Multimedia+Three


 * =**Multimedia Lesson Plan**=

|| ||

OBJECTIVES:

 * //Describe gravity as a force that exists between any two objects that have mass//
 * //Demonstrate that all objects, regardless of their mass, fall to the ground at the same rate//
 * //Demonstrate that air resistance can affect the rate at which an object falls//

**Introduction:**

 * Post the following Journal Starter: "Do objects of the same size and mass fall at the same rate?"
 * Allow students time to respond to the question in their journals.
 * Open up the topic for discussion to see what different ideas the students have.
 * [|Something to think about]


 * Mini-Lesson:**

1. Have students listen to the Falling objects ([|mathgrad.com]) podcast: [|Falling Objects Podcast] //(It may be necessary to stop the podcast from time to time to discuss what the narrator is talking about.)//

2. View the following slide show: [|greenfrog: falling objects]

3. To demonstrate the concept of air resistance, do the following:
 * Hold a sheet of paper horizontally out in front of you (so that the surface of the paper is parallel to the floor)
 * Drop the paper and have a student time how long it takes for the paper to hit the floor.
 * Repeat the process holding the paper vertically out in front of you (so that the surface of the paper is perpendicular to the floor)
 * Discuss (Your results should show that the paper falls slower when the paper is held horizontally due to greater surface area coming into contact with the air)

4. What might influence how fast these objects fall?


 * [[image:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/1547295781_d85a12d6aa_m.jpg caption="Balloon" link="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/1547295781_d85a12d6aa_m.jpg"]] || [[image:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/2073153937_ee9dfcf11c_m.jpg caption="Dice" link="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/2073153937_ee9dfcf11c_m.jpg"]] || [[image:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/397079784_15fe68e7d9_m.jpg caption="Waterfall"]] ||


 * Guided Learning:**


 * Students should be placed into groups of 2 or 3.
 * Each group will design and test their own experiments to prove that all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their size and/or mass using items found within the classroom.
 * Students should record their results in the table below.


 * When testing is completed, students will post their results as an an entry on the teachers blog.Each post should include a [|Flickr] photo that compliments their group's experiment.