Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1st Grade - Act. 19: Will it Float?

For Teachers 1st
First graders drop items into water, and discuss why some things float and others sink.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's The Matter: A Sinker or Floater?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars conduct an experiment. In this water lesson, students watch the lesson "Float and Sink" on an interactive website. Young scholars learn how to test items in water and then work in groups to test their items. Students...
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
Curated OER

Density Studies of the Earth

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Density comes to life as investigators place soda cans into containers of various liquids to find if they sink or float. They layer different density liquids, compare densities of different gases, and more. A total of six different...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Float or Sink?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Experiment with mass and density as scholars figure out what makes things float or sink. First, they watch a podcast introducing these concepts. Be sure to use the comprehension question to test their understanding. Young scientists...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Ocean Acidification - the Chemistry is Less than Basic!

For Teachers 7th - 10th
A video and laboratory investigation are highlights to this lesson on acidification of ocean water due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using bromothymol blue (BTB) as an indicator, pupils analyze the amount of carbon dioxide...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sink or Float Experiment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in an experiment to determine which objects float or sink. They use different amounts of salt for the objects and discover as the salt content increases, objects will float. They record their predictions and what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Density in Sinking or Floating: Relational Causality

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students watch the teacher do a demonstration of density with diet and regular soda. Note: try this first, as different types of artificial sweetener have different densities. Students discuss density and volume. They discuss "Relational...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sink or Float?

For Teachers K - 5th
Students predict and explore to discover which objects sink or float in fresh and salt water, predict how salt affect objects, write predictions on T chart, discuss difference between man-made and natural waters, and graph results.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Floating Fishes: How do Fishes Control Buoyancy?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Playing with balloons, water, oil, and bottles help put this lesson over the top! Participants use air-filled balloons in water tanks to experience gas compression. They also use oil-filled bottles to experiment with buoyancy. Included...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dragon Boats

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students create a model boat. In this art lesson, students identify what makes a boat float and use milk cartons to create their own boat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Floating and Sinking Objects

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discuss why some objects float while others sink. They examine various objects and predict whether or not they will sink or float. Students discover the properties needed for objects to float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magical Diving Sub

For Teachers K - 5th
Students use their background knowledge of how scientists work to discuss and predict if a given object will sink or float. They record their predictions on a data sheet. Students test the objects and organize them into floating or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pumpkin Science

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine pumpkins and use the scientific method to explore its contents.  In this Pumpkin Science lesson, 4th graders measure pumpkins for circumference. Students dress as if they were in a lab and work in pairs to...
Lesson Plan
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Center for Learning in Action

Density

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Explore the concept of density within states of matter—gases, liquids, and solids—through a group experiment in which young scientists test objects' texture, color, weight, size, and ability to sink or float.    
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buoyancy: What will float and what will sink

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students write and explain why an object sinks or floats.  In this buoyancy lesson plan students demonstrate how items float or sink and graph the results. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density

For Teachers 9th
Learners predict when an object will float or sink based on comparison of density of the object to the density of the substance in which it is placed. The access a website and sketch the object in the first column of their table and then...
Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Scuba Training

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How does a scuba diver control whether they sink or float? Scholars observe the relationship between absolute pressure and depth below the surface in an undersea simulation. They control the diver size and depth to center of mass to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buoyancy: Who Sank the Boat?

For Teachers K
Pupils examine whether objects will sink or float.  In this buoyancy lesson students bring in objects and experiment to see if they sink or float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaky Seal

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Junior high schoolers explore possible theories for the cause of the Hunley submarine sinking. Through hands on activities, they investigate how to create a waterproof seal. Afterwards, they discuss how seals work and various...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does Soap Float?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students form hypotheses and carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? The focus of this instructional activity is on scientific inquiry, but it incorporates scientific topics such as sinking and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water: Float and Sink

For Teachers 1st
First graders work in small groups to observe the tendency to float or sink for a variety of objects in water. They sort the objects and discuss their observations. They use aluminum foil to construct a boat and test it for weight capacity.
Organizer
Curated OER

Floating and Sinking

For Students K - 2nd
In this early physics worksheet, students cut out pictures of 16 everyday objects. Students determine whether each of the objects will float or sink and then paste the pictures in the appropriate boxes.
Activity
Museum of Science

Design a Submarine

For Teachers K - 6th
Don't just sink the boat. Using a closed container as a submarine, pupils experiment to see what to add to the container to make it float, sink to the bottom, and hover in the middle. After finding one option, learners see if they can...