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edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Gravity and Falling Objects
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Central Focus/Big Idea: Forces and motion, gravity.
Subject of this lesson: Understanding what gravity is and understanding how everything falls at
the same speed.
Grade Level: 3rd grade
NC Essential Standard(s): 3.P.1.3Explain the effects of earths gravity on the motion of any
object on or near the earth.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): 3-PS2-2.Make observations and/or measurements of
an objects motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
21st Century Skills:
Collaboration: Students must collaborate and work together to do the experiment.
Critical thinking: Students must make predictions about each experiment.
Communication: Students can communicate effectively and efficiently with their group about
their predictions and explanations for what is happening in the experiment.
Academic Language Demand
Language Function: Questioning is the most important language function for this lesson
because they do a lot of questioning whether objects will fall at the same time, and why.
Analyze
Argue
Categorize
Compare/contras Describe
Explain
t
Interpret
Predict
Question
Retell
Summarize
Scientific Vocabulary:
-Gravity: a mysterious force that makes everything fall down towards the Earth.
-Mass: the amount of matter in a given volume of something.
-Volume: the amount of space that an object or substance takes up.
-Hypothesis
Instructional Objective: Students will understand that because of gravity, all objects regardless
of their mass will fall to the ground at the same time. Students will do this by making hypothesis,
testing to see if the objects will land at the same time and then writing a conclusion about their
hypothesis. Students will complete a short worksheet on gravity and mass with 80% accuracy

Prior Knowledge (student): Students should already know what a hypothesis is and how to write
one. Students should know that speed and force determines how much an object moves.
Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher should already know that mass is the amount of
matter in a given volume of something, volume is the amount of space that an object or substance
takes up, gravity is the force that exists between any two objects that have mass. Weight is a
measure of the force of gravity pulling on an object. All objects have gravity, without it nothing
would stay on the ground, wed all fly off. Because of the equivalence principle, objects with
different masses will all fall at the same speed. Gravity is what makes matter clump together to
create planets, the moon, and stars. Gravity is also what makes planet orbit stars such as the sun.
Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): Students with special
needs will be given extra time (if needed) to complete the assignment. ELLs will be given a
picture chart to help with vocabulary.
Materials and Technology requirements: Each student needs a worksheet to fill in while
completing the experiment. One chair for the teacher to use. Every student will need a pencil.
Each group will have a bag filled with objects of different sizes and weights, as well as different
task cards for each student in the group.
Total Estimated Time: This lesson will take about 1 hour to complete.
Source of lesson:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfe.lp_gravity/gravity-and-fallingobjects/
Safety considerations: Go over with students that the objects in the bags are not to be thrown,
just dropped. Students will not stand on furniture.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
Engage: Start by asking students: What do you think gravity is? Watch the short video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljRlB6TuMOU.
After the video, ask students to turn and talk to a neighbor and describe what gravity is and
something interesting they learned from the video. Use a timer to give students a minute to talk
and let students know when it is time to come back.
Explore: What questions will you ask to facilitate exploration?
Students will be put into groups of 4. Students will be given a worksheet, different objects, and
cards with a job for each student to do and a description of that job (the recorder, observer 1,
observer 2, and person to drop objects). On the worksheet, students will be comparing two
different objects at a time. One student will drop the two objects at the same time from the same
spot. Observer 1 will be watching to make sure the objects drop from the same height and at the
same time. Observer 2 will be watching to see which one hits the ground first. The recorder will
write down which object hit the ground first. Students will be given all of the materials.
Today we are going to be doing an experiment that looks at gravity and how it affects the speed
that objects fall to the ground. For this experiment, you will get a bag of materials as well as
different job cards. You are going to be testing to see if 2 objects will land at the same time. One
person will be in charge of dropping the objects. This person must be sure they are dropping
them at the same time, and same height. Two people will be observers. Observer 1 will be
looking to see if the Dropper is dropping the objects at the same time and height. Observer 2 will
be looking to see which object hits the ground first. The last person will be the recorder. They
will record the results from each of the items dropped.
While the students are doing the experiment, walk around and ask students questions such as:
Which object hit the ground first? Why do you think that?
Explanation: After students explore, students will share with the class the results. I will ask one
student from each group to share what their results were for the experiment. Have students
explain why they think there results were what they were. To build on students explanations,
explain that all of the objects should have landed at the same time. Have students come up with
their own explanations as to why they land at the same time. Explain that these objects land at
the same time because all objects regardless of their mass fall to the ground at the same time.
Questions to ask:

What were the results of your experiment?

Why do you think these objects landed at the same time?
Was there a difference in how heavy the objects were?
Do you think Gravity plays a role in this?
Why do you think gravity is important?

Teacher Explanation:

All of the objects should have landed at the same time. They should have landed at the same
time because regardless of the objects mass, they will fall to the ground at the same time. It does
this because of gravity. Gravity is what makes thing fall to the ground. Without gravity, wed float
everywhere and nothing would stay on the ground.

Students will look at the predictions they made, what they learned and write a conclusion
about whether their prediction was correct and why/why not. Independently, students will
complete a 4 question worksheet about gravity and why things fall at the same time.
Elaborate: To elaborate, students will do a similar activity. This time they will look at objects of
different weights to see which one falls harder. Students will compare these objects: textbook and
a rule, a can and a cup.
Students will write down observations about the weight of the objects (Which is heavier, lighter,
etc.)
Students will drop the objects like the previous activity, but this time they will note the
differences in how they land, and the sounds they make to determine which object falls harder.
Evaluate: Formative assessment: While students are conducting their experiment, walk around
and monitor progress of students. Ask questions about what their predictions are and why.
Summative assessment: Students will be graded on their worksheets from the elaborate section to
see if they have at least 80% accuracy after filling it out.
To be completed after the lesson is taught as appropriate
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:
Reflection on lesson:
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________