The Invisible Cosmic Tether is a four-paragraph reading on this 4-page 5th grade science sheet. It starts with a ball swung on a string, then covers mass, the sun holding eight planets in orbit, Earth's gravity keeping the moon circling and the moon's pull on the oceans that causes tides. Nine questions follow in three parts, from four multiple choice items to written answers that need a phrase from the text. Page 4 is the answer key.
RI.5.1
“Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.”
Items 7, 8 and 9 ask students to use a detail or phrase from the passage as proof.
RI.5.4
“Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a relevant grade 5 topic or subject area.”
Item 4 asks what tether means in the passage, and the bold words orbit, mass and tides come with context.
The reading in a shaded box, with gravity, mass, orbit and tides in bold and a picture of the sun beside the text.
Four multiple choice questions on what acts like an invisible string, why planets stay in orbit, what would happen to the moon without Earth's gravity and what the word tether means.
Short answers on why the moon keeps circling Earth and what causes tides, a True or False item about a textbook's gravity, a question on oceans and rock, and an opinion on the ball on a string comparison.
Letters for the four multiple choice items, model answers for items 5 to 8 and a sample opinion for item 9.
Swing a ball
Whirl a ball on a string in a safe space before reading. Let go and watch where the ball goes. Students then see why the first paragraph says it flies off in a straight line.
Highlight proof
For items 7 and 8, ask students to highlight the sentence they plan to quote before they start writing. It keeps answers short and tied to the text.
Link to tides
Item 6 works well beside a simple tide diagram. Students point to where the water bulges as the moon passes.
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