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...
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...
Teach Engineering
Buoyant Boats
Eureka! Using the clay boats made in the previous lesson, learners investigate the idea of buoyancy and water displacement to finish the last installment of five in a Floaters and Sinkers unit. Their observations during the activity...
Curated OER
Density
Young scholars find the mass, volume, and density of various objects. In this density measurement lesson, students observe how same-sized objects can have different masses, then use water displacement to find the density of each object...
Illustrative Mathematics
Archimedes and the King's Crown
Learners will shout "Eureka!" in this quick but deep activity replicating the famous bathtub experiment of Archimedes. Given the scenario of a king with a suspected fake crown, young investigators develop formulas using density to...
Curated OER
Estimating the Live Mass of Dinosaurs
Students calculate the volume of scale model dinosaurs using a water displacement method. They use formulas to calculate the live mass each of the species of dinosaur. Then they complete and discuss a series of questions.
Curated OER
Turn Up the Volume
Measuring volume can be a mystery for 5th graders, but this hands-on activity gives the gift of discovery. The volume of simple rectangular solids and irregular shapes are calculated through various methods including displacing liquid in...
Curated OER
Numerical Analysis: Introduction to Root Finding
In this introduction to root finding worksheet, students write equations to solve distance problems. They explore the bisection method of Bolzano. This four-page worksheet contains approximately ten problems.
Curated OER
Density in Relation to Float and Sink
Students explore the concept of density. For this density lesson, students determine the density of various objects. Students use the density of the various objects to predict the density of various unknown solutions.
Curated OER
Discovering Density
Students explore the physical properties of density. In this hands-on lesson, students calculate density and distinguish between intensive and extensive properties.
Science Struck
Science Struck: How to Find Volume With Water Displacement Method
Tells the story of how Archimedes discovered the Archimedes Principle and his water displacement method for determining the volume and density of an object. Provides an explanation and several examples of how it is done.