MS-PS2-4 Gravitational Force Relationships Lab

Description

MS-PS2-4 Gravitational Force Relationships Lab Preview

SNAPs Lab Stations Activities require students to use science, math, literacy, problem-solving and engineering skills. They are designed to enhance students’ understanding of scientific concepts and help students apply scientific ideas to the real world. Each station activity promotes skills so to develop students into proficient and competent scientific thinkers.

SNAPs lab activities have five components:
• Science Skills Station to develop science skill proficiency
• Narrative Station to build science literacy
• Assessment Station to evaluate learning and understanding
• Problem-Solving Station to foster engineering design
• Synthesis Station and Project to inspire higher-order learning

DIGITAL LABORATORY – DISTANCE LEARNING & DIGITAL CLASSROOMS
• This lab is offered in a digital format to support digital classrooms & distance learning.
• The digital lab activity is designed to work with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• The digital lab activity CANNOT be edited. However:
– Students can manipulate text boxes
– Students can create tables, graphs and diagrams
– Students can insert images and drawings

GOOGLE FORM ASSESSMENT STATION
• The assessment station is offered as a self-grading Google Form.
• Questions are all short answer and are 100% editable.
• Suggestions for use are included in the download.

DISTANCE LEARNING COMPATIBILITY
SNAPs lab activities are rated for their ease with distance – independent learning. Refer to the preview for more information about how well this laboratory works in a fully digital classroom and with distance learning.

EDITABLE DOCUMENTS
This download includes an editable word document (docx file) of all lab components:
• Pre-Lab and Post-Lab Activities
• The Lab Overview
• Lab Station Activities and Questions
• Directed Synthesis Project (when applicable)

Important Notes:
• Diagrams, illustrations, tables and graphs essential to lab activities are included
• Illustrative clipart is NOT included
• Editable documents and rubrics are included with the FREE SNAPs Setup Guide

Editable files allow you to:
• Edit the scope of the activities so to suit your students’ needs
• Edit the materials required based on resource availability
• Create single-period “mini-labs” using activities at the individual skills stations

The activities at each station in this lab are detailed below.

Gravitational Force Relationships Lab Stations Activity Learning Objectives
1. Argue that gravitational force is an attractive force.
2. Argue that gravitational interactions depend on the masses of the interacting objects.
3. Explain how the strength of gravity varies with distance from a massive object, such as a planet.
4. Calculate an object’s weight on Earth and other planets.
5. Describe the relationship between gravity, mass and weight.

Science Skills Station
Students will graph mass against gravity (gravitational acceleration). They will determine the relationship between the mass of an object (specifically, celestial objects in the solar system) and the gravity exerted by that object. Students will also calculate their weight on different planets. From this data, they will determine the relationship between the mass of interacting objects, gravity and weight.

Narrative Station
Students will read an informative text about gravity and answers questions about ideas and concepts in that text. Using the information in the text, students will evaluate two diagrams. They will determine which diagram correctly illustrates gravity exerted by celestial objects in the solar system.

Assessment Station
At this station, students will answer questions about key terms and ideas relating to gravity and weight. Students must employ lower, mid and higher order thinking skills to answer these questions.

Problem-Solving Station
Students will apply scientific ideas about gravity and weight to identify and discuss problems that could arise if changes to mass and/or distance of celestial objects in the solar system changed.

Synthesis Station
Students will compose a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) report to summarize the lab. Students are provided the claim statement and must support the claim with observations, data and other information gathered in the lab. Students will explain how the evidence supports the claim using scientific reasoning.

Synthesis Project
Students will have a choice of 11 projects. Refer to the SNAPs Lab Stations Best Practices and Setup Guide for directions and suggestions on how to conduct the project.

This download includes:
• A pre-lab assignment and post-lab reflection
• Directions and questions for each lab station
• Student recording sheets
• Teacher Key

Additional Materials Required:
2+ Calculators
1 Computer or tablet (suggested but not required)

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
This laboratory satisfies NGSS MS-PS2-4. It combines the three dimensions of science learning – science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts – to meet the standard. This lab also makes interdisciplinary connections to STEM, Math CCSS and ELA CCSS to build the appropriate skills.

TERMS OF USE
• All rights reserved by Stephanie Elkowitz.
• This product is to be used by the original purchaser only.
• Intended for classroom and personal use only.
• Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited.
• This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view.
• Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).