Equipment for floating and sinking

● Large container (pre fe r a b l y transparent),

newspapers, old towel, kitchen roll.

● Two hula-hoops labelled ‘ F l oater’ and ‘Sinker’.

● Variety of common objects of different sizes, shapes,

weights and materials for example oranges, apples, wooden
blocks, wooden and
plastic clothes pegs, toys, metal and plastic spoons, edible
nuts, balls of plasticine, plastic and wooden spools.

Boat activity: Balls of plasticine, marrowfat peas or

marbles.
Classroom organisation

Children can work in groups discussing, predicting and sorting

objects into the ‘Floater ’ and ‘Sinker’ hoops. They can record their
predictions on paper, individually or in groups. Each child can take a
turn by placing objects into the appropriate hula-hoop and then into
the container of water.

Starting with children’s ideas

It is important to establish the children’s ideas at the start of any

science activity. This can be done through:
● teacher questioning and discussion;
● children drawing or writing down their ideas.

Background
Some children may assume that objects float or sink because they
are light, heavy, big or small. Encourage them to test their own
ideas !
Sink or Float

Grade Level(s): Preschool

By: Debbie Haren, preschool teacher Students discover which items sink and
which items float.

Materials:
Tub of water or small bucket
5-10 small items that will sink or float in the water (I would have 5 that
float and 5 that sink)

Plan:
Have students in the class circle around the object that you have the water
in.

Talk to the children about what floating and sinking means.

Hold up one item at a time and ask the students if they think that item will
sink or swim.

Then after they predict, put it in the water and see what happens.
Talk to the children about their prediction and if they were right or not.
Leave the container of water and the objects in the room and let the
children play with the items in the bucket.
Observing
Encourage the children to handle the various objects and to describe the
attributes of each object for example, shape, texture, weight, size and
type of
material.

Predicting
Children can predict which objects will float or sink orally r by drawing
them. Older children can be challenged to record how they think the
objects will float or sink.

Questioning
Children enjoy the challenge of open questions. This approach tends to
produce a rich variety of responses. Some of these open questions can
form the basis for investigative work.

Suggested questions
● Which objects will float?
● Which objects will sink?
● Do all plastic objects sink?
● Do all wooden objects float?
● Do metal objects sink?
● Do all big/heavy objects sink?
● Do all small/light objects float?
● Will all the sinkers be made from the same material?
● Does the shape of an object make a difference to whether it sinks
of floats?

Sorting and Grouping

Children can sort and group the objects into ‘Floaters’ and ‘Sinkers’
by placing them in the appropriately labelled hulahoop.

Investigating and observing

Children can investigate what happens when diffe rent objects are
put into the large container of water. They can observe how the
objects float, some floa t high and some float low in the water.
● Do all the floaters float in the same way?
● What are the floaters made of?
● A re floaters light, heavy, big or small?
● Can you make floaters sink? C h i l d ren can experience the
pushing force of water by pushing a ball into a sink full of water.
● Can you make sinkers float?
Recording

Children can draw which objects floated and sank. Older c h i l d ren
can be encouraged to raw how the objects floated – high or low in the
water. These can be compared with their earlier drawings and
predictions. (see examples above).

Analysing

In the infant and junior classes, children will develop their ideas about
why some objects float and others sink in water.
Brainstorm

• What things will float?

• Some objects float in water; some objects sink.
• Identify objects that float.
• Identify objects that sink.
• How can water help you separate objects?
• Will it float or sink?
• How can shape help objects float?
Will it Float or Sink?

Cover table with newspaper and give pairs of children a plastic

container half filled with water. Also give each pair 2 plastic
plates. Use permanent marker and label on "FLOAT" with boat
above water and the other "SINK" with boat under water.

Give each pair of children an assortment of objects: crayon,

pencil, rubber band, marbles, cotton ball, cork, plastic spoon, rock,
a paper, coin, sponge.

Have each pair choose one object and predict whether it will float
or sink.

Then have children drop object into water and observe it for a
minute.

Then have children remove object from water and place it on

appropriate plate. Children then test the other objects in the
same way. Discuss which objects floated and which sank.
How can water help you separate objects?

