Floating Float

Explain that students will investigate a range of objects to learn about what items sink in water, and what objects float. They will have their own container of water and equipment.

Use the Predict, Observe, Explain (POE) model. Ask ‘What does floating mean?’ Talk about objects, that float, sit on top of the surface of the water. TQ: “What do we need to find out and record?” Allow students to select a range of objects found in the classroom or the playground and record what it isit in the first column of worksheet. Predict: Students will predict whether the object is going to float or sink and circle the appropriate word in the ‘predict’ column. Teacher asks them why they think this will happen. (See worksheet Appendix I).

This gives the perfect opportunity to identify any misconceptions and also to discover their understanding of floating and sinking. (Questioning and predicting, ACSIS037, ACARA, 2014)

Observe: Place the chosen object into the water. Students observe what happens and describe what they see. Then they

(Communicating, ACSIS042, Evaluating, ACSIS041, ACARA, 2014). Link to creative arts.

Teacher reads an amusing story called ‘Who sank the boat?’ written by Pamela Allen. It focuses on the concepts of floating and sinking and provides students with the opportunity to ask more questions about sinking and floating. Questioning and predicting, ACSIS037, ACARA, 2014). Link to literacy.

Students complete an interactive activity http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/digger/5_7entry/8.shtml on the BBC Schools website. It focuses on floating and sinking. Students work through the activity and will then get to the screen where they are asked to judge which objects will float or sink. On the next screen, students should be able to explain why all of the objects float. (Processing and analysing data and information, ACSIS040, Communicating, ACSIS042, Evaluating, ACSIS041, ACARA,