SPACETRC / TEACHER WORKSHOP
A model becomes a lesson.
A complete 40-minute inquiry for learners aged about 12 and above. Adapt vocabulary and numeracy to your group; no student account or specialist equipment is required.
LESSON OBJECTIVE
Predict, compare, explain
Learners distinguish a quantity from its unit, change one variable at a time and justify a conclusion with model output. They identify at least one assumption that limits that conclusion.
Materials: a shared phone or computer, this worksheet and pencil. The printed activity also works without JavaScript using the worked examples.
SUGGESTED 40 MINUTES
- 0–5 Ask: can mass stay the same while weight changes?
- 5–12 Predict the weight of 6 kg on Earth (g = 9.80 m/s²) and the Moon (g = 1.624 m/s²).
- 12–22 In Universe Rules set mass to 6 kg; compare the Earth and Moon choices, keeping drop height fixed.
- 22–32 Record a result, units and assumptions; discuss differences in predictions.
- 32–40 Share a claim, its evidence and one limit. Form a new question.
Worked example and discussion
W = m × g. Earth: 6 kg × 9.80 m/s² = 58.8 N; Moon: 6 kg × 1.624 m/s² = 9.744 N (displayed approximately as 9.7 N).
The mass is unchanged; lunar weight in this model is about one sixth of Earth weight. We treat gravity as uniform at a point and ignore other forces. This calculation describes the gravitational force, not a complete vehicle trajectory. Ask learners what additional information a motion model would require.
Support: provide a two-row table with mass, gravity and weight. Extension: keep weight fixed and solve for the required mass at another gravity. Compare what the model answers with what remains unknown.
REUSABLE RESEARCH SHEET
My evidence record
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A simple assessment guide
- Question: is it specific and testable?
- Evidence: are inputs, units and results recorded?
- Reasoning: does the conclusion follow from the evidence?
- Limits: is at least one assumption or missing measurement identified?
These activities are original SpaceTRC teaching suggestions, not an accredited curriculum. Teachers should adapt timing, accessibility and assessment to their learners.
NASA · Educator resources ↗Original SpaceTRC learning activities · Editorial review: 24 October 2026. Institutional source links are for further reading and do not imply endorsement.