3 of 15

Notes for Teachers

This lesson takes place in a classroom for one or more hours.
Students may start in a whole group setting and then break into small groups to work in groups of 4-6 for small engagements.
Creative challenges will be tested.
Facilitate student reference to what sinks and what floats.

List of Materials:

Water bins
nature items to test
classroom items to test
foil
loose parts

4 of 15

Arizona Science Standards

Science ECE Standards:

STRAND 1: INQUIRY AND APPLICATION Concept 2 A,B,C,D Investigation

Math ECE Standards:

STRAND 3: MEASUREMENT AND DATA Concept 3: A Measures

use of tools
new vocabulary
investigation skills
plan and carry out investigations
construct design
engage with others in inquiry
construct reasoning and information obtained displayed during play
peer learning

Arizona ELA Standards

K.RL.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

K.RL.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Craft and Structure K.RL.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

K.RL.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

K.RL.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

K.RL.10 With prompting and support, actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding

5 of 15

Objectives:

Today we will explain the difference between sink and float.

Today we will describe what makes an item float or sink.

Today we will collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to complete an engineering design challenge.

Today students will be able to design and engineer boats that float with added weight.

6 of 15

Agenda (60 minutes)

What do the terms sink and float mean?

Float or Sink By K. Covark

Test classroom items and chart

Water play foil boat design

Nature item test

7 of 15

What is Sink vs. Float

Start out by charting responses to the question, make a class list is made together. Explain the difference between a balloon and coin, chart responses.

Followed by the read aloud.

8 of 15

Open Ended Design

Students were able to design a boat they thought would float before the story begun.

9 of 15

Read-Aloud

After the boat design, read with the class aloud Kylie’s story! Then break into 3 groups rotating every 10 minutes.

Group one can start making a foil boat and count how many coins until it sinks, test classroom items and chart what floats and what sinks, and same for outside with nature items, what floats and what sinks?

10 of 15

Group one

test classroom items

Students will test anything they desire around their classroom as they chart what sinks and what floats.

11 of 15

Group 2

Boats

In a group of 4-6 students, let’s design a boat with use of materials and test how many coins are too heavy for their boat.

Set out materials and see students working together to design a boat with their own ending product no examples given.

12 of 15

Nature items

Group 3

Let students test items around their playground from nature and discover what items could float or sink. Followed with vocabulary the bugs in the story were using as they floated down the river.

13 of 15

How do we assess our work?

We see if we can organize sink vs. float items.
We see who’s using new language to describe findings.
Who can design a boat and measure coins that sink it.
Who engages with text with new inquiry skills?
We iterate and repeat what we see and how it connects to the float and sink attributes.
Closure includes drawing a diagram of sink and floating items.

14 of 15

Assessment

Test your knowledge

What is the difference between sink and float?
Why does it sink or float?
Can you organize your findings?
Were you able sink your boat?
If yes, how?

ELA Assessment

Tell me how the bugs made it down the river?

What would you float on if you were a bug?

Describe in detail how we can tell if something is floatable or sinkable?

15 of 15

Differentiation

Providing a range of sized materials and parts to design will help differentiate your instruction for each child and their specific need.

Extension/Enrichment

Students who are successful right away can play with peers and interact in the water challenges to assist. Also, different ways to make boats or test of new items can be a possibility.