Sinking Floaters

November. 18, 2019

Title Boats and Buoyancy: Sinking Floaters Grade Level 2

Subject Science Time Frame 2:20-3:30

Developed by Alison Wild

Stage 1: Desired Results

GLEs: 2-1: Students will investigate, with guidance, the nature of things, demonstrating an understanding of the
procedures followed
2-2: Students will recognize patterns and order in objects and events studied; and, with guidance, record
procedures and observations, using pictures and words; and make predictions and generalizations, based
on observation
2–3: Construct, with guidance, an object that achieves a given purpose, using materials that are provided.
2-4: Students will demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of
science in responsible ways
2-7: Construct objects that will float on and move through water, and evaluate various designs for
watercraft
SLEs: 2-7: 2: Students will alter or add to a floating object so that it will sink, and alter or add to a nonfloating
object so that it will float
2-7: 9: Students will explain why a given material, design or component is appropriate to the design task.
Learning Students will:
Objectives  Develop an understanding of what makes a material buoyant
 Create a floating device using a variety of materials
 Alter or add to the floating device so that it will sink

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Summative N/A Formative Observations: I will assess students as they are
Assessment Assessment building their floating device and as they alter
their device so that it will sink. I will notice
what materials students are using.

Products: I will assess student’s workbooks

during the lesson and at the end.

Stage 3: Learning Experience

Prior to Lesson: Students have made predictions
and observations about sinking and Bring/Tech:
floating objects and have
experimented with common
materials to see what sinks and
what floats.
Resources to
Materials for experimentation: washers,
plastic spoons, marbles, sheet of foil,
Styrofoam, egg cartons (Styrofoam and
paper), rocks (little and small), corks, plastic
yogurt and other food container, metal and
plastic lids, sponges, metal screws, plastic
water bottle, medium-sized woodchips,
popsicle sticks, plastic cones, plastic straws,
duct tape, 2 buckets of weights from the
curriculum lab, bolts, and hot glue gun.
Time: Content/Description Notes
Introduction to “Sinking Floaters”
I will have students help me hand out the “Boats and Buoyancy” workbooks to their
classmates.

2:20-2:25 I will begin the lesson by making a T-chart on the whiteboard of specific items that
we know are buoyant (will float) or are not buoyant (will sink)
5 minutes
I will encourage students to think of items that we have tested so far in class as some of
the available materials for today’s buoyancy challenge will be from the previous float
or sink experiment we did.

“Today’s lesson has two parts. The first part involves making a floating device. The
second part involves changing that device so that it will sink. I want to encourage you
all to think outside of the box and try new things!”
Introduction to building a floating device
Students can work alone or in partners, if they wish, and create a device that floats
2:25 – 2:30 using materials that are provided. I will ask the students to raise their hand if they want
to work alone and then I can make partners out of the students who wish to work with
5 minutes another student.

Students will use a 3-6 different materials in addition to the ‘base’ that I provide to
them for their device.
 There are some great bases that students can use and they can be creative with
how they add to the additional materials to their base, while keeping their
device buoyant.
 Remind students that the device needs to still be able to fit inside the bins of
water.

I will encourage students to be creative when making their floating object and to do
more than just stack buoyant materials.
The reason behind
“The object does not have to look like a boat it just has to be able to float. It is providing the base
important to be intentional with the materials you use and the overall design of your is that it will help
device – there should be a reason behind the decisions made.” promote creative
thinking and
Some of the materials have limited supply, so I will remind the students to make the problem solving!
best of the materials that they have! If everyone had the exact same materials, the
devices wouldn’t be unique!

I will tell students that If they finish their device early they can colour it or modify it
further UNTIL all students have completed their device. Once all students complete
their device, then students can test it in water.

As I am explaining the task at hand, I will write key things on the whiteboard
Part 1: Building a Floating Device
 3-6 materials per device
 Make sure device is not TOO big
 Be creative and patient
 After you test your object in the water bins, draw your floating device in
workbook

Part 1: Students create their floating device

2:30-2:50
 I will move the student’s desks off to the side so that they can work on the ground and
20 minutes have a good amount of workspace. Students will sit with their partners in a spacious
area of the classroom with their:
1) Boats and Buoyancy workbook
2) Pencil box (containing a pencil, eraser, glue stick, scissors, and crayons)

I will have all the material organized by type and spread out on the carpet. I will call
up ~3 pairs at a time to grab their 3-6 additional materials, and I will give each pair a
base.

Once students collect the materials that they are going to use, I will see if any
adjustments need to be made regarding the number of items each device gets. There
may be enough materials to allow students to use more.

As students are building their devices, I will walk around the class to ensure students
are making a floating device and are staying on track!

Once all students are done creating their floating device, I will bring over a bin of
water for them to place it in. This is so that everybody is at the same stage as we work
through this activity.
 If the device does not float, then they will have to modify it so that it will – I
would suggest removing certain materials.

Students draw their floating device

2:50- 2:57 After students have successfully made a floating device and tested it to ensure that it is
buoyant, they will draw their floating device in the corresponding section of their
7 minutes workbook. At this time, the floating device is now out of the water.

I will tell the class that paying attention to detail and all of the different parts is
important when drawing these floating devices. I will encourage students to draw
different angles and label the materials.

I will walk around the classroom and make sure students are drawing their floating
devices in the correct section.
Part 2: Students alter floating device so that it will sink
2:57 – 3:17 Once all students have drawn their floating device in their workbook, I will go to the
front of the class and explain part 2 of the lesson. Time to sink the floating devices!
20 minutes
I will tell students to wait until I instruct them to put their sinking device in the water A challenge for
students who have
Staying with the same groups, students will come up with creative and logical ways to easily sunk their
sink their devices. I will tell students that they can use 1-6 additional materials to sink floating device:
their device OR - remove some
 They can alter their device by cutting it/poking holes in it to change the materials to see
device. how you can use
 They may even need to remove parts of their floating device to make it sink. the least amount of
additional materials
I will write on the board and still sink your
Part 2: Sinking your Floating Device object.
 1-6 materials to sink your device
 consider cutting holes or removing parts
 If you need more materials, please ask me
 Pairs will come up to the carpet and grab 1-6 items that they can alter or add to their
device so that it will sink. Students will then go back to their workspace and will add to
their floating object so that it will sink.

Once all students have created their sinking device, they will test it in their bin of
water. If it does not sink, they will need to grab more materials.
Students draw how they made their floating device sink
3:17 – 3:24 Once all students have altered their device so that it will sink, and they have tested that
it does in fact sink, they will draw their sinking device in the corresponding section of
7 minutes their workbook.

I will tell the class that paying attention to detail and all of the different parts is
important when drawing these sinking devices. I will encourage students to draw
different angles and label the materials.

Students will then draw in their workbook how they altered their device so it would
sink

I will walk around the classroom to make sure students are drawing their sinking
device in the correct section.
3:24 – 3:30 Discussion
I will ask students to tell me what they learned. Each pairing or individual that made a
6 minutes separate device will speak about what they did.
 What did you use to make the object float? Sink?
 What worked and what didn’t. Why?

I will write down some of the student’s answers on the SMART board under the “what
did you learn?” section. Students will copy into their workbook.