Curated OER
I've Got That Sinking Feeling
Middle schoolers 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!
Curated OER
What Floats Your Boat?
Students 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.
Curated OER
Cold Hard Facts...What Inquiring Minds Will Know
Students work with "ice" in order to gain a practical application of math concepts that evolve into an inquiry-based study. They determine if the dimensions of the ice make a difference in the way the ice floats in the water.
Curated OER
What Floats Your Boat?
Young scholars explore the principles of buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle and design their own flotation device. They compare the dimensions of a model to the real object to determine scale and analyze the models to suggest improvements.
Curated OER
Barge Building: What Floats Your Boat?
Students construct aluminum foil boats that float while holding the greatest number of pennies. They investigate the concept of water displacement, record their results, and watch a Bill Nye video on buoyancy.
Curated OER
Buoyant Boats
Students design and construct a boat out of aluminum foil and a few other simple materials. The boats then be tested by floating them in water, then adding mass until they sink. They explore the various shapes of boat construction.
Curated OER
Does Soap Float?
Young scholars form hypotheses and carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? The focus of this instructional activity is on scientific inquiry, but it incorporates scientific topics such as...
Curated OER
Floating Fishes: Boat Sinking Lab
Cut milk cartons in half to make boats and let investigators attempt to sink them. They add dividing walls and observe what happens if marbles are put into only one of the newly formed compartments. Vocabulary is provided: buoyant force,...
Curated OER
Activity: Float a Clay Boat
Written to introduce pupils to buoyancy, this activity has collaborative groups work to design a floatable clay boat. They first observe that a stick of clay sinks in water and then are given their own stick to reshape into a floating...
Curated OER
Day Two: Generating New Questions
Students investigate buoyancy by participating in a lab experiment. In this density lesson plan, students utilize vinegar and alcohol in beakers and attempt to float different items in them. Students analyze which items float and do not...
Curated OER
Day Six: Floater What Ifs
Students observe earth science by examining results from an experiment. In this buoyancy lesson, students practice floating different items in two different liquids and identify why certain objects will float and others sink. Students...
Curated OER
Density and Buoyancy Lesson Plan
Students investigate why some objects float or sink in water. In this physics lesson, students calculate the density of clay ball using a mathematical equation. They write a complete lab report about the experiment.
Curated OER
Science Lesson Plans
Students conduct a variety of exploration activities on various science topics. In this science instructional activity outline, students design a cell encapsulation to hold a specific type of medicine. They give examples of physical and...
Curated OER
Archimedes' Principle
Young scholars examine the relationship between density and buoyancy. In this physics lesson students use Archimedes' Principle to complete calculations on buoyancy and a lab activity.
Curated OER
Sink or Float
Learners explore water properties by conducting a class experiment. In this buoyancy lesson, students make predictions as to whether or not specific objects will sink or float in water. Learners conduct the experiment and record their...
Curated OER
Condiment Diver: The World's Simplest Cartesian Diver
Young scholars examine buoyancy. In this density lesson students form a hypothesis, collect data and draw a conclusion using the data.
Curated OER
Dive In
Learners study how buoyancy, pressure, and light can effect the work of underwater scientists. In this marine science lesson plan students complete a lab that allows them to better understand how pressure varies with altitude and...
Curated OER
Come On Down!
Students research the implementation of a research vessel used for ocean exploration. In buoyancy lesson students will construct a device that shows neutral buoyancy.
Curated OER
Beneath the Sea
Young scholars build a model of a submersible that will allow them to explore ballasts and how they operate. In this hands on lesson students participate in an activity that shows them how to control buoyancy.
Curated OER
Ballast Systems in Submarines
Students investigate Ballast systems in submarines. In this ballast lesson, students conduct experiments that show how a Ballast system works. Students will then create a model of a submarine's ballast system.
Curated OER
Sink or Float?
Students analyze the relationship between density, buoyancy, and salinity. In this chemical properties lesson, students read a background activity for the lesson and experiments to the topics. Students discuss the questions and complete...
Curated OER
Buoyancy
For this buoyancy worksheet, students use clay, water, newspaper, and more to create buoyant objects. Students follow 5 directions, and answer 4 questions.
Curated OER
Student Exploration: Density Laboratory
In this density laboratory learning exercise, students complete 2 prior knowledge questions, then use the "Density Laboratory Gizmo" to complete several activities, answering short answer questions when finished.
Curated OER
How Does the USS Alabama Float?
Students investigate buoyancy. In this buoyancy instructional activity, students apply the Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy to the experiment conducted in class to determine how battleships float.