Invisible Forces at Work

Student Activities

Day 1:

Estimated time: 60 minutes

1. Students will gather in a whole group setting to discuss what they know about gravity and magnetism; this information will be placed on the K-W-L chart or Venn diagram.

a. NOTE: If students need a refresher on these, the teacher can assign the Wonderopolis: Why Is There No Gravity in Space? and Wonderopolis: Do Opposites Attract? articles for them to read.

2. After reviewing these two invisible forces, the teacher will explain to students that both can positively and negatively affect the International Space Station and its astronauts.

3. Students will work in groups of three to four to make lists of what they believe these positive and negative effects may be; the class will come together to share out once time is up.

4. Today’s focus will be on experimenting with gravity- students will work either in small groups or, in a large group, to follow the teacher’s instructions for the Simple Science Experiments: Gravity Water Drop.

5. Once the experiment is completed, the students will talk about why they think astronauts are weightless in space and how that relates to gravity or a lack of.

6. As an optional formative review, the students can respond to the Flipgrid Gravity Disco Library Topic.

Day 2:

Estimated Time: 60 minutes

1. Students will gather in a whole group setting to review their lists of positive and negative effects of magnetism and gravity in relation to the ISS and its astronauts.

2. After reviewing their lists, they will watch the Space Junk video to become familiar with this topic; if applicable, students will add thoughts to their lists.

3. Today’s focus will be on experimenting with magnetism. Students will work in small groups to complete two tasks: keep paper clips items away from a taped square (roughly 2” x 2” on their tables) and collect paper clips in a taped square.

4. Once the experiment is completed, the students will talk in student-chosen or teacher chosen groups about ways that magnets can protect the ISS or assist its astronauts with their weightlessness; this will be the first step in their final assessment.

a. The teacher should encourage students to think about the “space junk” video they saw at the beginning of the lesson.

5. As an optional formative review, the students can respond to the Flipgrid Magnetism Disco Library Topic.

Day 2:

Estimated Time: 60 minutes

1. In their small groups, students will review their ideas for ways that magnets can protect the ISS or assist its astronauts.

2. They will then sketch out a prototype for their magnet invention and how it will help the ISS and its astronauts inside or outside.

3. Once approved by the teacher, the small groups will build their invention in Minecraft in the ISS world.