Display mixture of paper clips and toothpicks. Have volunteer

separate them as quickly as possible. Record time to complete task.

In a clear bowl ½ filled with water put in 1 clip and 1 toothpick.

Elicit that clip sinks but toothpick floats.

Ask child if they can think of an easier way to separate clips and
toothpicks. Ask for volunteer.

Put clips and toothpicks in bowl. Have volunteer gather toothpicks as

quickly as possible. Record time.

Compare times with and without water.

Raise the Raisins
Materials Needed: Jar/Beaker Clear Cabonated Drink (Sprite or 7Up)
Raisins
Strategy: 1. Fill a jar/beaker full of clear carbonated drink. 2. Add a handful
of raisins to the jar. 3. Observe the jar.

Performance Assessment: The students will be asked why do the raisins

keep rising and falling inside the jar/beaker.
Conclusion:
This demonstration works because the bubbles of carbon dioxide gas in the
drink are much less dense than the drink or the raisins. Once the raisins
begin to move, they will keep rising and falling inside the jar for about an
hour. When you drop the raisins into the jar/beaker of carbonated drink, the
raisins are more dense than the drink, so the raisins sink. When the raisins
reach the bottom of the jar/beaker, the gas bubbles stick to the wrinkles on
the raisins, thus causing the raisins to rise. When the raisins reach the top
of the jar/beaker, the gas bubbles burst. Now the raisins are more dense
than the carbonated drink, so the raisins will sink again. When the raisins are
covered with bubbles again, they are less dense than the carbonated drink,
so the raisins will rise again. This process will continue for about an hour.
 The Nature of a Sound Wave

Sound and music are parts of our everyday sensory experience.

Just as humans have eyes for the detection of light and color, so
we are equipped with ears for the detection of sound. We seldom
take the time to ponder the characteristics and behaviors of
sound and the mechanisms by which sounds are produced,
propagated, and detected. The basis for an understanding of
sound, music and hearing is the physics of waves. Sound is a wave
which is created by vibrating objects and propagated through a
medium from one location to another. In this unit, we will
investigate the nature, properties and behaviors of sound waves
and apply basic wave principles towards an understanding of music
A wave is a disturbance of a medium which transports energy through the
medium without permanently transporting matter. In a wave, particles of
the medium are temporarily displaced and then return to their original
position. There are a variety of ways to categorize waves. One way to
categorize waves is to say that there are longitudinal and transverse
waves. In a transverse wave, particles of the medium are displaced in a
direction perpendicular to the direction of energy transport. In a
longitudinal wave, particles of the medium are displaced in a direction
parallel to energy transport. The animation below depicts a longitudinal
pulse in a medium.
What is a Medium?

But what is meant by the word medium? A medium is a substance

or material which carries the wave. You have perhaps heard of
the phrase news media. The news media refers to the various
institutions (newspaper offices, television stations, radio
stations, etc.) within our society which carry the news from one
location to another. The news moves through the media.
Collect pictures or objects which illustrate different ways of sending
messages. Use them to introduced the topic. Who uses, or used them?
When and where?

Feel the voice. Children should gently rest their fingers against their
Adam’s apple, and talk to a friend. Discuss what they feel? Try
whispering, shouting, singing, laughing. What do they feel?

Make a speaking tube.

Telephone messages.
2. Learn how to use a telephone, both private and public phone.
3. Make a telephone
 Making Sounds With Rulers

Use a ruler to investigate how size affects sound. As you explore, keep your
ears and eyes open.
Materials: , 1 plastic ruler, 1 heavy book,

Find Out For Yourself

Explore ways to make sound with the ruler.

Now try extending one end of the ruler over the edge of a table and plucking
it. Listen carefully to what you hear. Which sounds come from the ruler
hitting the table. Which come from the ruler making the air move?

Try making the ruler vibrate so it does not hit the table. Hold the ruler down
firmly with a book.

Think about the sounds the ruler might make when a long piece of it extends
over the edge of the table and you pluck it. Do you think it might make high or
low sounds? Write your predictions about the sound that will be produced by
a long, medium and short piece of the ruler. Also write the reasons why you
thinks so.
Now think about how a long, medium, and short piece of the
ruler will look when it extends over the edge of the table and
you pluck it. How will each different length of the ruler vibrate
when plucked? Write your predictions and reasons.

