Curated OER
Displacement and Density
High schoolers explore displacement. In this displacement and density lesson, pupils find the volume of irregular shaped objects. Afterward, they determine the volume of containers. They compute the amount of water displacement.
Illustrative Mathematics
Computing Volume Progression 4
This resource was written for the younger math learner, but finding the volume of an irregular solid is also a problem for algebra and geometry students. Based on Archimedes’ Principle, one can calculate the volume of a stone by...
Teach Engineering
What Floats Your Boat?
Clay's as good a material as any to build a boat, right? An introductory lesson sets the stage for two activities associated with buoyancy. The first involves building boats out of clay, while the second uses these boats to measure the...
Teach Engineering
Determining Densities
Don't be dense—use a robust resource. The second installment of a five-part Floaters and Sinkers unit has learners determine the densities of several objects. As part of the activity, they learn the displacement method for finding...
Teach Engineering
Floaters and Sinkers
Whatever floats your boat. Young engineers learn about density by measuring the masses and volumes of boxes filled with different materials. Using their knowledge of densities, they hypothesize whether objects with given densities will...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Determine Volume of Solids Using Water Displacement
Students explore math functions by completing math equation worksheets. In this inequality lesson, students define a list of math terms and discuss the difference between an equation and inequality. Students utilize a real life situation...
Curated OER
Turn Up the Volume
Measuring volume can be a mystery for 5th graders, but this hands-on activity gives the gift of discovery. The volume of simple rectangular solids and irregular shapes are calculated through various methods including displacing liquid in...
Curated OER
Rocks, Their Mass and Volume
Students measure volume using water displacement and mass using a balance. Once they have calculated these two values they will then calculate density while at the same time working on long division. After the activity and explanation of...
Curated OER
Density
Learners find the mass, volume, and density of various objects. In this density measurement lesson plan, students observe how same-sized objects can have different masses, then use water displacement to find the density of each object...
Curated OER
Fitting a Line to Data
Students work together in groups to collect data in relationship to how much water marbles can displace. After the experiment, they use the data to identify the linear equation to determine the best-fit line. They use the equation to...
Curated OER
Lung Limit
Students explore one's lung capacity, the human body, displacing volume of water with volume of air and spirometer use. Using simple math, students figure out their lung capacity by breathing into a bottle filled with water and...
Illustrative Mathematics
Archimedes and the King's Crown
Learners will shout "Eureka!" in this quick but deep activity replicating the famous bathtub experiment of Archimedes. Given the scenario of a king with a suspected fake crown, young investigators develop formulas using density to...
Curated OER
Everybody Needs a Rock
Here is a lesson plan that rocks! Young scientists choose a rock and list words that describe it. They estimate the mass of their rocks and rank them within a group. They measure their rocks for volume and write a story that somehow...
Curated OER
Estimating the Live Mass of Dinosaurs
Students calculate the volume of scale model dinosaurs using a water displacement method. They use formulas to calculate the live mass each of the species of dinosaur. Then they complete and discuss a series of questions.
Curated OER
Everybody Needs a Rock
Students describe and classify rocks that they have chosen. They estimate and find the mass of their rocks.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Volume of Regular and Irregular Objects
Fifth graders examine patterns and relate to equations to solve math problems. For this patterns lesson, 5th graders diagram, graph, use models and use tables to solve equations for real world problems.
Curated OER
Bathtub Physics - Density, Buoyancy and Flotation
Students study Archimedes' Principle, flotation and the reaction of buoyant forces and explain the relationship between density and flotation.
Curated OER
Discovering Density
Students explore the physical properties of density. In this hands-on lesson, students calculate density and distinguish between intensive and extensive properties.
Science Struck
Science Struck: How to Find Volume With Water Displacement Method
Tells the story of how Archimedes discovered the Archimedes Principle and his water displacement method for determining the volume and density of an object. Provides an explanation and several examples of how it is done.