EDUC 2220- Educational Technology

Infant-Pre-K Curriculum Plan: Technology-Based Lesson/Activity

Your Name: Alyson Merz Activity Title: Sink or Float Experiment

Number of children participating at one time: 5 Ages: 3-5 years old.

Activities written for previous classes cannot be re-used and must be the original work of the student.
Ohio Early Domain: Cognitive and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Science
Learning &
Strand: Science Inquiry and Application
Development
Standards: Topic: Inquiry
Standard Statement: Make predictions.
List at least 1
standard that
is addressed
Domain: Cognitive and General Knowledge Sub-Domain: Mathematics
by this
activity. Strand: Measurement and Data
Write out
Topic: Describe and Compare Measurable Attributes
each
component Standard Statement: Describe and compare objects using measurable attributes (e.g.,
completely
length, size, capacity and weight).
and exactly,
as published
in ELDS.

Lesson
The purpose of this lesson is to get children to form opinions, or make predictions, and then
Summary:
put those predictions to the test. To start, each child will pick an item in the classroom that
they wish to see whether it floats or sinks. To record the childrens predictions, they will use an
iPad to take a survey on Polleverywhere (with a teachers supervision). After all the children
have completed the survey, I will take the information and transfer it into a chart I made on
Word. We will use this chart to discuss the childrens predictions and reasoning behind them.
Then, we will take each of the childrens items and put it in a tub of water to see if it floats or
sinks. The results will be recorded on a chart made in Word. After the experiment, the children
will take a quiz, also on Polleverwhere, to test their memory about which objects floated and
which ones sunk.
Estimated
This lesson will take approximately two hours. I plan to divide the lesson up into five days, with
Duration:
each day having a section of the lesson that lasts anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes.
Preparation What preparation is needed?
of materials Create poll on Polleverywhere. Set up Word Document chart with all the childrens names
and and pictures, and pictures and names of the items the children chose. Set up Word
environment: Document two- column chart to record results of experiment in.

What materials will be used?

A computer. An iPad. A projector. Word software. A wireless mouse and keyboard. A clear,
5-gallon tub. 1-3-gallons of water. 5 classroom objects to be tested (chosen by children).

How will the learning environment be set up?

On the days you will need the computers, they should be turned on and logged into
Polleverywhere before the children arrive. During the experiment portion of the lesson, will
children will be in plain view of the projector (which will be pulled down and turned on). The
clear tub will sit on a child-sized table, so the children can easily look in the top of the tub
and the sides. The teacher will be at a separate, regular sized table, to prevent the mouse
 and keyboard from getting splashed. The children will gather around the table in a semi-
circle.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:

20 minutes: Introduce the experiment. Discuss meanings of vocabulary words and what types of objects the
children think will float versus sink. Answer any questions that arise.
5 minutes: Have each child pick one classroom object that they want to test. The only stipulation is that the
item must be able to fit in the 5-gallon tub. Teacher will gather all the items and put them in a safe place until
it is time to do the experiment.

Day 2:
Before class begins: Create Polleverywhere survey called Sink or Float Predictions with the items that the
children chose.
5-10 minutes for each child (or 35 minutes total): Have each child take the survey on the iPad. Teacher will
need to be by each childs side to help him or her log in to Polleverywhere and read the name of the object.

Day 3:
Before class begins: Add data from Sink or Float Predictions to the chart created on Word called Sink Float
Chart (Predictions). When done, project chart onto a wall or white board.
15 minutes: Discuss/review chart (i.e., why children chose float for one object but not another, how many
children chose sink for one object versus how many chose float, etc.).

Day 4:
30 minutes: Do experiment. Have Sink Float Chart (Results) Work Document pulled up on projector and fill it
out as you gather data (the children should have an active role in this). For example, after an object sinks,
ask the children, Where is the (object) on our chart? What did the object do? The children can also put
their item in the water.
10 minutes: Discuss results of experiment (i.e., what was surprising, how many items sunk versus floated, etc.)
and compare them to the childrens predictions.

Day 5:
5-10 minutes per child (or 35 minutes total): Have children take Pollerverywhere survey called Sink or Float
Quiz.
After class is over: Review the results of each childs quiz.

Extension
This video explains the difference between light and heavy using a variety of examples. It is a great way to
practice comparing objects based on their weight.

This website provides activities and worksheets that children can do at home to help them practice making
predictions.
Differentiated Instructional Support: Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to
meet the needs of gifted or accelerated students:
If a child is gifted or accelerated and board with the experiment, he or she can be put in charge of the
experiment. In this case, lets say that the child can sound out and read simple words, and her technology
skills are advanced for her age. This child could be given additionally responsibilities that the teacher would
have performed. For example, filling in the results of the experiment to the chart on Word. The teacher could
do the first object as an example and then let the child do the other four. Since the chart will be projected, it
will be easy for a teacher to ensure the child is doing it correctly.

Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material:
A problem that could arise in this lesson is that a child (or more) doesnt understand one of the vocabulary
words. In this case, the first thing I would do is try to explain the word a different way. For example, lets say a
child doesnt understand what a prediction is. Instead of saying, A prediction is what we think will happen in
the future, I would say, A prediction is a guess about what we think will happen next. A lot of children are
familiar with the word guess. It may be helpful to use a common synonym of the word you are trying to
explain in your explanation of the original word. If the child(ren) are still confused, I would push back my
original introduction and read Elmer and Rose by David McKee. Using the word you are trying to define in
context can also make it easier to understand.

Vocabulary:
Sink, Float, Prediction, Guess, Data, Chart, Experiment, Weight.

For teachers Computer, projector, wireless mouse and keyboard, access to internet, a clear, 5-
gallon tub, 1-3 gallons of water.

For students iPad, objects chosen for experiment, access to internet.