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...

Young scholars perform an experiment to measure the density of tap water vs. salt water.

We know solids have a density we can measure, but what about liquids? Lesson explores this concept and allows scholars to explore the relationship between volume and density. Graphing and analysis questions round out the activity. 

Fourth in a set of several little lessons on density, this one compares the density of fresh and salt water. First by demonstration, and then by a hands-on activity, learners find that adding salt increases the density, as is evidenced...

In this sixth of seven activities revolving around the concept of density, physical science fans figure out if anything can be done to change the density of an object. Demonstrate by placing a can of regular and a can of diet soda into a...

Without water there would be no life on this planet. Biology learners find out why by reading this handout. Create a worksheet of questions to answer after the reading. Follow it up with quick demonstrations or laboratory activities that...

Investigate how temperature affects the density of water and stratification that occurs in bodies of water when temperatures vary. Water of differing temperatures is given different colors to see the layers that form. The lesson is meant...

A fascinating and engaging lesson on the properties of water awaits you. In it, learners engage in four activities that are designed to teach about the properties of water. This exciting plan has worksheets embedded in it which make the...

Demonstrate how ice floats on water and get the class thinking about why icebergs are so deceiving. Investigators then experiment with mixing water of the same temperature and water of different temperatures. Make sure to explain the...

Learners will like making a liquid layer cake to investigate the relative densities of various liquids: water, oil, and corn syrup. They will also introduce a few solid materials to find out how their densities compare. Standing alone,...

Students find the density of diet soda and regular soda. In this density lesson plan, students measure the mass of a graduated cylinder with 10 different volumes of each soda. They find the mass of the liquid alone and use the volume to...

A micro-unit on the phase changes of water includes three laboratory activities. Junior scientists compare the densities of ice and water, and then they do the same for cold and warm water. They examine freezing and boiling temperatures....

During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...

There are underwater rivers that flow on the ocean floor thanks to a difference in density. Scholars learn about the density in both liquids and solids in the second lesson of an 11-part series. They then determine the density of water,...

Different substances can have different densities, but can the same substance have different densities? Lesson explores the effect of temperature on the density of water. Extension idea connects the concept of how melting ice in lakes...

Change the density of water by adding minerals. The presentation discusses density—from the definition to calculations—and applies it to the real world. It briefly mentions specific gravity, and finishes by showing Archimedes'...

Water with varying amounts of dissolved salt are dyed and then used to compare densities. The objective is to discover the effect of salinity, and therefore density, on ocean water on the stability of the ocean. Many branches of science...

Here is a hands-on activity in which junior scientists put air into a balloon to create a closed system. They measure its circumference, warm it in hot water, and then remeasure its circumference to discover how temperature affects the...

Learn the ins and outs of the properties of water through an engaging slide show. The lesson presents different facts about water including phase change, heat of fusion, heat of vaporization, and specific heat among others. 

We don't think of liquids as floating typically, but a quick look at any oil spill tells a different story. Lesson explores various densities of liquids and why this fact is important. After observing the density variation, scholars...

Students investigate density and salinity of water. In this density and salinity lesson plan, students find the density of objects and liquids and show the relationship between the salinity and density of water. Students add salt to...

Students develop their own techniques for drawing a small sample of solutions into a straw. They hypothesize ways to increase the density of water, and discuss how salt-free rainwater tends to float on top of salty seawater.

Sprouting scientists explore the concept of density by making mass and volume measurements for five different liquids. From these measurements, they calculate densities. They apply their learning to explain Galileo's thermometer works...

It's in your destiny to study density! Young scientists conduct an experiment to study the relationship between weight and density. They compare weights of liquid samples of different substances and predict how their densities are...