Sink or Float – Day 2

Student Name: Jade Mannheim Grade Level: Preschool/Pre-K

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

What is sinking? What is floating? What objects sink or float? Why?

Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge

Day 1 of the sink or float activity included predicting whether objects would sink or float
individually, testing the predictions, and recording the results as a group. There was brief follow
up discussion as to why the objects may sink or float. Student responses included due to surface
area (in more common terms), weight, object size, and shape.

Standards:
Science 5.1.1 Display curiosity about science objects, materials, activities, and longer-term
investigations in progress (e.g., ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions during
sensory explorations, experimentation, and focused inquiry).
Science 5.1.2 Observe, question, predict, and investigate materials, objects, and phenomena
during classroom activities indoors and outdoors and during any longer-term investigations in
progress. Seek answers to questions and test predictions using simple experiments or research
media (e.g., cracking a nut to look inside; putting a toy car in water to determine whether it
sinks).

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

Student will accurately identify whether Teacher will observe student predictions for
objects, that have previously been tested, will accuracy.
sink or float again.

Student will express what sinking is and what Teacher will listen to student description of
floating is. sinking and floating for accuracy.

Materials/Resources: (List materials, include any online or book references and resources)
 Sink or Float worksheet
 Sink or float objects
 Water bin
 Glue sticks

Step by Step plan:

 1. Introduction: Students will be gathered on the carpet and asked if they remember the
activity that we did the day before with water. Teacher will wait for student response.
Teacher will then inform students that we will be doing a similar activity today with
different objects.
2. Teacher will pass out worksheets and allow students to adjust the way they are seated.
Teacher will provide students with pictures of the objects we will be testing, but will first
instruct them to write their names on their papers.
3. Teacher will ask students to demonstrate with their hands what it looks like when an
object floats and when an object sinks.
4. Then, teacher will go through each object with the class and ask them what their
prediction is for if the object will sink or float. Teacher will guide them to place the
pictures on their worksheet above the blue water line if they predict it will float or below
the blue water line if they think it will sink. As the children identify their prediction,
teacher will ask why they think that will be the result.
5. Once each child has indicated their prediction, we will move on to the testing phase.
Teacher will test each object by gently placing it into the water bin and allowing students
to observe what happens.
6. As each object is tested, teacher will ask students to verbally express if the object sinks or
floats and to show it with their hands. The teacher will provide students with glue sticks
to glue the pictures in the proper location after testing.
7. After the students indicate the result, teacher will ask for a thumbs up if the students’
prediction was correct or a thumbs down if the prediction was incorrect.
8. Teacher will repeat steps 4-7 for each object.
9. Conclusion: After all objects were tested and results recorded, the teacher will dismiss
students from the carpet by asking them to come up and whisper what sinking and
floating is and if they predicted any of the objects correctly.

Logistics:
Timing: Lesson will take about 20 minutes total.
Transitions: As the students transition from recording to testing and back they will be
reminded to sit (or lay) quiet and show ready.
Classroom Management: I will use terms like quiet mouth, raising a quiet hand, and
showing ready which the students are familiar with.

Differentiation
Teacher, aide, and co-op will help the students with gluing in proper locations as necessary.