10th Grade Gravity, Mass And Weight Lesson Plan

Topic: Gravity, Mass and Weight

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to define weight and mass, and explain how they are related to one another.

Materials

• Balancing scales
• Various objects of different weight or mass (e.g. pencils, paperclips, coins, books, etc.)
• Calculator
• Gravity worksheet (see below)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever wondered why some objects are harder to lift than others.
• Ask them to give examples of objects that are easy to lift (e.g. a piece of paper) and objects that are hard to lift (e.g. a heavy box).
• Ask them to think about what determines how easy or hard an object is to lift. What factors might be involved?
• Write their suggestions on the board (e.g. object size, object weight, object material). Ask students if they think these factors are related in any way.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that the force acting on an object due to gravity is called "weight".
• Ask students to think about what causes objects to have different weights.
• Explain that the weight of an object is determined by its mass and the strength of gravity where it is located.
• Show a variety of objects with different masses and ask students to predict how heavy they will be based on their mass.
• Explain that the strength of gravity varies depending on the location of the object. For example, the strength of gravity on the surface of the Moon is much weaker than on the surface of the Earth.
• Ask students to think about a time when they have lifted a heavy object. Ask them to describe the effort required to lift the object and compare it to the effort required to lift a lighter object.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of objects with different masses.
• Ask the groups to arrange the objects from least to greatest mass.
• Have each group use their objects to demonstrate how the weight of an object is determined by its mass and the strength of gravity where it is located.
• Ask each group to share their results with the class.

Independent Practice

• Ask students to choose one of the objects used in the group activity and determine its weight on Earth and on the Moon. (You may want to provide calculators for this activity.)
• Have students record their findings and make any necessary calculations to show understanding.

Closure

• Review the concepts of weight and gravity, and explain that although an object's weight depends on its location, its mass does not.
• Ask students to explain how they can tell the difference between weight and mass, and provide additional examples if necessary.

Assessment

• Have students complete a short quiz or written test to assess their understanding of weight, mass and gravity.
• Observe students during the lab activity and discussion to assess their understanding of the concept.
• Use the closure activity as a formative assessment to check for understanding and encourage discussion.