Lesson 1

Will It Sink or Float?

Objectives:

• Students will classify objects that will sink or float.

• Students will use simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers to observe, describe, record, and compare data.

• Students will work with small groups to collect information.

Time Required:

• Two-one hour sessions 

Vocabulary:

• sink
• float
• heavy
• light

Materials:

• Large glass container for water

• Water

• Objects for testing such as crayon, cork, quarter, rubber band, pencil, marble, apple, leaf, etc.

• Graph for class predictions

• Graph for each group of students to record results

• Story:  Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen

Advanced Preparation:

• Students should be placed in small groups and be familiar with rules and responsibilities of working in groups.

• Fill containers halfway with water.

• Have paper towels nearby for spills.

• Have objects out and ready for each group.

• Have student sheets ready.

Procedures:

• Read story Who Sank the Boat?   and discuss story emphasizing the weight of animals (i.e. What made the boat sank?, etc).
• Hold up objects one at a time and ask students to predict whether the object will sink or float by placing a happy face if it will float or a sad face if it will sink.
• Students will then work with their groups to test the objects by placing each one at a time in the water.  Students will record their findings on their response graph.  If an object floats students should place a happy face next to the object, if an object sinks have them place a sad face.   Students should continue with all the objects.
• Once groups have completed testing their objects, discuss with class which objects sank and which floated.  Compare the predictions with the actual results, "Are predictions the same as the actual results; different?"  Discuss results:  "How many objects floated?  How many objects sank?"
• Discuss why some of the objects floated and why some sank, stressing the mass of an object.

Evaluation:

• Student will create a book of their experiment.  Have students draw water on half of the sheet.  Students will draw a picture of an object they tested on each page either below the water or above the water to designate whether the object sank or floated.  (Students can also use any clip art program to find clip art of their item and print, cut and glue onto book.)  They will write a sentence about the object stating whether it sink or float:  It will sink.   It will float.  Make title page Will it Sink of Float?  By:   ___________.  Staple pages together to make book.

Extension Activity:

• Using a spreadsheet program, students will create a two column graph to record their findings.  They can use happy and sad faces, check marks, x's, etc. to show whether objects sank or floated.

Home Learning:

• Students will create a paper boat.   Students will use any word processing program and write a sentence describing their boat using the words sink, float, heavy, and light.

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