Activity

Rock and Boat

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Present the class with a question on whether the water level of a pond will rise they take a large rock out of a boat and drop it into the pond. Groups come down on all sides of the question and try to justify their answers. The activity models the situation to determine what actually does happen when the rock is removed from the boat and placed into the bottom of the pond.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Ask the class if the shape of the rock or the boat makes a difference
  • After finding out what happens, have the class hypothesize what would happen if the cargo floated
Classroom Considerations
  • The class should have a working knowledge of Archimedes' Principle and density
Pros
  • The answer key includes the mathematics involved in arriving at the formula
  • The resource contains an animation of the Archimedes' water balance
Cons
  • None
Common Core