Defining Gravity: Crash Course Kids

Contributor
Crash Course Kids
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Animation/Movie
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be “fully aligned,” the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

This short YouTube video from the Crash Course Kids provides students background information on gravity, demonstrating how when we talk about gravity pulling things down, we really mean that gravity is pulling things toward the Earth. It provides clear, easy-to-understand visuals and examples in way that will be engaging for students to watch.

Intended Audience

Learner
Educational Level
  • Grade 5
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.

Performance Expectations

5-PS2-1 Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.

Clarification Statement: “Down” is a local description of the direction that points toward the center of the spherical Earth.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include mathematical representation of gravitational force.

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
When viewing this video, students obtain information that will assist them in supporting an argument that unsupported objects are pulled to Earth’s surface by its gravitational force. Prior to viewing students could share their experiences, ideas and questions about gravity. After viewing, they might brainstorm other ways to gather evidence to support the claim that the gravitational force of Earth pulls objects to its surface.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource was not designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Students are obtaining information from the video to explain the phenomena of unsupported objects falling to the ground. To more fully address the full element of the practice, students would obtain information from other sources, including hands-on i and combine their information using graphic organizers or other methods of recording information.

This resource was not designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
If students obtain information from other sources, including hands-on investigations, they can construct an argument using their findings as evidence.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Earth’s gravitational force acting on objects near earth’s surface is the focus of this video.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
The video models a straight-forward investigation in which objects thrown in any direction are ultimately pulled toward the ground, going on to explain the cause-effect relationship between the net downward direction of the ball and the force of gravity.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: The video begins with the phenomenon of jumping in the air and coming back to the ground instead of floating out into space. When viewing the video, students are using the practice of obtaining information about gravity. The video explains how when we talk about gravity pulling things down, we really mean that gravity is pulling things toward the Earth, supporting the disciplinary core idea. Since there is a discussion of gravity as the cause of all unsupported objects falling down on Earth’s surface, this video has incorporated all three dimensions in its explanation. Students have had numerous authentic experiences with gravity over their lifetimes that they can connect to the ideas presented in this video.

  • Instructional Supports: The video draws on students’ experiences playing with a ball that falls to the ground no matter which way it is released. The cause of this phenomenon is identified as gravitational force. This video provides scientifically accurate and grade level appropriate information. It does not provide opportunities for students to express, clarify, justify, interpret, or represent their ideas nor respond to peer and teacher feedback. The teacher would need to decide how to provide an opportunity for students to express their ideas and respond to feedback. All learners can access this video and can be shown multiple times and/or paused periodically with instruction or discussion between pauses. Students may benefit from slowing the video to .75 speed or adding subtitles in another language. These options can be found in the youtube settings. While viewing, students can use graphic organizers (not provided by resource) to organize the information in the video. This resource could be used with another published resource “What Goes Up Must Come Down!" or "Going Down!”

  • Monitoring Student Progress: This video has no method for monitoring student progress. That would come from teacher questioning or evaluating any written work done with the video in the form of a reflection or graphic organizer. Pausing the video a the point where arrows show the direction of gravity will allow discussion that may draw out student misconceptions. Based on the model,students may think gravity pushes from space. The teacher may ask, "What evidence do we have that gravity is pulling or pushing?" If the students constructed an argument providing evidence to support the claim that gravitational force pulls object down to earth’s surface, this might also be used to monitor their learning progress.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: This resource does not include a technologically interactive component.