Browse Activities
Modeling Universal Gravitation Activity
- modeling gravity key.docx - 67 kB
- modeling gravity.docx - 65 kB
| Title | Modeling Universal Gravitation Activity |
| Description | |
| Subject | Earth Science, Physics |
| Level | High School, Undergrad - Intro |
| Type | Lab |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Answers Included | No |
| Language | English |
| Keywords | Gravitation, Gravity, Newton, inverse-square law |
| Simulation(s) | Gravity Force Lab (HTML5), Gravity Force Lab |
| Author(s) | Justin Snook |
| Contact Email | jsnook@orangecsd.org |
| School / Organization | Orange City Schools |
| Date submitted | 1/25/14 |
| Date updated | 5/27/15 |
Comments
I like the open exploration, but I think the questions that illicit student reasoning could be placed more strategically. I think the students could be asked to explain their understanding after each "small lab". Also, I think some experiments could be combined so that the relationships are more obvious. For example, I could combine the varying masses (observations 2 &3) and then follow these with questions 1 &2. Also, it seems like towards the end of the activity, the sheet guides student exploration more than optimal.
Trish
1/29/15
Thanks for the feedback! I structured the investigation in this manner so they can define their own independent variables for each sub-investigation. The student determines the order and and the procedure for each part. The questions are also placed separately for this reason. I also wanted the identical effect of the masses to be evident so that each of them affect the Force independently. At the end, I want students to graphically determine the constant, which is why I asked specific questions.
Justin
4/28/15
Justin,
Your explanation makes sense. I have been told that teachers appreciate knowing this type of information, yet may not read the comments. If you could add the above paragraph to your key, I believe teachers would be able to use the activity better. Thanks for sharing.
Trish
5/3/15
