Students identify and analyze the concept of density using the formula, density equals mass divided by volume. They review the differences in salinity levels of the ocean and note that the changes in density are caused by wind and...

Pupils examine why some objects float in water while others sink and the ability of something to float does not depend entirely on its weight. Archimedes' principle is introduced and buoyant force is discussed. Practice calculations and...

Students examine whether objects will sink or float.  In this buoyancy instructional activity students bring in objects and experiment to see if they sink or float.

Students perform experiments to examine if debris float, or blow in the wind. The effects of these characteristics on the marine debris are then discussed. They determine how a material can influence what becomes marine debris.

Now is the time to educate tomorrow's citizens to care for the planet, and here is a instructional activity to help facilitate the process. Collect some marine debris and bring it into class. Have your class separate it into types and...

The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...

Fifth graders define density as the amount of mass per volume a material contains, compare the densities of several types of materials, especially those that sink in water compared to those that float. They use two different methods to...

For this Archimedes' principle worksheet, students answer 13 questions about the concepts of Archimedes' principle such as water displacement, buoyancy and force. The answer questions from a lab they did in class to simulate Archimedes'...

Students investigate Archimedes' Principle and show how it relates to density. In this Archimedes' Principle lesson plan, students experiment with a beaker of water, a Styrofoam "boat" and a weight. They predict what will happen when the...

Students experiment to find which liquids are more dense.  In this density and mass lesson, students predict and then test objects to observe and measure their density. students observe which items sink and float. Students complete...

In this buoyancy worksheet, students read about neutral buoyancy and that the downward force of gravity is equal and opposite to the upward force of water. They answer four critical thinking questions about buoyancy.

For this density worksheet, students answer 12 questions about the density of substances. They read a diagram of a graduated cylinder and determine the volume, mass of water. They interpret a diagram with three liquids and indicated...

In this salinity worksheet, students simulate conditions of salt and fresh water mixing and observe the various densities of these solutions based on their salinity.

Students explore marine life by conducting a rubber duck experiment. In this water currents lesson, students practice identifying latitude and longitude coordinates on a map and define the currents of major oceans. Students discuss the...

Learners use streaming videos, web sites, and hands on activities students to explore matter. They focus on how temperature affects matter and what the particles look like in the states of matter.

High schoolers describe four states of matter and their characteristics, explain thermal expansion of matter, interpret state changes in terms of kinetic theory of matter, explain relationship between temperature and volume of a gas,...

Students observe 2 demonstrations of density. In this density lesson plan, students observe a vial with various substances of different densities. Students then observe the differences between a diet coke and a regular coke can when on a...

Students are divided into two teams in which its members are to gather as many objects in the pool as possible gaining points for different objects.

Although this is a science instructional activity, it can be adapted to help meet Common Core standards in math as well. Starting scientists describe physical properties of objects and explore three forms of water. To address the Common...

Students 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. Students make wave bottles and a density jar to...

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.

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 instructional activity on buoyancy!

In this density demonstration, students compare a can of diet coke to a can of regular coke. They list the similarities and differences of each prior to the demonstration. The cans are placed in a tank of water and students record their...

Students investigate adhesion, cohesion and surface tension. In this molecular forces lesson plan, students observe multiple demonstrations that show surface tension, the attraction of water molecules to each other and the ability of...