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Teaching Guide: The Gravity of Émilie du Châtelet

AUG 03, 2022

This lesson focuses on the life and work of Émilie du Châtelet. Students will repeat a simpler version of du Châtelet’s own experiment to learn about gravity, understanding that gravity pulls objects down, and that it pulls heavier objects down with more force than lighter objects.

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Émilie du Châtelet portrait by Latour — Emilie_Chatelet_portrait_by_Latour

This lesson focuses on the life and work of Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise du Châtelet, more commonly known as Émilie du Châtelet. Students will learn about gravity, understanding that gravity pulls objects down, and that it pulls heavier objects down with more force than lighter objects. Students will repeat a simpler version of du Châtelet’s own experiment, dropping small objects of different sizes into wet sand from different heights. They will predict the result of the experiment, carry it out, and explore to see how gravity affects these objects.
Grade level(s): 1-3, 4-5
Guide subjects: History, Physics
Minority Group(s): Women
In-class time: 40-45 minutes
Prep time: 7-10 minutes
Technology Requirements: Audio/Video required
Common Core Standards: Speaking & Listening, Science & Technical Subjects
Next Generation Science Standards: Physical sciences, Matter and Its Interactions, Motion and Stability: Forces and Interaction

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Lesson Plan_DuChâtelet.pdf (.pdf) Biography_DuChâtelet.pdf (.pdf) MainDiscussionPoints_DuChatelet.pdf (.pdf) Activity_DuChatelet.pdf (.pdf) DiscussionQuestions_DuChâtelet.pdf (.pdf) DiscussionQuestionsAnswerKey_DuChâtelet.pdf (.pdf) ExtensionSheet_DuChatelet.pdf (.pdf) ExtensionSheetAnswerKey_DuChatelet.pdf (.pdf)