Work alone or with a partner to test your predictions.

What did you hear when you compared the sound produced by a
long piece of the ruler with the sound of a short piece.

What did you see when you compared the vibrations of a long
piece and a short piece of the ruler.
 Designing a Reed Instrument
Design and construct your own wind instrument that uses a vibrating reed and
makes sounds with four different pitches.
Materials: 6 plastic drinking straws, thin, 6 plastic drinking straws, thick,
hole punch, scissors

Make a straw reed by cutting a wedge about 1 cm ( 1/2 inch ) long at one end of
a plastic drinking straw. Now flatten the reed by pulling it between your
thumbnail and forefinger.

To make a longer instrument, flare the end opposite the reed by inserting a
pencil and stretching the plastic. Remove the pencil and fit another straw of
the same size into the flared end.

Now punch holes in the side of the straw using a hole punch. It will help if you
make the holes so they are at the top of the instrument when you play it. Note:
don't punch through both sides of the straw!

To make a slide instrument

Take two straws-- one thick and one thin. At one end of the smaller straw,
make a reed. Insert the other end of the thin reeded straw into the thicker
straw.
Experiment with your instrument.
 Making Sounds With Nails
What kind of sounds do you think nails will make? Do you think all nails will
make the same sound?
Materials: 1 notebook, 1 plastic tray, 1 foam-rubber sponge, 1 set of three
nails (assorted sizes), 1 unsharpened pencil

What do you know about making predictions? What is the difference between
a prediction and a guess? Talk about your ideas with the class, parent or
friend.

Look at the nails. Think about the sound they could make. How do you think the
nails will sound when tapped with a pencil? Will they all sound the same, or will
each one sound different? Why? Write your predictions in your notebook.

Place the nails on the sponge and test your predictions by tapping each nail
with a pencil. To make the clearest sound, you will want to tap quickly but not
too hard. Take turns (if you have a partner) so both of you can listen.

Talk about and compare words you could use to describe the sounds you heard.
Did one nail sound "higher" than the others? Did one sound "lower"? Write in
your notebook words to describe the sounds.
Review your predictions and compare them with the actual sounds you heard.
Finally, think about how the size of the nail seemed to affect the sound it
made. Write some of your thoughts in your notebook.
 Vibrations Through Wood and Metal

Materials
Wooden dowel
Solid metal rod
Wind up clock

Activity

Listen to the clock ticking.Hold one end ot the wood dowel against the face
of the clock.

Hold the other end of the dowel against the bone in front of your ear.
Describe what you experience.

Repeat this with the metal rod.

Compare the sounds through wood and metal. Which transmits sound better?
Making Sound With String

Have you ever made sounds with a string? How did you do it? What kinds of
sounds did the string make? Could you change the sounds it made? Here we'll
explore different ways to make and change sounds produced by string.

Materials:
plastic tray
piece of string with a washer on one end, wrapped around a piece of
cardboard
plastic cup with a tiny hole in the bottom
unsharpened pencil

Think about a musical instrument that has strings. How would you describe the
sound? What sounds do you think you could make with a string that is not part
of an instrument?

Thread the end of the string through the hole in the bottom of the plastic cup.
Start with the thread inside the cup.

Pull the string all the way through the hole; the washer will be inside the cup
and keep the string from pulling out.
Think of ways you could use this string and holder to make sounds. What do
you think you could do with the cup? How could you make the string
vibrate?

Hold the cup against the floor with one foot. Change the length of the
string by winding more of it around the pencil. Pluck the string to hear the
differences in pitch.

Try this with another student or friend. Remove the string from the cup so
that each of you can hold a pencil and wind you end of the string around
your pencil.
Pull the string tight between you. Now listen to the changes in pitch as you
change the length by winding more around the pencil and plucking the
string.

How does the string look when it's making a sound. Do you see any
vibrations?

Can you see differences in the string's vibrations when you hear different
pitches?

Explore making sounds with other types of strings. Some interesting kinds
to explore include dental floss, twine, braided fishing line, and sewing