INTRODUCTION:

To begin the lesson, show a quick video introducing the concept of center of gravity.

The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AdeeStxPTg

Then, explain that today’s lesson focuses on how center of gravity affects stability and balance.

LESSON OUTLINE:

1. Explain the concept of center of gravity and have the students use the video provided from Step 1 as a reference.

2. Demonstrate examples of objects with different centers of gravity such as a bowl of water, a pyramid, and a cylinder.

3. Introduce a worksheet that is provided (see below for link) to the students and have them work on the worksheet in groups.

4. Give the students strips of paper and have them create models of objects and experiment on how the weight for each object affects the stability.

5. Discuss the results of their experiment and the implications their results have on center of gravity.

Questions:

1. What is center of gravity?
2. How does center of gravity affect the stability of an object?
3. How can you manipulate an object’s center of gravity to increase its stability?

Worksheet:

https://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_balance/cub_balance_activity1_gw.xml

ASSESSMENT:

Have the students complete a quiz or assessment to gauge their understanding of the concept. The assessment can be found at the following link:

https://www.splashlearn.com/center-of-gravity-worksheets

DIFFERENTIATION:

For students who need more assistance, provide each student with a manipulative to further help them understand the concept of center of gravity.

PLENARY:

To conclude the lesson, review the main points of the lesson and provide a few examples to the students. Ask them each what they would do in different scenarios to increase the stability of an object by manipulating its center of gravity.