Objective: 

Students will model how gravity behaves on different planets and moons by breaking down gravitational force into manageable components and using variables to simulate how gravity changes based on planetary mass.

Materials Needed: 

• Various sizes of rubber balls (representing planets and moons) 

• marbles or small balls (representing objects)

• Rulers

• charts to track observations

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students learn that gravitational force is directed toward the center of any celestial body, pulling objects "down". 

  • The teacher introduces the concept of decomposition in both science and computer science, explaining that students will break the idea of gravity into smaller parts by simulating different planetary masses. 

  • The activity will also introduce the concept of variables—how the mass of the planet affects the strength of gravity.

• Activity: 

  • In groups, students simulate gravity by rolling marbles down inclined ramps aimed at various-sized rubber balls. 

  • Each rubber ball represents a different planet or moon. 

  • Students discuss how "gravity" changes based on the mass (size) of the rubber ball and record observations about how fast or slow the marble rolls toward the planet, simulating stronger or weaker gravitational pull. 

  • Each group uses variables to describe how gravity acts differently on the Earth, Moon, or larger planets like Jupiter. 

  • They decompose the problem by adjusting only one variable—the mass of the planet—while keeping the setup constant, just like changing one variable in a computer program affects its outcome.

• Discussion: 

  • Students reflect on how changing the size of the planet affects gravitational force, supporting the argument that gravity always pulls toward the center of a celestial body. 

  • They relate this concept to computer science, where changing one variable (mass) alters the program's output (gravitational strength).

Equity and Access: 

Provide ramps with pre-marked measurements for easier data collection. Pair students with varying abilities to foster peer collaboration.

Real-World Connection: 

Relate the activity to space exploration, where scientists must account for the gravitational force of different planets when planning missions.

CS Practice(s): 

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students adjust the mass variable, just like modifying a variable in a program to achieve a specific outcome.

Standard(s): 

• CA NGSS 5-PS2-1

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13

Objective: 

Students will modify an existing program in Scratch or another coding platform to simulate the effects of gravity on different celestial bodies, adjusting the strength of gravitational force based on the planet or moon’s size.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers or tablets

• pre-made coding platform gravity simulation templates

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore the concept of gravity, learning that it pulls objects toward the center of the Earth and other celestial bodies.

  • The teacher explains that students will remix a pre-existing coding program simulating gravity on Earth to adjust the gravitational strength for other planets or moons.

• Activity: 

  • Students begin by exploring a pre-coded program that simulates how objects fall under Earth’s gravity. 

  • They examine the code’s variables and learn how the gravitational force is represented. 

  • Students then modify the program to simulate gravity on other planets and moons by adjusting the gravitational force variable based on the mass of each body. 

  • They add predefined functions to represent the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter, tweaking the strength of gravity for each scenario. 

  • Once complete, students test their programs to see how objects move differently under varying gravitational forces.

• Presentation: 

  • Students present their modified simulations to peers, explaining how they changed the gravity variable to represent different planets and how the movement of objects varied depending on the celestial body’s mass.

Real-World Connection: 

Discuss how simulations like these are used by scientists to plan space missions, accounting for the gravitational forces astronauts will experience on different planets. 

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students modify existing code to create new simulations of gravity on different planets. 

• Equity and Access: Provide pre-built templates with simplified gravity variables for students needing extra support. Pair students with different coding abilities for peer collaboration.

Standard(s): 

• CA NGSS 5-PS2-1

• CA CS 3-5.AP.14