Elements of Physics

Motion, Force, and Gravity

Teachers Guide
Grade Level: 912

Curriculum Focus: Physical Science

Lesson Duration: Three class periods

Program Description
Examine Isaac Newton's laws of motion, the four fundamental forces of the universe, and how Einstein
revolutionized the way we understand gravity.

Lesson Plan Summary

Students research issues related to space travel and consider whether space exploration is necessary.
Based on their findings, they imagine that they serve on an advisory group to NASA and write a
research paper assessing whether they think human space travel should continue. Students share their
ideas with a partner, who offers feedback.

Onscreen Questions

How does physics affect your life?

How are math and physics related?

How has physics allowed for a safe reentry from space?

How can the Colambia tragedy help NASA prevent similar disasters?

Lesson Plan

Student Objectives

Research issues related to human space travel.

Consider the necessity of space exploration.

Write a well-researched paper about continuing the space shuttle program.

Materials

Elements of Physics: Motion, Force, and Gravity video

Computer with Internet access

Print and Web resources about the space program

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

Procedures
1. Begin the lesson by asking students to write their opinions about the space program. They may
consider whether the space program yields important scientific data or is a waste of money that
poses a threat to astronauts. Have students put their papers away until the end of the lesson.
2. Give students time in class to watch the program Elements of Physics: Motion, Force, and Gravity.
Have them pay close attention to the segment From Space to Earth, which discusses the space
shuttle program and the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle.
3. After watching the program, ask students to imagine serving on an advisory board to NASA.
They have been asked to prepare a well-researched paper with their recommendations about
continuing the space shuttle program. Questions students should consider while thinking about
this issue include the following:

Why is reentry into Earths atmosphere so difficult? (The space shuttle is in a fast, free fall state
as it returns to Earths atmosphere. The only force working on it is gravity; air resistance does not
slow it down. Its intense speed is dangerous, especially when the shuttle first enters the atmosphere.)

Do we have the scientific expertise to safely launch space shuttles and return them to Earth?
(NASA has done it many times, but space travel still poses risks.)

What changes have been made to the space shuttle program since the Challenger tragedy?
(Additional checks and balances have been put into place, and launches are postponed if there is any
doubt about the safety of the equipment or if the weather is questionable.)

Is human space exploration necessary? Can probes and other devices do the job just as well
as people? (Opinions will vary.)

4. Give students time in class to work on their papers. Have students use print and Web resources.
The Web sites below are a good starting point:
After the Columbia Disaster

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/shuttle/

http://www.aia-aerospace.org/aianews/articles/2003/oped_02_00_03.pdf

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/space/RS21408.pdf

Launch of the July 4, 2006, Space Shuttle Discovery

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2155882

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=146948

Results from the July 26, 2005, Space Shuttle Mission

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/multimedia/top30_page1.html

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050710_sts114_countdown.html

5. Have students choose a partner to review their finished papers; they will make revisions based
on the feedback.
6. Conclude the lesson by asking students to refer to their original opinions. Has working on this
activity changed their opinions? If so, how? Hold a final class discussion focusing on students
thoughts about the future of the space program.

Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students work during this lesson.

3 points: Students thoroughly researched issues related to human space travel; carefully
considered the necessity of space exploration; and wrote a well-researched paper about
continuing the space shuttle program.

2 points: Students researched issues related to human space travel; considered the necessity
of space exploration; and wrote a satisfactorily researched about continuing the space
shuttle program.

1 point: Students had difficulty or did not research issues related to humans space travel;
had difficulty considering the necessity of space exploration; and did not complete or write
a paper about continuing the space shuttle program.

Vocabulary
air resistance
Definition: The upward force on an object in motion that has the effect of reducing the speed at
which the object is moving
Context: As an object gains speed, it encounters more air resistance, which is what causes it to
slow down.
atmosphere
Definition: The protective layer of gases that surrounds Earth
Context: Once the space shuttle enters Earths atmosphere, it becomes subject to air resistance as
well as gravity.
free fall
Definition: The state in which only gravity is acting on an object in motion
Context: During a free fall, an object accelerates because no other force is acting on it to
counteract the effects of gravity.

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

gravity
Definition: The force that pulls objects downward
Context: In an unbalanced state, the force of gravity causes objects to accelerate at a rate of 9.8
meters per second.
space shuttle
Definition: A reusable vehicle designed to transport crew and equipment into space that can also
serve as a base for repairing satellites and other objects in space
Context: Without the space shuttle, the International Space Station would not have the supplies
and staff it needs to function.

Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K12. To view the
standards, visit this Web site:
http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#content.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

Physical Science: Motions and forces

Science and Technology: Abilities of technological design; Understandings about science and
technology

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)

McRELs Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp .
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

Science: Physical SciencesUnderstands forces and motion

TechnologyUnderstands the nature and uses of different forms of technology

Language Arts: ViewingUses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; Writing: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process, Gathers
and uses information for research purposes; Reading: Uses reading skills and strategies to
understand and interpret a variety of informational texts

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.

