Lesson Plan #: AELP-SCI0025
Buoyancy
An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
Submitted by:
Dawn Nelson
Email:
DNelson398@aol.com
Date:
November 9, 1998
Grade Level(s):
3
Subject(s):
Duration:
45 minutes
Description:
Students will recognize what makes a clay ball float.
Goals:
experiment with clay to recognize what makes something float
Objectives:
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Students will understand the role that air plays in floating.
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Students will make the necessary modifications to keep objects afloat.
Materials:
container, water, balls of clay
Procedure:
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Show the students a ball of clay. Ask them what they think will happen if you drop it into a container of water.
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Drop it in the water. Ask them why they think it sank.
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Give one ball of clay to each student. Tell them to mold their clay into a shape that will make their clay float.
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Encourage them to keep trying. Sometimes, depending on how much time is left, I let the students use pennies. They count how many pennies their clay boat can hold. I make it into a contest and at the same time they realize how to modify their boat when it sinks.
Assessment:
After many have achieved their goal and their clay floats, draw some pictures on the board.
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Ask which picture of the clay will float and which one will sink.
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Ask why did certain ones float. Ask if there is anything inside of the
boat and if that has anything to do with the clay floating.
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Discuss that the ones with the higher sides trapped more air inside and floated.
Follow Up:
I usually follow this lesson up with using everyday materials and predict and test if they float. I also discuss submarines and what makes them float and sink. There is a really cool experiment with simulating a submarine using a 2-liter soda bottle with holes in it connected to a tube (usually the tubing for a fish tank works great). They love to blow in the bottle and watch it rise out of a container of water!
Internet Resources: