Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Sinking Water: Glaciers, Ocean Currents and Weather Patterns

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson where students learn how warm water is less dense than cold water, and what this means for global climate change as ice from the polar regions melts. Students will do experiments in buoyancy and water density when hot or cold,...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Chromatography: Selecting Variables

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lab, learners will demonstrate observation skills as they design an experiment to separate colors of various water-based pens in order to learn about mixtures and solutions. Students will determine a variable to test and complete...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Floating Foods and Underwater Eruptions: An Exploration of Density

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the concept of density by investigating how several solids and liquids interact. Through hands-on activities and a teacher demonstration, they develop a greater understanding of density by using their observational...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Density Differences

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students investigate differences in ocean water density, and record density data from salt, ice, and hot water samples in their notebooks. Students then simulate ocean water temperature levels in a simulation.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Activity: Identifying a Solid Using Density

For Students 9th - 10th
Students will measure the length, diameter, and mass of twelve cylinders made of the same element. The first set of measurements are made with a standard metric ruler and 0.1g balance. The measurements are then repeated using a Vernier...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Introductory Concepts in Soil Chemistry

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this introductory lab activity, students will collect data that will graphically illustrate the relationship between mass and volume in determining the density in chemistry. Based on density, students will seek to determine a...
Handout
Simon Fraser University

Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Getting Started in Chemistry

For Students 9th - 10th
With the subtitle, "stuff you should know before delving too far into Chemistry," this site examines a range of six topics to provide the user with a broader understanding of chemistry.
Activity
Michigan Reach Out

Austin University: Demonstrating Air Pressure With Eggs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site will tell you how you can use an egg to identify air pressure and how it affects objects. Includes easy step by step instructions.
Lesson Plan
University of Hawai'i

Density (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The purpose of this lesson plan is to find the density of regular (volume can be with a mathematical formula) or irregular objects through water displacement. Uses actual SI units (g/cubed cm).
Activity
My Science Site

Density Demonstration: Coke vs. Diet Coke [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Help students brainstorm and find a solution as to why Diet Coke floats and Coke sinks. Student will learn to define what density is as they engage in this creative lab. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Atwood Machine in Fluid Model

For Students 9th - 10th
Simulation of an Atwood machine where two masses of varying densities are suspended in water using a pulley system. Adjust the densities of the masses, their positions and the water level to see how the changing gravitational, buoyant,...
Handout
Geographic

Photius.com: Chile People

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides statistics on the population of Chile.
Activity
PBS

Pbs, Secrets of the Ocean Realm: Mountain in the Sea

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This experiment allows your students to study the effect of temperature on water motion and also to create their own density driven current.
Activity
PBS

Pbs: Buoyancy Basics

For Students 3rd - 8th
NOVA explores the basic principle of buoyancy. Also included at this site are some interesting brain-teasers related to the topic.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: A Classical and Relativistic Trip to a Black Hole

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This PBS site is a classroom activity that takes a trip to a black hole. Students apply calculations on distance, velocity, acceleration, time, circular motion, density, and more.
Activity
Science is Fun

Science Fun: Layered Liquids

For Students 9th - 10th
This experiment allows you to dramatically demonstrate the different densities of five different common household liquids.
Activity
Science is Fun

Fun Science: Sinking and Floating Soda Cans

For Students 9th - 10th
Why do some pop cans float in water while others don't? This easy experiment is a great example of the principle of density.
Activity
Science is Fun

Fun Science: Bowling Balls: Sink or Float?

For Students 9th - 10th
For a dramatic illustration of density check out this demonstration. It's simple to do, only requiring a bowling ball and some water.
Website
Other

Population

For Students 9th - 10th
Population directly effects our everyday lives in many ways. Explore the effects of population by learning about population density, population distribution, and population change.
Lesson Plan
Other

Sprk: Sphero Hydro Hypothesis Stem Challenge [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
SPRK STEM challenges are fun, interactive activities that challenge students to use creativity and team-work to move through simple steps of the design process in order to build Sphero-based creations. The Hydro-hypothesis challenge...
Article
Other

Virtual Chembook: Density Applications With Gases

For Students 9th - 10th
DENSITY is a physical property of matter, as each element and compound has a unique density associated with it. Density defined in a qualitative manner as the measure of the relative "heaviness" of objects with a constant volume. For...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Show Me the Money

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Just what is a penny worth? Students explore various websites or printed fact sheet investigating the history and changes in density of pre- and post- 1982 pennies. They will also research the current price of copper and zinc and compare...
Website
Other

Sur Del Sur: Homepage

For Students 9th - 10th
The site from Sur del Sur provides extensive information about the current population of Argentina.
Activity
Other

Beloit College: K 12 Geology

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This is a good source of basic information about density currents in water. It includes simple activities you can do to demonstrate these currents.