INVESTIGATION SOLIDS IN WATER PÄRNU MAY SCHOOL 2015

OBJECTIVES: Students perform a simple test by placing solids in a cup of water. Students investigate what happens when they place solids in water. Students describe their observations of the solids in water. Students perform a test to determine which solids float and those that sink. Students describe and compare the similarities of the solids that float and those that sink.

BACKGROUND: The buoyant force is the upward force that a liquid exerts on an object that is placed in it. An object will float if its weight is equal to or less than the buoyant force: an object will sink if its weight is greater than the buoyant force.

MATERIALS: For each student: 1 pencil, copy the Record Sheet: Floating and Sinking. For every two students: 2 plastic trays, 1 set of 20 solids, 1 clear plastic tub. For the class: 2 big sheets of paper, marker, 1 set of cut-out pictures, 1“Properties of Solids“ chart, 1 empty bucket, water, paper towels, tape.

PREPARATION: For each student make a copy „Floating and sinking“. On one sheet of big paper, write the title „ Our Observations of solids in water“. On the second sheet of paper, create a Venn diagram. Make sure that each tray contains one complete set of the 20 solids and paper towels. Pour water into the plastic tubs – 2/3. „Properties of solids“ chart.

PROCEDURE: Ask students to think about items they have seen in water. Have them describe what they remember. Invite a few about these items. Ask students to describe what might happen if they place a steel ball and Ping-Pong ball in a cup of water. Have students collect the trays of solids, tubs of water and the paper towels from the distribution centre. Give students a few minutes for free exploration.

EXPLORING SINKING AND FLOATING: Does the solid sink or float? Do all solids that sink move to the bottom of the cup at the same speed? Do some sink faster than others? Do all the solids that float sit on top of the water? If not, how are they different? Do the solids look the same when you observe them from the side of the cup and when you look at them from the top of the cup?

After students have had ample opportunity to investigate, invite them to sort the solids into two groups – those that sink and those that float. Ask students to write the names of solids in the appropriate sections of the Venn diagram on the basis of the results of their investigations. Encourage students to discuss with each other why they think some solids both float and sink. Display the chart „Our Observations of Solids in Water“. As students share their observations, record their comments on the chart. Display the class Venn diagram with the circles labeled „Float“ and „Sink“. Ask students to inform you where you should place each picture. Use this opportunity to discuss the solids that can be placed in the intersection of the two circles.

DISCUSSION. How are the solids that float similar? How are the solids that sink similar? How are the solids that float different from those that sink? Why do you think the plastic cup lid and the blue plastic spoon floated at first and then sank? Ask them what property of solids they learned about in the activity.

TEACHING STRATEGIES: CLASSROOM DISCUSSION BRAINSTORMING COOPERATIVE LEARNINGS GROUPS VENN DIAGRAMS

USING SMART DEVICES 1. Prediction, how solids act in the water. For that, we use answergarden.ch as a software platform. From answers we make Word cloud and upload it to the web blackboard( padlet.com). 2. We are filming experiments with a smart device. Every group will have a certain solid to film. Some solids are investigated without filming. 3. During the discussion of the results, videos may looked over if there are differences of opininons, what happens, during the experiment. Later videos are uploaded to the You Tube and the link is written to the web board.

ICT ENVIRONMENTS USED 1.answergarden.ch 2.padlet.com 3.Movie Maker for video editing 4.Kahoot.it 5.YouTube.com

Thank You very much! 2015