Hi Everyone!
Another update in our Earth and Space Science unit! Today we did a lesson about gravity and how it affects the solar system. First, we discussed what gravity is to each one of us. We came up with a class definition for gravity, and then thought it might be cool to test it out with an experiment. I held 3 balls of different masses (baseball, tennis ball, paper ball) up and we dropped them in repeated experiments, recording our data on our datasheet titled, "Which is First?" (Ask your students to see their results and discuss with you!) We found that gravity is proportional to all objects, thus making everything hit the floor at the same time.
Then we talked about how gravity affects us here on Earth - helping us stay grounded on the floor and not floating in the clouds! This led to some interesting questions such as: if gravity makes us attracted to larger objects than ourselves, why aren't we attracted to the Moon? and if the Sun is larger than the Earth and it attracts all the planets toward it, why don't they all just crash into the Sun? Ask your student for the answers...they're great science experts in Space Science and gravity now.
Please keep in mind that your students do have a Science homework assignment tonight. They are to write a well-developed paragraph answering one of the following questions:
Write a paragraph about what you think it might be like if we did not live on a planet that had gravity? OR write a paragraph about what would happen to the solar system if the gravity suddenly stopped ‘working’?
Overall, our students did well today. This is a difficult subject in this unit to cover in such a short period of time, but rest assured that this will be thoroughly gone over before the test. If for some reason your student seems to be struggling to grasp today's material, please do not hesitate to reply to this post, email me, or call one afternoon to discuss how we can all help the students succeed. I am always here to help them do their best and look for your help to do so too!
Have a good night, and we'll see you tomorrow!
Ms. Opdyke
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