Gravity and friction

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about gravity?" Then let them work through it independently, using a partner or small group only if they want to talk through their thinking, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These gravity worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These gravity worksheets for 3rd grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in forces and motion. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about gravity accurately. Working through gravity on paper gives 3rd grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 3rd Grade forces and motion, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with gravity. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Gravity teaches students that all objects with mass attract each other, and that Earth's gravity is the force that keeps us on the ground and makes things fall when dropped. Third graders explore how gravity affects the motion of objects on ramps, in free fall, and during sports and play activities. The concept provides a foundation for later study of forces, motion, and engineering design.

Gravity is introduced in Grade 3 as part of the forces and motion unit, typically alongside friction and balanced and unbalanced forces. At ages 8-9, students have ample everyday experience with gravity and can connect the scientific explanation to familiar observations. The concept is often explored through investigations involving rolling objects, pendulums, or dropped items from different heights.

Drop two different objects at the same time and ask your child to predict and then observe what happens, then use the worksheet vocabulary to explain the result. The prediction and explanation activities are great for independent practice, but the 'why does this happen' questions benefit from thinking out loud together. Connecting the science to sports your child plays, why does a basketball come back down?, makes gravity feel personally relevant.

4 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 8-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 3rd Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.