Which Way Is Down? is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on arguing that Earth's gravitational force on objects is directed down, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-PS2-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.A ball thrown upwards slows, stops and falls. What does that show about gravity?
A.Gravity switches on at the top
B.Gravity pushed it up
C.It pulls downwards the whole time, even while the ball rises
2.A ball is dropped, thrown up and rolled off a table. Which way does gravity pull each?
A.Sideways for the rolled one
B.Down, in every case
C.The way it was thrown
3."Down" in Britain and "down" in Australia point opposite ways in space. What does that suggest?
A.Gravity works differently there
B.One of them is wrong
C.Down means toward the center of the Earth
4.A helium balloon rises. How does that fit the argument?
A.Gravity still pulls it down; the surrounding air pushes it up harder
B.It disproves gravity
C.Gravity does not act on gases
5.What evidence supports the argument that Earth pulls objects down?
A.Heavy things feel heavy
B.Air pushes things down
C.Every unsupported object falls toward the ground, whatever it is
6.What would count as evidence against "gravity pulls down"?
A.An unsupported object falling upwards or sideways with no other force
B.A thrown ball going up
C.A balloon rising
7.Why does a book on a table not fall?
A.Gravity does not act on it
B.The table pushes up with a force balancing gravity
C.The book is too heavy
8.A feather and a stone fall at different speeds in air. Does that disprove the argument?
A.Yes, only heavy things are pulled
B.No, air resistance slows the feather; both are still pulled down
C.Yes, gravity ignores feathers
LessonPrint · 5-PS2-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Which Way Is Down?
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.It pulls downwards the whole time, even while the ball rises
2.Down, in every case
3.Down means toward the center of the Earth
4.Gravity still pulls it down; the surrounding air pushes it up harder
5.Every unsupported object falls toward the ground, whatever it is
6.An unsupported object falling upwards or sideways with no other force
7.The table pushes up with a force balancing gravity
8.No, air resistance slows the feather; both are still pulled down
Questions about Which Way Is Down?
What does the Which Way Is Down? worksheet cover?
It practices arguing that Earth's gravitational force on objects is directed down — 8 questions for Grade 5, all on NGSS 5-PS2-1: Argue that Earth's gravity pulls objects downward. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Which Way Is Down? practice?
5-PS2-1, under Physical Science for Grade 5. The published performance expectation reads: “Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Which Way Is Down? is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on 5-PS2-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Which Way Is Down? come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Which Way Is Down? can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Which Way Is Down? free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Which Way Is Down?, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach 5-PS2-1?
Yes — “Which Way Is Down?” is a 60-minute Grade 5 plan for 5-PS2-1, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Which Way Is Down? is the practice that follows it.
More practice for 5-PS2-1
Argue that Earth's gravity pulls objects downward.
Teaching this next? Which Way Is Down? is the 60-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.