Graduate School of Education UWA PST Sarah Tran

Lesson Information
Date: Class/Group: Time: 10:00-11:05am
6/6/17 Year 7 Focus (Miss Hannah Beccarelli) Room: Sci 4E
Topic: Orbits as a result of gravitational pull (gravity)
Main science idea: The larger the mass of an object, the stronger the force of gravity. Planets have
huge amount of mass, and so their gravitational pull attracts other masses e.g. the Earth pulls the moon
towards it, and pulls us towards it too.

Australian Curriculum Science Links:

SU: ACSSU117 SHE: ACSHE119, ACSHE223 SIS: -

Lesson Outcomes:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. State the effect that mass has on the strength of force of gravity
2. Understand the idea that planets are massive (have lots of mass) and so their gravitational pull
is obvious.
3. Understand that an object in orbit around a planet, are called satellites
4. Give examples of natural and artificial satellites

Student Behavioural Outcomes:

It is expected that students will achieve the following during the lesson:

1. Show respect for themselves, other students, the teacher, the equipment, and the lesson topic
2. Work effectively as part of a pair/group in a discussion context
3. Ask appropriate and relevant questions
4. Contribute effectively and positively to the lesson discussions

Prior Learning:

It is expected that students have a prior understanding of:

1. The eight (8) planets in our solar system

2. What mass is
3. What gravity is and its effects on all masses
4. The planets in our solar system + Earths moon
5. Earths moon orbits Earth
6. The planets in our solar system orbit the sun
7. The fact that humans dont have that much mass in comparison to Earth/other planets, our
gravitational pull towards other objects is tiny (not visible)
8. The link between gravity, mass, and orbits (moon around Earth)

Materials/Resources:

Pearson Science 7 S.B.

Laptop connected to projector/TV screen
PowerPoint presentation:
Whiteboard + markers
Handout 1: Orbits word search sheet
YouTube video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfSaztUiw5s (0:00-1:13) How many satellites are
orbiting Earth currently
Website 1: http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544
Website 2: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-19/adelaide-built-satellite-launched-into-space-by-
nasa/8451834 (Scroll down for video on nano satellites)
Graduate School of Education UWA PST Sarah Tran
Lesson Steps
Time Procedure Comment (5Es)
5 mins 1. Pre-lesson
a. Pull the desks on the right side, so that there is a large walkway
between them and the side benches (for the orbits demo later)

b. Welcome at the door, and settle the class into routine

They will be expected to line up quietly outside class, and enter
quietly- set this routine from first lesson, onwards

c. Say hello to as many students using names if possible

10 mins 2. Cool down activity

a. Students have 10 minutes to complete a word search on gravity,
mass, and orbits to familiarise themselves with terminology

2 mins 3. Introduce the lesson

a. Outline what the lesson will consist of today:
- Learn about orbits and about what orbits Earth at the moment
(YouTube video 1)
- View an orbits demonstration and have a go at modelling orbits
- Using your own models created last week to explain orbits

25 mins 4. Teacher input + student notes

(15 min) a. Lead into gravityorbits:

SAY: open up your notebooks and take out the model you
constructed last week!

ASK: what did we learn about last week? (Gravity, the effect of
mass on strength of gravity, ball experiment with the corn flour,)

ASK: can someone explain to me what gravity is? (gravity is a

pulling force which attracts all masses to each other)

b. Massstrength of gravity:

SAY: so if all things with mass have a gravitational pull, then why
arent these whiteboard markers being pulled towards me? (my
mass is small compared to massive Earth/planets)

SAY: if you remember back to last week, I told you about how only
very large masses have gravitational pulls that you can see.

ASK: can someone give me an example of an object with lots and

lots of mass? (planets)

SAY: so because the Earth is so massive and has so much mass,

that its gravitational pull is strong enough to trap smaller masses
like the moon, and keep them in orbit! Thats why the moon orbits
the Earth!

b. Student notes:

Write on the board the definition of orbit: when a mass e.g. a

planet, is so large that its gravitational pull traps other smaller
masses, causing them to travel in a continuous path around the
planet.

ASK: so on your model, show me the moon orbiting the Earth. This
is one type of orbit. Can someone use their model to show me
another orbit (Earth around the Sun)

c. SAY: In your notebooks, copy down this

Anything that orbits a planet is called a satellite. There can be
Graduate School of Education UWA PST Sarah Tran
natural satellites and artificial satellites.

ASK: does anyone know what the word artificial means? Where
have you heard this word before?

d. Write an example of satellites:

- Natural = planets around the Sun, the moon around Earth
- Artificial = International Space Station, GPS satellites

SAY: The ISS is actually the largest artificial satellite currently

orbiting Earth!

(10 min) e. Exploring the artificial satellites around Earth

Show students how many artificial satellites there are currently

orbiting Earth (YouTube video 1)

f. Show students this site on board: n

SAY: this site lets you track the International Space Station and
where it is above the Earth! It tells you how long before the ISS will
pass over exactly where you are, and the site also lets you search
for other artificial satellites likeOPTUS-10, the most recent
OPTUS satellite to be launched into orbit

OPTUS 10- used for high quality broadcasting services for the
ABC, Seven network, Nine network, Network ten etc.

g. Show the University of Adelaide nano satellite video (0:00-2:12)

- First Australian built satellite in 15 years just launched by NASA
two months ago
- Students from a university in Adelaide made nano satellites the
size of a loaf of bread

10 mins 5. Teacher demonstration: Hannah + Sarah

a. Show students the orbit trampoline demonstration using the
different marbles

SAY: so Miss B will now help in demonstrating what orbits are,

using this trampoline and marbles!

b. Explain how objects with large amounts of mass e.g. planets,

have such strong gravitational pulls that they can actually bend
space- pulling smaller masses towards them and trapping them in
orbit

5 mins 6. Conclusion
a. Recap orbits and the link between mass and strength of
gravitational pull

Student Assessment
Informal assessment
1. Student participation in the questions about past lessons
2. Observe students participation in note taking and questioning after the orbits demo