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Gravity: The Force That Pulls Us Down

Fifth graders learn about gravity — the invisible force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth — which is why things fall down, why we stay on the ground, and why the planet keeps its shape.

Grade 5Forces45 minutes1 class period5E ModelExplicit teaching4 StandardsNGSS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain gravity.
  • ✓Know gravity pulls toward Earth’s center.
  • ✓Explain why things fall.
  • ✓Understand “down.”
Essential Question

Jump up, and you always come back down. What invisible force pulls everything toward Earth — and why does “down” point toward the center of our planet?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Gravity Check

Project each item and have students answer about gravity. The tool explains how gravity pulls objects toward Earth’s center.

🌍 Understand gravityTry it
Answer each question about gravity.
The Lesson · 5E Instructional Model (Engage · Explore · Explain · Elaborate · Evaluate)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Engage — Always Back Down

5 min

Jump up — you always come back down. What pulls you?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Have students jump.
  • Ask what pulls them down.
  • Pose the question.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Jump up.
  • Feel the pull.
  • Predict gravity.
2

Explore — Explore Gravity

12 min

Students investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Gravity Check.
  • Note the pull direction.
  • Note the center of Earth.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer them.
  • Note direction.
  • Note the center.
3

Explain — Toward the Center

12 min

Students explain.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain gravity.
  • Explain “toward the center.”
  • Explain why things fall.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain gravity.
  • Explain the center.
  • Explain falling.
4

Elaborate — Everything Falls Equally

11 min

Students elaborate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain equal falling (no air).
  • Drop objects to test.
  • Connect to the Moon demo.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Drop objects.
  • Connect it.
5

Evaluate — Evaluate

5 min

Students conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain gravity.
  • Explain “down.”
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Explain down.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Grade 5 / Elementary Science).

NGSS
5-PS2-1

Support an argument that gravity is a force pulling objects toward Earth’s center.

NGSS
5-PS2-1

Explain the direction of the gravitational force.

NGSS
3-PS2-1

Investigate the effects of forces on motion.

NGSS
SEP-2

Developing and using models.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Arrow-toward-center diagram.
  • Sentence frame: “Gravity pulls things ___.”
  • Drop objects and observe.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “things fall down.”
  • Drop objects together.
  • Use a globe with arrows.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Explain weight vs. mass.
  • Compare gravity on the Moon.
  • Explain why Earth is round.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🪨Objects to drop
  • 💻Gravity Check
  • 🌍A globe
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

gravitya force that pulls objects togetherforcea push or a pulldowntoward Earth’s centerweightthe pull of gravity on an objectcenter of the Earthwhere gravity pulls towardfallto move downwardmassthe amount of matterair resistancea force that slows falling objects
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
In what direction does gravity pull objects on Earth?
Toward the center of the Earth (down).
QUESTION 2
Why does a dropped ball fall down?
Earth’s gravity pulls it toward the planet’s center.
QUESTION 3
In a vacuum, does a heavy or light object fall faster?
Neither — they fall at the same rate.

Elaborate: the Moon test.

Have students watch the famous Apollo 15 demonstration where a feather and a hammer fall at the same rate on the airless Moon, and explain why. A printable gravity sheet is in the Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 GravityFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 GravityQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ GravityPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: air resistance, center of the Earth, down, fall, force, gravity, mass, weight
  1. toward Earth’s center
  2. a force that pulls objects together
  3. a force that slows falling objects
  4. to move downward
  5. where gravity pulls toward
  6. a push or a pull
  7. the pull of gravity on an object
  8. the amount of matter

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. In what direction does gravity pull objects on Earth?
  2. Why does a dropped ball fall down?
  3. In a vacuum, does a heavy or light object fall faster?
Answer key — Part A: 1) down · 2) gravity · 3) air resistance · 4) fall · 5) center of the Earth · 6) force · 7) weight · 8) mass
Part B: 1) Toward the center of the Earth (down). 2) Earth’s gravity pulls it toward the planet’s center. 3) Neither — they fall at the same rate.