Curated OER
Sink/Float Discovery bottle
Investigate which items float and which ones sink using this resource. Learners participate in an activity in which they investigate this phenomena. Then they describe the experimental process, and learn how to display their results.
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Why Do Some Things Float?
Students recognize that density determines whether objects sink or float. In this sink or float lesson, students experiment with plastic in three liquids. students drop their objects into the liquids and observe and record their results.
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How to Float an Egg
Use the scientific method to experiment with an egg. Your class can examine buoyancy and density by finding how many spoons of salt are needed to float an egg. They can predict, experiment, record data, and analyze results.
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Will It Sink Or Float?
Have your class predict whether objects will sink or float in water. Learners consider a data table of mass, volume and whether the object sank or floated. They develop an evidence-based explanation for the results.
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Activity: Float a Clay Boat
Written to introduce pupils to buoyancy, this activity has collaborative groups work to design a floatable clay boat. They first observe that a stick of clay sinks in water and then are given their own stick to reshape into a floating...
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The Floating Golf Ball
Students explore density by floating golf balls. They explore having their golf balls float halfway in a container of water and discuss density and its realtionship to where the golf balls are floating. After adding food coloring, they...
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To Float or Not to Float, That is the Question?
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...
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Floating Soap
Young scholars explore the density of soap. In this science lesson, students conduct an experiment to find which types of soap will float. Young scholars make a hypothesis and record their observations.
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I'm Warm Now
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...
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Liquids: Floating and Sinking
Third graders conduct an experiment. In this floating and sinking liquids instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss density and investigate it using syrup, vegetable oil and colored water. Students observe the results and complete a...
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The Floating Golf Ball
Fourth graders discuss density. In this floating golf ball lesson students complete a lab activity on density while working in groups.
University of Southern Indiana
Manifest Density
There's a lot content packed into the four lessons of this physical science unit on density. From salad dressing to the water cycle and hot air balloons, these lessons engage students in hands-on activities that explore real-world...
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Immiscible Liquids and Density
Students will make a lava lamp. In this density lesson, students will combine water and oil and make observations, then add salt to the oil and observe the oil sink, then float again when the salt dissolves in the water.
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Density - An Introduction
Learners experiment with objects of different densities. In this density lesson, students examine same-sized objects with different weights, then look at a teacher explanation of density. Learners make wave bottles and a density jar to...
Reach Out!
Paper Clip Sailing
Students explore water, molecules, and surface tension. In this floatation lesson, students discover why some objects are able to float on water as they follow the procedures included in this activity.
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Density Challenge
Students 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 real...
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Density and Buoyancy Experimental Design
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."
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What are Properties of Wood?
Learners use hands on scientific observation to determine characteristics of wood. They work directly with the materials and record their observations. Students test if wood absorbs water, if wood floats or sinks, and if all wood...
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Soap, Wood, and Water
Pupils 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.
Reach Out!
Paper Clip Sailing
Students explain that some things can float on top of water because of what we call "surface tension." They see that if something happens to disturb these water molecules from tugging on each other, the skin-like surface breaks up.
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Wonderful Water
Students identify the various states of water and its natural flow downward. As a class, students take digital pictures of different forms of water and create a multimedia presentation describing their photographs. Groups of students...
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Transportation with Lewis and Clark
Students listen to a PowerPoint presentation and complete a Venn diagram comparing the methods of transportation in the early 1800s with today's transportation. They experiment with the buoyancy of keelboats.
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Liquids in Bottles
Students investigate different liquids to develop their concept of a liquid. They work at a center to tip, swirl, shake, roll, and otherwise investigate seven liquids in small, clear plastic bottles: plain water, corn syrup, liquid...