name, Your Teacher’s Name,
The Class Name, The Project Name, and the Due Date.
Format the information slides with only one concept per slide. Use
any clip art, pictures, imbedded sound or video, etc. to help teach
the concept.
Double check that your spelling, grammar, and data are all correct.
At the end of the slide show place all your references. Include the
name and URL of each site that you took any information from. If
your class follows a specific formatting process (APA, MLA, etc)
use the appropriate style.
Have the last few slides describe what you hope the view has
learned from your presentation.
The Voyage of Discovery
Here are some of the questions that can lead you to an
understanding of gravity:
What is the history of discovery from ancient times to modern times?
What is a force?
How did Isaac Newton define gravity?
What is the Universal Law of Gravity and how does it explain the force?
What are some of the common misconceptions about gravity and what is the
reality?
♦ How does gravity affect weight, mass, microgravity, free fall, and escape
velocity?
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Where you can start…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Ask a Scientist – All grade levels
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm
How Stuff Works, Gravity - All grade levels
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question232.htm
Adler Planetarium – grades 4+
www.adlerplanetarium.org/gravity
From Apples to Orbits – Grade 4+
http://library.thinkquest.org/27585/frameset_intro.
html
Bad Astronomy - Grade 5+
www.badastronomy.com
Gravity – grade 5+
http://www.stanford.edu/~buzzt/gravity.html
NASA, Microgravity – Grade 5+
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/research/micro
gex.html
Sir Isaac Newton: The Universal Law of
Gravitation – grade 5+
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/ne
wtongrav.html
Basement Experiments with Gravity – Grade 7+
http://www.fourmilab.ch/gravitation/foobar/
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity
Dogpile http://www.dogpile.com
You Are the Expert,
now show it…
♦ With your notes from the scientists and experts, create your teaching
PowerPoint.
♦ Your demonstration should be at least 12 slides long. Make sure you
cover only one concept per slide.
♦ Use the note section to help you remember details.
♦ If you need help don’t forget to ask your classroom teacher or your
technology teacher.
Lets get started!
Remember, have fun with your
Discovery Project
- and -
Don’t Let Gravity
Get You Down!
Acknowledgements
This Power Point is a part of the Virtual lab Project of the
Space Foundation.
The author would like to express appreciation to the
following:
Iain Probert – Vice President, Education, Space Foundation
www.SpaceFoundation.org
Bryan DeBates – Senior Curriculum Analyst & Program Developer, Space Foundation
www.SpaceFoundation.org
John Thacker – Educational Director – LIGO project
www.ligo-la.caltech.edu
Professor Dieter Brill – Department of Physics UMD. www.umd.edu
Professor Jorge Pullin – Department of Physics LSU. www.lsu.edu