Sun, Earth, and Moon gravity worksheets for Grade 6 Science explore how gravity, mass, distance, and mutual motion shape the Earth–Moon system. This Ontario space resource connects orbital relationships to observable evidence such as Moon phases and tides, while introducing the Earth–Moon barycenter as an important part of the system’s motion.

🌎 Explore Gravity and Orbital Relationships

The reading passage gives students a connected view of the Sun, Earth, and Moon rather than treating their motions as separate facts. Students compare the relative sizes, masses, and mean distances of the three bodies and examine why the Sun has a strong influence on Earth’s motion while Earth’s gravity keeps the Moon in orbit.

A key concept is the Earth–Moon barycenter, the shared point around which Earth and the Moon move because they exert gravitational forces on each other. Students also consider how stable orbits can persist when gravitational forces and mutual motion balance over time. The resource then connects these relationships to observable effects, including tides and the changing appearance of the Moon’s illuminated portion.

🔭 Read, Reason, and Connect Evidence

The student activities include multiple-choice questions, true-or-false statements, short-answer questions, matching definitions, a cloze passage, and an extended response. Students identify the Sun’s role in the system, locate the barycenter conceptually, explain stable orbital motion, and connect gravity to tides and Moon phases.

The extended response asks students to use ideas from the reading to explain how gravity relates to stable orbits in the Earth–Moon system and what the barycenter contributes to the motion. This gives students a structured opportunity to connect vocabulary and evidence into a scientific explanation.

📚 Everything Needed for Instruction and Review

✔️ Student worksheet focused on Sun–Earth–Moon gravity and orbital relationships
✔️ Separate answer key PDF for checking student responses
✔️ Student Notes & Lesson Summary supplement for review and reference
✔️ Separate Teacher Guide with Learning Objectives, Teaching Tips, Discussion Questions, and Common Mistakes

🚀 Use Across a Grade 6 Space Lesson

This Grade 6 space science activity works well for introducing or reinforcing gravity and orbital relationships within an Ontario Science unit. The reading provides the conceptual foundation, while the questions move students from identifying information to explaining how gravitational interactions produce observable effects.

The included notes support student review, the separate answer key simplifies response checking, and the teacher guide provides practical prompts for instruction and discussion. Together, these components support classroom teaching, independent practice, review, or assessment preparation around gravity, orbits, the Earth–Moon barycenter, Moon phases, and tides.