How To Use the DVD

The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play VideoThis plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by

using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause button
is included with the other video controls.
Video IndexHere the video is divided into sections indicated by video thumbnail icons; brief

descriptions are noted for each one. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video
from start to finish. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a
computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text description and click
again to start the video.
Curriculum UnitsThese are specially edited video segments pulled from sections of the video (see

below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They include
onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teachers Guide. Total running
times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV remote or
click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards LinkSelecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher ResourcesThis screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.

Video Index
I. The Father of Science (4 min.)
Explore important contributions of early scientists in the field of physics and take a closer look at
Galileos observations regarding falling objects.
II. Sir Isaacs Apple (7 min.)
Gravity, and discover why objects on Earth fall to the ground while planets remain in orbit.
III. Einsteins Force (3 min.)
Discover Albert Einsteins theory of relativity and learn the basics behind the complicated idea of a
space-time continuum.
IV. From Space to Earth (35 min.)
Learn about the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew and take an inside look at the
physics that go into designing a shuttle fit for space flight.

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

Curriculum Units
1. Galileos Observations and Equations
Pre-viewing question
Q: Do you think two objects of different amounts will fall at the same speed?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What does Galileos formula v = gt indicate?
A: The formula v = gt means change in velocity equals acceleration multiplied by time.
Galileo determined that when objects fall, their speed changes at a constant rate. The rate of
acceleration, or change in velocity per unit of time is a consistent 9.8 meters per second per
second.
2. Newtons Laws of Physics
Pre-viewing question
Q: What might happen if Earths gravity were reduced?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe Newtons three laws of motion.
A: Newtons first law of motion says that an objects natural tendency is to continue what it is
doing unless acted on by an outside force. This is the law of inertia.
The second law describes how an object accelerates or changes direction when a force is
applied to it, depending on the net force. This law also states that the acceleration from a
specific force always moves in the direction of that force and that the larger the mass of an
object, the greater the force needed to move it.
The third law says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
3. Relativity and Space-Time
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about Albert Einstein?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is the space-time continuum?
A: Einstein put forth the idea of a four-dimensional universe. The three dimensions of space are
length, width, and height, and time is the fourth. Einstein said that the mass of an object
actually distorts space-time. In his theory, planets orbit around the sun because they are moving
through the distortions of space-time that have been created by the mass of the sun.

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

4. Successful Mission, Tragic Reentry

Pre-viewing question
Q: What is necessary for a successful space shuttle launch?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What was the mission of the space shuttle Columbia?
A: The space shuttles mission was to perform 80 experiments dedicated to physical, life, and
space sciences.
5. Operating a Space Shuttle
Pre-viewing question
Q: What skills are required to design and build airplane, automobile, or other vehicle?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What kind of force does it take to push a space shuttle into orbit and keep it there?
A: Nearly four million pounds of rocket fuel are necessary to push the shuttle into orbit so it can
reach a speed great enough to counteract the Earths gravitational pull. To stay in orbit, the
shuttle must be traveling about 18,000 miles a year, or roughly five miles every second.
6. Challenges of Leaving Space
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some purposes and outcomes of space travel?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What might be the most challenging aspect of engineering reentry into Earths atmosphere?
A: Answers will vary.
7. Thermal Protection
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some effects of high temperatures on airborne craft?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe the function and major aspects of the space shuttles thermal protection system.
A: Because the space shuttle encounters heat up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry to
Earths atmosphere, it requires a reusable thermal protection system. The system includes more
than 20,000 ceramic tiles made of silica fibers that can withstand temperatures of about 2,300
degrees Fahrenheit. The tiles protecting the bottom of the shuttle are coated with a black, glassbased liquid; they radiate heat and keep the heated plasma from sticking to the surface. And to
protect the aluminum wings and other sensitive areas, engineers developed nonporous panels

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.

Elements of Physics
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Teachers Guide

of RCC, or reinforced carbon carbon. T-seals made of RCC and insulation material provide
additional thermal protection.
8. Landing a Shuttle
Pre-viewing question
Q: What skills might be required to land an airplane, hot-air balloon, or other airborne vehicle?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why must a space shuttle maintain a level flight path?
A: If the shuttles angle of attack is too low, not enough drag is created and the vehicle
would hit the runway too fast, overshooting the landing site or crunching its landing gear
at touchdown. At too high an angle, the shuttles weight would slow it down too quickly,
its wings would cease to generate lift, and it would fall from the sky well before reaching
the runway.

Published by Discovery Education. 2006. All rights reserved.