First graders write with his or her pencil on a worksheet created by the teacher his or her prediction of whether each part of a pumpkin will sink or float. They drop each of five objects in the water one at a time allowing enough time...

Students use the Scientific Method steps to complete an experiment on various brands of soap to determine their floating capabilities. In this scientific method activity, students write a hypothesis about the ability of various soap bars...

In this buoyancy worksheet, students read about why objects float or sink. Students apply the Archimedes' Principle in a buoyancy lab. Students complete 1 graphic organizer.

Students participate in an experiment to determine if a toy boat will sink or float. They make the boats out of different materials and determine its carrying capacity by adding pennies. They graph their findings on a classroom graph.

Students investigate how to find the density of fluids and solids using math. Students also learn how to find the density of regular and irregular shaped objects.

Students design, build, and test the specifications (water displacement and load line) for a model boat. The lesson focuses especially on integrating design principles with inquiry-based experimental skills.

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...

Students design a simple boat and predict how much weight it can carry. They should also discover why objects float or sink and how this can be determined experimentally. A great lesson on buoyancy!

Young scholars explore the changing density of water. For this physics lesson, students investigate how an object's density determines whether it will float or sink in water. They explain why this unique property of is important to...

Students discover fluid dynamics related to buoyancy through experimentation and optional photography. Using one set of fluids, they make light fluids rise through denser fluids. Using another set, they make dense fluids sink through a...

Students 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.

First graders discuss with the teacher if everything will float in water. They observe a marble and determine whether it will float making predictions as a class. After observing the results, they discover that liquids exert an upward...

Students get into groups or watch one demonstration of the game. They observe an orange floating in the pool, pretending it is a little boy/girl wearing a life jacket. Next, they watch as the orange is peeled and thrown back in, with the...

In this density learning exercise, students read about density, volume and mass. They then use what they learned to answer the 8 questions on the page. The answers are on the last page.

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...

Whatever floats your boat—with some additional weight. The first activity in a five-part series challenges pupils to design a boat to hold pennies. Using the design process, learners design, build, and test their boats, making sure they...

Combine science and literature with this activity on buoyancy. Read There's an Ant in Anthony by Bernard Most to examine words containing the letters a, n, and t. Then introduce your class to the word "buoyant." Demonstrate how an...

This is a brief survey of the states and properties of matter directed toward upper elementary physical scientists. Solids and liquids are compared. Density and buoyancy are related. Use this presentation just prior to demonstrating...

In this deducing density worksheet, students follow the procedures to set up an experiment about objects floating in water and liquids of different densities, answer questions, collect data and complete charts.

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...

Investigators construct a makeshift balance and compare equal volumes of wax and water. They do the same for clay and water. Then they discover whether the wax and clay will float or sink in water. Ultimately this is a comparison of...

Students discover density.  In this density lesson, students discover the properties of objects that allow them to float or sink in water.

Students investigate buoyancy. In this buoyancy instructional activity, students apply the Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy to the experiment conducted in class to determine how battleships float.

This open-ended boat building exercise is meant to be part of a three-lesson series on ships. Links to the other two lessons are included. This particular part is mostly a group lab activity in which they build a boat, find its load line...