MultiMedia Tools

Lesson Idea Name:​ Will It Float or Sink?

Content Area:​ Physical Science
Grade Level(s):​ Kindergarten
Content Standard Addressed:​ SKP1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe objects in
terms of the materials they are made of and their physical attributes.

c. Plan and carry out an investigation to predict and observe whether objects, based on their physical
attributes, will sink or float.

Technology Standard Addressed:​ 6. Creative Communicator Students communicate clearly and express
themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media
appropriate to their goals. Students:

publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Selected Technology Tool:

X​​Movie (list application): IMovie
☐​Audio (list application):
☐​Other: (list)
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐​Remembering ​☐​Understanding ​☐​Applying ​X​Analyzing ​X​Evaluating ​☐​Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐​Level 1: Awareness ​☐​Level 2: Exploration ​☐​Level 3: Infusion ​X​ Level 4: Integration
☐​Level 5: Expansion ​☐​Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

Engagement: ​Optimize Individual Choice and Autonomy: Each student has an object of their choice that they
are individually predicting if it will sink or swim. This gives each student ownership in the project and a simple
but effective way for all students to participate.
Representation: ​Offer Alternatives for Audio and Visual: The video itself serves as a visual summary of our
class predictions and observations. The video will have audio throughout to help auditory learners and if
needed can be uploaded via YouTube to allow for subtitles for any hearing impaired students.
Action and Expression: ​Use Multimedia for Communication: Students are helping the teacher develop an
IMovie to communicate to the class the results of everyone’s experiments so the class can draw conclusions
and discuss openly what trends they notice.

Lesson idea implementation:

As a closing project to our Unit on Physical Science, each student will bring a small object to school (one that
can be submerged in water) and will give a prediction if they believe this project will sink or float. Each child
will be videoed to show their object, give their prediction, and place it into the water to see the result. After
each child has completed their turn, the teacher will link the videos into an IMovie and apply any audio

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 MultiMedia Tools
necessary to the video. The videos of students are short and the teacher should be able to complete them in
1-2 science periods. While a student is being videoed, the other students will be completing a series of
summary activities on the unit. A unit packet review of sorts. Once the videos are done, the next day the class
will observe the IMovie together and engage in small group and large classroom discussions on what was
observed and what conclusions could be made based on this information. The teacher may right bullet points
of these observations on the board or poster board for student’s to see. Students could then do a creative
writing prompt on their favorite part of the IMovie or on what they learned. This writing would be turned in
and assessed on writing skills and on correct science understanding.
Importance of technology: ​This project could easily be completed without technology; however, the IMovie
aspect adds a layer of learning and observation that adds to reaching the students interest at a deeper more
relatable level. The students can help the teacher video one another to develop more technology
understanding. Being videoed always helps to engage students, even shy students, because at the time of the
video the audience is much smaller which hopefully puts them at ease and knowing they can “redo” hopefully
furthers that student’s security in being in the video. Videos are fun and engaging and making them into an
IMovie enhances the project immensely.

Inspiration (optional): ​ None

Internet Safety and Student Privacy: ​The biggest safety concern with this project is what is done with the
video after using. Uploading it to a website or even a class blog should not be done. The video will have
children’s voices and images in them and do not need to be displayed publicly on the internet. The best
option is for the teacher to delete all the videos once the project is complete. Otherwise, the teacher will
need all parent’s permission and school permission as well as adhering to all school policies and federal laws
before using the videos at all.
Reflective Practice: ​This project is really a platform for many possible adjunct projects or lesson plans.
Students that are older could produce the IMovie themselves as a means to present the class with
information/a lesson. This would give the students an opportunity not only for hands on learning, but also for
being the “teachers” of the material and for possibly even deciding what they wanted to teach about. There
are a great many possibilities of ways to incorporate IMovies into lessons. From instructional videos to
student led learning projects, the ideas are endless.

Spring 2018_SJB