1. Students will be able to define force, weight, and gravity.
2. Students will learn that objects of different weights fall at the same speed.
3. Students will be able to explain what produces the force of gravity.
4. Students will begin to create a notebook of pictures, definitions, and observations about the physics behind toys to take with them at the end of the series of lessons.

Vocabulary:

• Force: A push or pull acting on a body.
• Weight: The measure of how strong the force of gravity is between an object and the Earth.
• Gravity: The force of attraction existing between two bodies.

Materials needed:

• small objects that do not bounce (one for each student)
• two objects of different weights
• two film canisters for each group of students - one empty and one filled with weights
• “You Be Galileo” activity sheets - one for each student
• pencils
• weight on other planets sheets (one for each student) calculators (one for each group)

Introduction:

What is a force? A push or pull acting on a body. (A force usually causes some distortion of the body, a change in velocity, or both.)

Ask the students to show some examples of forces. Ask them for examples of forces around us.