NGSS Inertia Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Peyton Zaring Date: January 19, 2022 Topic: Inertia / Newton’s First Law of Grade Level: 5
Motion

Brief Lesson Description:  Discussing inertia and movement. Discuss Sir Isaac Newton and the First Law of Motion. Have
inertia activity and video to watch. Have a penny and playing card experiment to do in class or send home.

NGSS Learning Standard: 5-PS2-1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed
down.

Narrative / Background Information 

Prior Student Knowledge: 
 Riding in a car / bus / train / plane / some type of transportation
 Jumping on a trampoline
 Basic gravity understanding

Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions: 
 Things remain at the same rate / speed
 When something  moves / stops / goes forward the object being affected by it moves in the same direction
 If something moves, everything else that is around / on top of / with that thing will move as well

Accommodations and Modifications:

 Behavior issues: have a separate activity for misbehavior
 Visually impaired: have videos prepared that have words / sounds that can explain
 Hearing impaired: have videos prepared that have captions for everything

LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model 

ENGAGE:  
 Watch a video showing someone jumping on a trampoline with leaves on it.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYZA3Vxo0wk
 Have students discuss with their neighbor about what is happening
o Students are discussing:
 What they noticed in the video
 What they wonder about the video

EXPLORE: 
 Research
o Ask for ideas as to what words might be good to look up
 Examples:
 Trampoline
 Gravity
 Ask them to come up with reasons why the girl bounced on the trampolines and the leaves stayed at the
same place
 Have them research (look for) answers
 Why?
 Gravity is important because if gravitational force did not exist, and one was to jump on a
 trampoline, they would just continue upwards into space and never be able to return back
down.

EXPLAIN: 
 Powerpoint slide
o Sir Isaac Newton information on slide
o Relate to history by discussing what time he looks like he’s from, what years he was alive and how that
relates to what was going on in history
o Watch a video defining what inertia is and have students repeat you on important parts / concepts
 Have students stand up and get in a line standing side by side and touching shoulders with whoever is next to
them (Both shoulders should be touching the person next to them)
o Once they do this, have the person on the end bump the person next to them and then once it gets to
the other end person have them go the other way 
o Repeat doing this a couple times

Vocabulary: Inertia, gravity, mass, gravitational force, acceleration, Newton’s First Law, distance

ELABORATE:  
 Coin stack challenge
o Show video
o Give them the materials in video
o Show resolution of experiment (either in class or next day)

 Hot wheels car experiments

 Have students go home and when they are in the car / bus pay attention to the inertia that is being created when
the car stops / goes

EVALUATE:  
 Graffiti Board
o Have students write / identify one thing they learned on the graffiti board

Materials Required for This Lesson/Activity

Quantity Description Potential Supplier (item #) Estimated Price
1 Technology Device (Computer) School / Myself $0
 Playing videos
 Powerpoint slides
20-30 Student Computers School $0
 Research
400 Pennies Myself $400
 For experiment
1 Deck Playing Card Myself $1 - $4
 For experiment