Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heavy Ice: Day Five

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore physics by conducting a class experiment. For this density lesson, students examine a list of items and discuss whether they will sink or float and then determine their density. Students examine the objects over five...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density and Buoyancy Experimental Design

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students must plan, design, and conduct an experiment that answers the scientific question: "Come up with a question that addresses the factors (variables) of the water and its effect on whether an object floats or sinks."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soap, Wood, and Water

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students measure the properties of two different types of soap and wood and calculate their densities. Then they predict whether or not whether or not each object would float or sink in fresh or salt water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sink or Float

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Young scholars construct clay boats and predict whether the boats will sink or float. Students will hypothesize what caused the boats to sink or float.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Preschoolers and Science Skills

For Teachers Pre-K - K
You can encourage critical thinking and problem solving by allowing young children to participate in hands-on science activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Float or Not to Float, That is the Question?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders develop operational definition of density, do computations using density equation, categorize pieces of matter as being able to float on water or not, based on density, explain why some objects sink or float based on...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Science Center

Kindergarten Observing, Comparing and Contrasting

For Teachers K Standards
Although this is a science lesson, it can be adapted to help meet Common Core standards in math as well. Starting scientists describe physical properties of objects and explore three forms of water. To address the Common Core, they can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density Challenge

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Learners calculate the densities of several liquids that appear similar.  In this physical science lesson, students go beyond understanding the way liquids of different densities behave to researching how this knowledge applies in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density: Floating, Sinking, and Suspending

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students observe teacher demonstrations that illustrate density. In this density lesson, the teacher demonstrates how air bubbles in a carbonated drink can cause a raisin to float and how an egg sinks in fresh water, but floats in salt...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Hot and Cold Air

For Students 2nd - 4th
For this hot and cold water worksheet, students use hot and cold water to experiment and see what happens when the two mix together. Students also answer 7 questions.
Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Changing the Density of an Object - Adding Material

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In this sixth of seven activities revolving around the concept of density, physical science fans figure out if anything can be done to change the density of an object. Demonstrate by placing a can of regular and a can of diet soda into a...
Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Changing the Density of an Object - Changing Shape

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Continuing with the concept of volume and its effect on density, learners now work with a piece of clay to see if they can get it to float in water. This is a memorable end to a seven-part investigation of density. Make sure to check out...
Lesson Plan
Center for Precollegiate Education and Training

Buoyancy Boats

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What did the sea say to the boat? Nothing, it just waved. An inquiry-based lesson starts with a simple concept on the Archimedes Principle and challenges pupils to make something out of clay that floats. Then, they design...
Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Changing the Density of a Liquid - Adding Salt

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Fourth in a set of several little lessons on density, this one compares the density of fresh and salt water. First by demonstration, and then by a hands-on activity, learners find that adding salt increases the density, as is evidenced...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Come on Down!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
What do we do when a dive is too dangerous for humans to accomplish? Send in the robots! Middle school scientists get acquainted with several different models of submersible robots in the second lesson of six from NOAA. Lab groups then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Exploration Station

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners explore the characteristics of water. In this water exploration lesson, students participate in various learning centers to inquire how water drains and how to increase the flow of water. Learners use estimation and measurement...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make An Egg Float!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students analyze density. In this density lesson, students experiment with floating an egg. Students discover that salt added to water changes the density of the water allowing an egg to float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Technology of the Deep: Experiments with Buoyant Forces

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students conduct a series of experiments to study the effects of temperature and salinity on the buoyancy of an object in water. They devise ways to make floating and sinking objects neutrally buoyant.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Floating Soap

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore the density of soap. In this science lesson, students conduct an experiment to find which types of soap will float. Learners make a hypothesis and record their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Floats Your Boat?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of buoyancy. The Video used in this lesson demonstrates and explains the characteristics of objects that sink and float. It presents the concepts of displacement, weight, and buoyancy.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Buoyancy-Why Things Float

For Students 8th - 10th
In this buoyancy worksheet, students read about the principles behind objects floating including density, buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle. Students complete a buoyancy lab where they use a balloon and water and a film canister and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Types of Marine Debris

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students conduct an experiment.  In this marine debris and environment protection instructional activity, students categorize trash into piles, predict whether these trash items will sink, float or be picked up and carried by the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I'm Warm Now

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders graph how much water is wasted while waiting for it to get warm in the spigot in the sink. In this graphing lesson plan, student first predict how much water is wasted. That night they test it out at home and the next day...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Weight of Water

For Teachers K - 3rd
Young scholars examine how salt water is more dense than fresh water. They discuss how manatees need to float and sink, conduct a sink or float experiment, and conduct an experiment with eggs and salt and fresh water.

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