A Veritable Circus: Investigating Balance

Between the pull of gravity and the push of air pressure, it's a wonder animals can balance or move at all. With a hands-on lesson about the center of gravity, learners discuss their own experiences with the topic, then work with...

Second graders sped the day exploring about balance by playing with and making balancing toys. They discover how varying the amount and position of mass affects the toys' balance. Pupils explore gravity and balance while playing with the...

Seventh graders determine the center of gravity of an object. They get card stock objects to balance on pencil eraser and a meter stick to balance with same # of weighted string(s) on each side. They get meter stick to balance with...

LOL! Hazel Fanny, the Science Granny is hilarious and educational! After Bill rides a sky-high bicycle, demonstrating the center of gravity, this elderly woman and her girlfriends play tug-of-war with a gang of bikers to display what...

Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a...

Watch the ZOOM cast learn about center of gravity by trying to balance a pencil on their fingers and noses. [3:36]

Learners work with boxes and weights to find the center of gravity. In this simple center of gravity experiment, students find success in using weights to move the center of gravity. Learners will be assessed at the end of the lesson as...

In the following lesson middle schoolers will learn about center of gravity and how the body adjusts to the force of gravity to remain balanced.

Experiment with the center of gravity by stacking blocks in a way that appears to defy its force. This is a fascinating demonstration that you can use when teaching about gravity, forces, or balance. 

Fourth graders conduct experiments to identify the center of gravity. In this gravity lesson, 4th graders do two hands-on experiments to increase their understanding of this concept. This self-discovery lesson provides students with the...