Erin Barr and Dustin Gaugler
University of Montana
C&I: Teaching K-8 Science
Five E’s Lesson Plan Format
1. Background Information
A. Grade Level: Third
B. Lesson Title: Sinker or Floater?
C. Student Understandings
1. What concepts and/or skills will students understand/construct as a result of this lesson?
-Students will be able to understand a few of the different reasons objects are able to float in water. (shape and weight)
-Buoyancy is the ability of an object to stay afloat.
2. What is the central science question guiding this lesson?
-How does an object’s shape and weight affect its buoyancy?
3. What benchmarks in the NSES is the lesson focus intended to address?
-Physical Science (Properties of Objects and Materials): Objects have many observable properties including size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other substances. Those properties can be measured using tools, such as rulers, balances, and thermometers.
2. Materials
· Small plastic tubs (1 for each group)
· Paper towels
· Newspaper
· Several objects that float (spheres, cubes, rectangles, etc.)
· Several objects that don’t float (spheres, cubes, rectangles, etc.)
· A can of Diet Coke
· A can of Classic Coke
· Medicine cup
· Balances
3. Instructional Methods: The Five E’s
Background Information:
There are a number of reasons that objects are able to float. Some objects are able to float because of their shape (the hull of a steel boat is able to float because of the shape, even though it is very heavy.) Other objects float because of their weight. For example, a feather will float because it does not weigh enough to displace the water beneath it. In order for an object to sink, it must weigh enough to displace the water beneath it.
Engage/Elicit:
Lesson Introduction:
The teacher willbe asking the students a variety of questions such as: How many of you like to swim? How many of you can float? What kinds of things do you remember seeing floating in rivers, lakes or oceans?By asking these questions it will start to make them think about water and floating; Buoyancy.
1. Present the cans of diet coke and coke to the students.
2. Ask students what they notice about the cans?
-What is the same?
-What is different?
3. Do you think these cans will float or sink?
4. How do you know?
5. One at a time, put the coke cans in the water.
6. Have students individually write down answers to the question: What determined whether the object sank or floated?
Explore:
1. Each group (3 to 4) will be given a group of similarly shaped objects and a tub filled with water.
2. According to your hypothesis, which objects will float?
-Which will sink?
3. Challenge students to test out their hypothesis on which items will float or sink.
Explain:
Group Discussion of Experiment results:
· Ask students to recall the test of their hypothesis.
· What did you notice?
· Collect students’ data.
-What objects floated? Why?
-What objects didn’t float? Why?
· What did you notice about the objects that floated?
· What did you notice about the objects that sank?
o Students should conclude that the coke (and other objects) sank because it was heavier.
o If students do not get to this, show them on a balance that the coke was heavier than the diet coke.
o Now ask students again about what objects floated and sank and they should conclude that heavier objects sank.
· What are you wondering now?
Expand:
1. Present an item that sinks to students (a bottle filled with bolts) and ask students to make predictions as to whether it will sink or float.
2. Dropped the object into the water.
3. Now using a medicine cup, ask students what will happen if the object that sinks is placed in the medicine cup.
§ What do you notice?
§ Why?
4. Ask students if weight is the only thing that determines if an object sinks or floats?
§ What is the other factor that determines buoyancy?
§ Students should conclude shape.
· If students do not come to this conclusion, ask them to comment on what is different about the object that sank and the object when it is placed in the medicine cup.
· Students should now conclude that both weight and shape determine buoyancy.
Evaluate:
· Have students find 10 “water-safe” household objects. Students will hypothesize whether the objects will sink or float providing reasoning for their predictions. Students will then test their hypothesis and record their findings and explain why each object acted as it did in their journals. Student journals should reflect that both weight and shape determined whether objects would float or sink.
Assessment:
· Students that understand the principles of buoyancy (weight, shape) will be able to accurately predict which objects will float or sink and give a reason for their thoughts. In addition, after the experiment students will be able to give a rationale for the evidence that they collected.