Gravity for kids: a 5th grade which way is down globe activity

1. Ask: "Why don't people at the bottom of the globe fall off?" Let students share ideas without correcting yet.
2. Volunteers tape paper people in the United States, Brazil, Australia, and near the North Pole, feet on the surface.
3. For each person, students place an arrow showing which way a ball would fall if that person dropped it.
4. Look at all the arrows. Ask: "What do they have in common?" They all point toward the middle of Earth.
5. Explain: gravity pulls objects toward the center of Earth. "Down" for every person is toward the center.
6. On their own outline, students draw four people around the circle and an arrow for each falling ball.

Safety: the globe stays on a table, and arrows and tape are passed by hand, not tossed.

Differentiation: students who need support place two people only, at the top and bottom. Students who are ready explain why astronauts in orbit seem to float even though gravity still pulls on them. English learners can use "Down means toward ___."

Quick check: point to a spot on the globe and ask a student to show which way a dropped ball would fall there.

Need it for another grade or subject? Ask us on the request page and our team will write it.