Sink or Float

In Science, we have been working toward the standard: Observe and measure objects in terms of their properties, including size, shape, color, temperature, weight, texture, sinking or floating in water, and attraction and repulsion of magnets.


This past week we have explored objects that sink or float by participating in a "Sink or Float?" lab. Students developed a hypothesis to answer the question: Can matter sink or float in water? For each object, students then determined what type of matter it was and predicted whether it would sink or float. Here were the results:

Sink or Float from Julia Lewis on Vimeo.

We extended our knowledge of the properties of matter with the "Tinkering Lab: Will it Sink or Float?" Students used what they learned in the previous lab to construct a boat that floats with their lab groups. The students were given materials and could choose what they wanted to use out of them. After the boats were complete, we tested them. Most students used materials that they had tested previously or applied knowledge of those objects to untested ones to determine which objects would help to make their boat float.


Check out our featured work from these labs on our Standards Based Bulletin Board (located outside our classroom)!