Miss Farrell

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Grade 2 Science

Unit: Boats and Buoyancy #2

PS1 FALL 2016

Lesson Duration: 30 mins

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:

Construct objects that will float on and move through water, and evaluate various designs for watercraft.
Specific Learning Outcomes:

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.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Students will redesign floating objects so that they will sink, and redesign sinking objects so that they will float.

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Can students identify what makes an object
float/sink?
Can students evaluate the difference in materials in
comparing buoyant and non buoyant objects?

Big ideas
Materials what makes and object float or sink
Size consideration of this factor in buoyancy
Redesigning of objects
Comparisons scientific analysis

Are students thinking creatively, all the while

respecting scientific concepts of buoyancy?
Written/Performance Assessments:

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Buoyancy and Boats Edmonton Public Schools Unit resource
Resource #2: eduplace.com Smartboard Interactive Game

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

* Hand-out
* Smartboard (internet connectivity)
* Pencils/eraser

PROCEDURE
Introduction ( 5 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber: Does everyone remember when we watched Magic School Bus last week? How fun was
that!
Recall :
Now, can anyone describe what happened in the movie?
Great! Now lets go back to think about floating and sinking in the moviewhen Pheobe threw her piece of bread
into the water, it floated. But, when she through an identical piece of bread smushed into a bread ball into the water, it
sunk! What happened here? Why did the bread ball sink versus the whole piece of bread?

Surface area factor = the more space an object takes up in the water, the more space there is for water to push
back up on the object, allowing it to float.
* Draw the two items. Show arrows to represent buoyant force/water force.

Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Students will easily recall information from the movie, or be able to
remember after prompting and assistance from myself or their peers.

Body ( 20 mins.):

Miss Farrell

PS1 FALL 2016

Learning Activity #1: Smartboard activity

I will pull up our smartboard activity (eduplace.com), and use the 1,2,3 eyes on me strategy to get the students
attention and get their full attention to listen to the instructions provided by the game (*speakers must be on!*)
1. How can a HUGE boat like the titanic or a cruise ship float in water? They must be so heavy! Think about
this. Did anyone have an answer? ~ discuss
2. PAGE 2 Experiment. Students can come up one at a time. First they must PREDICT, then MOVE the
objects on the smartboard to check their answers.
3. This will challenge them to notice size and material differences in objects.
4. PAGE 3 If we changed the pumpkin by adding holes to make it fill with water, it would sink. Hmm, think
about the other objects we saw, how could we change them to make them float or sink?
Assessments: are students grasping the scientific concepts of buoyancy? Are they noticing and distinguishing between
materials in terms of what makes an object float or sink?

Learning Activity #2: HAND-OUT Floaters and Sinkers

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How could we make a penny float?

How could we make a popsicle stick sink?
You can work together on this, but each student must complete their page before handing it in. Use pencils or
pencil crayons or markers.
You may draw or write to explain how you would change these objects so that they could float or sink. Get
creative! But remember what we learned about SIZE, WEIGHT AND MATERIALS.
Check with me before you hand-in and present your renovations!

Differentiation: A student who was ill last week may need extra assistance so be sure to spend lots of time with this student and
check-in after the instructions to ensure they understand what they need to do.

Closure ( 5 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Did anyone want to share their designs with the class? Come on up!
* if no student wants to share, that is fine, we could discuss some of the changes as a class.
= feedback from students
Feedback TO students: Identify areas of strengths and weaknesses (if time allotted) in terms of our three scientific
factors that were the core of our lesson.
Transition To Next Lesson: Tomorrow, we will get to actually test objects in water! = Science experiment!!