Elementary Science Lesson Plan

Your Name:

Leah Bromaghim

Subject: (circle one) Language Arts

Grade Level: (circle one) K 1 2 3 4 5 6

Social Studies

Mathematics

Science

Lesson Title: Sinking and Floating Water

Materials Needed: PER GROUP 2 plastic cups, 2 rubber bands, 2 popsicle sticks, 2 small vials,
Prerequisite Skills: working with water, working in a group (as a team), following directions,
Standard(s):
S.35.ES.1 Understand and apply knowledge of properties and uses of earth materials.
Lesson Objective(s):
Students will be able to begin to understand density through experimentation with objects and
water.
Prep: hot and cold water with food coloring to be able to see which type is more or less dense.
Trays.
Each tray needs:
1 cup (empty)
1 cup of room temperature/cold water 3/4ths full
2 clothespins
2 Popsicle sticks
2 rubber band
2 vial
1. Provide objectives: (What are students going to learn?) Time: 1 min
I can experiment with water in a group setting and draw conclusions about the properties
of water and density.
2. Demonstrate knowledge or skill: (Input/Modeling by the teacher)

Time: 10min

Before we start, I want to make sure everyone knows their numbers and I would like to figure
out who hasnt been number 5 yet.
(These numbers correlate to jobs the students get (picking up materials, etc) during the science activities.)

Lets review:
What is the word for when an object stays on top of the water?
What is the word for when an object goes all the way down to the bottom of a container
of water?
Can someone tell me what we already know about these words? What have we already done
with sinking and floating?

Why do you think some objects floated and some objects sank? What is different about
them?
(the idea here is to work toward the idea of density, eventually give them the word and define it
together)
**If an object floats in water, the object is less dense than water (wooden bead and cork); if an
object sinks in water, the object is denser than water (rubber stopper and penny).**
3. Provide guided practice: (Guided practice with the teacher)

Time: 10 min,

Now that we know what happens with a few different solid objects in water. I want us to try
experimenting with different types of water.
I will show you what we will be doing today
Show students how to attach the vial to the Popsicle stick with the rubber band
Once you have assembled your vial to your popsicle stick, practice lowering it into the
empty cup
I will be coming around and filling your vial full of water. You then will need to lower it
slowly into the water, the key is when you get to the top of the vial, and you need to go
SLOWLY and hold it down to the bottom of the cup and HOLD it there. This is essential
for the experiment to work.
Now you try it
Have student 5 come get tray and materials, etc.
make sure to give each person a job to do throughout the lesson (getting tray, water,
holding the popsicle stick, returning tray)
4. Check for understanding and provide student feedback: (How will you know students
understand the skill or concept? How will they know they get it?)? Time: 3 min, 3 min,
Any questions? Thumbs up if you understand?
5: Provide extended practice and transfer: (Independent practice of the skill) Time:
They do experiment.

6. Assessment / Closure: (How do you evaluate student progress or provide closure to this
lesson?) Time: 2 min
Ask: What was the difference between the two waters? Why?
Ask: What happened to the hot water in the vials?
[The hot water moved up and floated on top of the cooler water.]

Ask: Why do you think it went up?

[Hot water is less dense than room-temperature water.]
Ask: What do you think will happen if you put cold water in a vial and lower it into a cup
of room-temp water?
AFTER COLD BLUE WATER
What happened to the cold water in the vials?
[The cold water remained in the vial.]
Why do you think it stayed in the vial?
[Cold water is denser than room-temperature water.]
Ask groups to talk for 3 minutes about these questions.
Which water was denser than room-temperature water?
Which water was less dense than room-temperature water?
Which is denser, hot water or cold water? Why do you think so?
MAIN IDEA: Reinforce that a change in temperature results in a change in the density of water,
and that colder water is denser than warmer water.

7. Plans for differentiation:

Different jobs/roles in the group
TOTAL LESSON TIME: __30-40____

8. References Consulted (Curriculum books in Drake SOE curriculum lab, teacher resources,
websites, etc.):
adapted from: FOSS Full Option Science System science curriculum