Teach Engineering
Determining Densities
Don't be dense—use a robust resource. The second installment of a five-part Floaters and Sinkers unit has learners determine the densities of several objects. As part of the activity, they learn the displacement method for finding...
CK-12 Foundation
Scuba Training
How does a scuba diver control whether they sink or float? Scholars observe the relationship between absolute pressure and depth below the surface in an undersea simulation. They control the diver size and depth to center of mass to...
Curated OER
Anthony's sink or float game
Students explore the concepts of float and sink by playing a game where they build things on mud, water, rock and jelly. In this Anthony's sink or float game lesson, students discover what materials remain strong in various conditions....
Curated OER
WHY DO SOME THINGS FLOAT WHILE OTHERS SINK
Young scholars explore how density can cause things to sink or float by experimenting with a jar, oil and corn syrup.
Curated OER
Water: Float and Sink
First graders work in small groups to observe the tendency to float or sink for a variety of objects in water. They sort the objects and discuss their observations. They use aluminum foil to construct a boat and test it for weight capacity.
Curated OER
Stacking Water
Students experiment with different salinities of water using straws and different colors of water. They collect and interpret data from the experiment.
Teach Engineering
Floaters and Sinkers
Whatever floats your boat. Young engineers learn about density by measuring the masses and volumes of boxes filled with different materials. Using their knowledge of densities, they hypothesize whether objects with given densities will...
It's About Time
Mass and Volume
Don't be so dense that light bends around you; study the relationship between mass and volume instead. Young chemists measure the density of a variety of liquids and solids. A reading passage and analysis questions introduce pupils to...
Illinois Valley Community College
STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Use STEM activities within the class to provide connections to concepts. The resource includes activities that range from working with buoyancy to building rockets and launching them. Other activities involve the engineering design...
Curated OER
Hot and Cold Air
In this hot and cold water worksheet, students use hot and cold water to experiment and see what happens when the two mix together. Students also answer 7 questions.
Curated OER
Sink or Float Experiment
Students participate in an experiment to determine which objects float or sink. They use different amounts of salt for the objects and discover as the salt content increases, objects will float. They record their predictions and what...
Curated OER
Will the Pumpkin Sink or Float?
Students participate in a sink or float activity using pumpkins.
Curated OER
Vegetable Olympic Swimming: Will it Float?
Students inspect nutrition by conducting a science experiment in class. In this vegetable identification activity, students examine a group of different veggies and predict whether they will sink or float in a tub of water. Students...
Curated OER
The Weight of Water
Students examine how salt water is more dense than fresh water. They discuss how manatees need to float and sink, conduct a sink or float experiment, and conduct an experiment with eggs and salt and fresh water.
Curated OER
Types of Marine Debris
Students conduct an experiment. In this marine debris and environment protection lesson, students categorize trash into piles, predict whether these trash items will sink, float or be picked up and carried by the wind and then test...
Curated OER
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. For this graphing lesson plan, student first predict how much water is wasted. That night they test it out at home and the next day...
Curated OER
The Role of Density in Sinking or Floating: Relational Causality
Students watch the teacher do a demonstration of density with diet and regular soda. Note: try this first, as different types of artificial sweetener have different densities. Students discuss density and volume. They discuss "Relational...
Curated OER
Sink or Float?
Students analyze the relationship between density, buoyancy, and salinity. In this chemical properties lesson plan, students read a background activity for the lesson plan and experiments to the topics. Students discuss the questions and...
Curated OER
Sink or Float?
Students predict and explore to discover which objects sink or float in fresh and salt water, predict how salt affect objects, write predictions on T chart, discuss difference between man-made and natural waters, and graph results.
Curated OER
Buoyancy: What will float and what will sink
Students write and explain why an object sinks or floats. In this buoyancy lesson plan students demonstrate how items float or sink and graph the results.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Ships 2: What Floats Your Boat?
Young scholars design, build, and test the specifications (water displacement and load line) for a model boat. The instructional activity focuses especially on integrating design principles with inquiry-based experimental skills.
Museum of Science
Design a Submarine
Don't just sink the boat. Using a closed container as a submarine, pupils experiment to see what to add to the container to make it float, sink to the bottom, and hover in the middle. After finding one option, learners see if they can...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students investigate the states of matter. In this physics lesson, students use water and ice to demonstrate the characteristics of a solid and liquid. Students record their observations as the state of the water changes.