Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will It Sink Or Float?

For Teachers 1st
Learners develop their understanding of buoyancy and density related to sinking and floating. They investigate which objects sink and float through experimentation. They determine that different substances sink or float depending on...
PPT
Curated OER

Water Resistance (1)

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Get the class thinking about why particular objects and animals are shaped the way they are. Considering water resistance and shape, learners assess a series of images and how those objects function in water. They finish by conducting a...
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

What Floats Your Boat?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of buoyancy. The Video used in this lesson demonstrates and explains the characteristics of objects that sink and float. It presents the concepts of displacement, weight, and buoyancy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Move that Tower

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students investigate ways to find the density of irregular shaped objects. For this physics lesson, students calculate density using its mass and volume. They explain why some objects float or sink in water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sink or Float

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students construct clay boats and predict whether the boats will sink or float. Students will hypothesize what caused the boats to sink or float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Floating

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss with the teacher if everything will float in water. They observe a marble and determine whether it will float making predictions as a class. After observing the results, they discover that liquids exert an upward...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Could the Hindenburg Float?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders experiment with floating and sinking objects and heavy and light liquids, using correct terms, like density, to explain what happens.  In this Hindenburg lesson, 10th graders watch a demonstration called the invisible...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density: Floating, Sinking, and Suspending

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students observe teacher demonstrations that illustrate density. For this density lesson, the teacher demonstrates how air bubbles in a carbonated drink can cause a raisin to float and how an egg sinks in fresh water, but floats in salt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liquid Rainbow

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
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.
PPT
Curated OER

Labeling Forces Correctly!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Define six common forces: propulsion, air resistance, water resistance, friction, gravity, and upthrust. A picture of a Smart Car is displayed with arrows showing all of the forces acting on it when it is motion. A picture of a rubber...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Exploration Station

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore the characteristics of water. In this water exploration lesson, students participate in various learning centers to inquire how water drains and how to increase the flow of water. Students use estimation and measurement...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Float the Boat

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students collect data and analyze it using a graph. In this algebra lesson, students identify different bodies of water and relate the flowing to math. They collect data on the rate of flow and the height of flow. They analyze the data...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Science Center

Kindergarten Observing, Comparing and Contrasting

For Teachers K Standards
Although this is a science lesson, 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 Core, they can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hovercraft Racers!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SCRAP WOOD SCULPTURE

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students see that there are many shapes and objects that can be created from other shapes and objects, and create a sculpture using bits and pieces of scrap wood. Includes instructions on how to make Tempera wood stain
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fun with Surface Tension!

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students explore physical science by participating in a water properties experiment. In this surface tension lesson, students utilize pennies, water, a dropper and soapy water to test the different surface tensions with numerous objects....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Matter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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, state...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Discovery Bottle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data.  In this magnet lesson plan students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Invisible Pull

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explain why objects thrown upward falls back to Earth. In this earth science lesson, 5th graders identify the forces acting on objects. They discuss why planets do not float in space.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetism

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore physical science by participating in a class science activity. In this magnet attribute instructional activity, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms associated with magnets and participate in hands on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Christo/Transformations--from Discovering Great Artists

For Teachers 4th - 8th
learners challenge their imaginations like the artist Christo by transforming an everyday object into something new. Students use everyday objects in order to create something new. Learners use materials such as objects found in nature...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Feeding Frenzy

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
National Sailing Hall of Fame

How a Sailboat Works: Hull Speed and Buoyancy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How can you determine the maximum speed of a sailboat? A sailing presentation included with a straightforward lesson plan prompts learners to calculate the maximum speed of a sailboat with a displacement hull. The...