Lesson Plan Title: Float/Sink Lab

Date: Feb. 10, 2018 Grade: 9

Subject: Science Essential Question: Do the students understand the
Topic: density property of density and why objects float/sink?
Materials:
- 1 rubber stopper - 1 PVC plastic bushing (white) - 1 Styrofoam piece - 1 cork stopper
- 1 paper clip - 1 polypropylene plastic plug - 1 beaker - Water
- Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol)
Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language
What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
This lab is designed to expand their knowledge about what property of matter causes materials to
float or sink. It is their job to determine how this property can be used to predict if an object will float
or sink in water. In order to do this, they must understand why an object floats in a liquid.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Sense of Self, Community and Place: Students will gain an understanding of how identity is shaped
through interactions with their peers and classroom environment.
Lifelong Learners: The students will be curious, observant, and reflective throughout the lessons and
will be given the opportunity to imagine, explore, and construct knowledge while working in groups
and collaborating with each other in the creation of their experiment. The lab will allow students to
demonstrate their lifelong learning skills.
Engaged Citizens: Students will be able to make informed decisions that work towards team building
skills when designing their experiment. The group work and discussions will allow students to
advocate for their self and/or others, to act for the common good as engaged citizens.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing thinking: Students will be bringing knowledge from their understanding of properties of
density. They will develop their understanding of the world by thinking contextually, creatively, and
critically.
Developing identity & interdependence: This lab will develop interdependence because students will
need to rely on each other during group work.
Developing social responsibilities: Students will be able to understand that their knowledge is what
their social responsibility is based on. They will explore and examine the impact of scientific
understanding in the development of their labs.
Outcome(s):
AE9.1 - Distinguish between physical and chemical properties of common substances, including those
found in household, commercial, industrial, and agricultural applications.
(d) Investigate common materials and describe them in terms of their physical properties such as
smell, color, melting point, boiling point, density, solubility, ductility, crystal shape, conductivity,
hardness, luster, texture, and malleability.

PGP Goals:
1.4 – a commitment to service and the capacity to be a reflective, lifelong learner and inquirer
(information being focused on)
2.6 – ability to strive for/pursue new knowledge
3.2 – the ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to
accommodate learning styles of individual learners and support their growth as social, intellectual,
physical and spiritual beings.
4.1 – knowledge of Saskatchewan curriculum and policy documents and applies this understanding to
plan lessons, units of study and year plans using curriculum outcomes as outlined by the
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education
4.3 – the capacity to engage in program planning to shape ‘lived curriculum’ that brings learner needs,
subject matter, and contextual variables together in developmentally appropriate, culturally
responsive and meaningful ways

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next
steps.
- having them write down their observations and data collected throughout the experiment
- designing their own lab report to demonstrate their understanding of the lab
- testing their knowledge on real life examples
- walking around asking questions to the students throughout the lab to see if they are understanding
what they need to be

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next
steps.

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students)

- asking questions throughout the lab to get them thinking deeper into the topic of density
- giving them the hands-on opportunity to discover why objects are floating/sinking
- allowing them the opportunity to carry out their own experiments which will help them think like
scientists

Main Procedures/Strategies:
Using the given materials, determine what property determines if an object will float or sink. Students
will be given beakers or water and rubbing alcohol and will have to test the densities of them by adding
items to see what floats and what sinks. By the end of it their answers should be able to predict future
events. They will write a conclusion that should be able to predict if any object will float or sink in each
liquid. They will be required to must design your own procedure and carry out their own experiment.
Assignment: Each student must write an individual lab report for this experiment demonstrating their
understanding on the property that causes materials to float or sink.

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- this lesson is hands on so it targets the kinesthetic learners
- the experiments are conducted by the students to get them thinking on their own
- they are working in groups for students to benefit from a collaborative environment

Closing of lesson:
At the end we will sit down and discuss how each group carried out their experiments. We will also go
over some of the errors and solutions that were experienced throughout the lab. The students will get
the opportunity to see how other groups ran their experiments and take ideas to improve their own.