Matt Massingill

Lesson Cycle
Lesson Title/Topic: Gravity for 6th grade
Target Concept: Understanding the force of gravity
Standards/Rationale: understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar
system
Lesson Objectives:
Assessment:
Using their text book and the internet, TSW Model
create a model demonstrating the concept
of gravity in our solar system with 80%
accuracy.
Materials:
Lesson Cycle: (Direct instruction)
The teacher will:
Focus/Mental Set:
1. Ask all the students to:
a. Stand up
b. Raise one arm and let it drop
c. Raise the other arm and let it
drop
d. Both arms together and let them
drop
e. Pick up one leg and let it drop
f. Pick up the other leg and let it
drop
g. Jump up and down
h. Sit back down
2. Then ask the students to briefly
discuss with the student next to
them what force was acting on their
bodies during that those
movements.
3. Ask the partner groups what they
came up with
4. Guide them to gravity.

The student will:

1. Participate in the actions
2. Discuss with student partner what
force was acting on their bodies
during the movements.
3. Share with class

Matt Massingill

Teacher Input:
1. Ask what Gravity is and have the
students discuss it with their
neighbor for 30-45 seconds.
2. Have the students stand up and
report me definition or give
example. No repetitive
a. Gravity is basic force in the
universe that attracts all objects
to each other
3. Everything has possess quality of
gravitational force
a. There is gravitational force
between you and Earth, Earth
and Moon, Earth and Sun.
b. Post attachment B on the
projector to help illustrate.
c. Holds all things in place, we
dont fly off because of the
gravitational pull but dont get
pulled in due to motion.
d. Example merry-go-round,
holding on is gravitational force
if we let go we would fall off.
4. Gravitational force depends on
a. Mass of the object
b. Distance apart
5. Post Attachment A on the projector
6. Break students into groups of 3-4
and have them come up with
statements explaining the
attachment A in 2-3 minutes.
7. Ask each group their explanation
expect multiple response
8. If extra time: Give students
another perspective space time
bending
a. Matter bends space time, mass
on the space time warps it
causing things to spiral around
objects.
b. This is like on a trampoline and
you are standing there things
roll in to where your feet are
bending the fabric in.

1. listen to information given

2. Work in groups to perform the
required task.
3. Share with group and class

Matt Massingill

Guided Practice:
1. Put the students into groups of 3-4
and have them do a Find-theFiction structure.
a. Give no more than 5 minutes
for each group member will
write down 3 statements about
gravity. 2 are to be true and 1 to
be false.
b. Once everyone in the group has
their statements group member
A will read statements to the
group.
c. The group is to then guess
which statement is false one
student A has finished reading
all 3 statements.
d. Student A will then announce
the false statement.
e. Continue b-e until the entire
group members have read their
statements.
Independent Practice:
1. Put students into new groups of 3-4
and have them create a poem about
gravity.
2. Give the students 10-15 minutes to
complete the task
3. Have group then stand and recite
the poems.
4. All students in group must speak or
take an active part in the
presentation of the poem.
Closure:
1. What did you already know about
Gravity before today?
2. What did you learn that was new
today?
3. So, what is gravity?
4. Why is it important?
Options:
Enrichment:
Modifications/Correctives:

1. Participate in Find-the-Fiction
structure.

1. Work with group to create a poem.

2. Then participate in reading the
poem to the class.

1. Respond to questions

Reteach:

Matt Massingill

References:
Attachement A.

First example the distance

apart is the same as the larger
balls below but since the balls
above are smaller there is less
gravitational force

Attacment B.