Science Max: Floating and Sinking Fun!

Science Grades 2nd Grade 10:21 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the science of liquids and why some things float while others sink with Science Max! We'll investigate boats, density, and more!

Video Resource

Science Max | LIQUIDS | Part 1 | Season 1 Full Episode

Science Max - 9 Story

Duration: 10:21
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Floating and Sinking
  • Density
  • Volume
  • Mass

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to explain why some objects float and others sink.
  • Students will be able to define density, volume, and mass.
  • Students will be able to design and test a boat made from tin foil.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they already know about floating and sinking. Show a few common objects (e.g., a small rock, a feather, a piece of wood) and ask students to predict whether they will float or sink in water. Briefly introduce the video.
  • Video Viewing (15 mins)
    Play the Science Max video focusing on the boat experiment and the explanation of mass, volume, and density. Pause at key points to ask clarifying questions.
  • Discussion (10 mins)
    After watching the video, discuss the concepts of mass, volume, and density. Ask students to explain how these concepts relate to whether an object floats or sinks. Review the tin foil boat experiment.
  • Tinfoil Boat Experiment (20 mins)
    Divide students into small groups and give each group a piece of tin foil. Have them design and build a small tin foil boat. Then, have them test how many pennies their boat can hold before it sinks. Discuss the different boat designs and why some were more successful than others.
  • Wrap Up (5 mins)
    Review the key concepts and learning objectives. Ask students to share one thing they learned during the lesson.

Interactive Exercises

  • Floating and Sinking Prediction
    Show students a variety of objects (e.g., a coin, a sponge, a crayon, a small toy). Have them predict whether each object will float or sink. Then, test their predictions in a tub of water.
  • Tinfoil Boat Challenge
    Challenge students to build the best tin foil boat that can hold the most weight. Provide them with tin foil, pennies, and a tub of water. After building their boats, they test them and record their results.

Discussion Questions

  • What makes some things float and other things sink?
  • What is density, and how does it affect whether something floats or sinks?
  • How can you make a boat out of something that normally sinks, like tin foil?

Skills Developed

  • Observation
  • Prediction
  • Experimentation
  • Critical Thinking

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What happens when something floats in water?

Correct Answer: It stays on top

Question 2:

What is it called when something takes up space?

Correct Answer: Volume

Question 3:

What is it called when you measure how heavy something is?

Correct Answer: Mass

Question 4:

What is it called when you put mass and volume together?

Correct Answer: Density

Question 5:

What is tin foil made out of?

Correct Answer: Metal

Question 6:

What are boats mostly made of?

Correct Answer: Metal

Question 7:

What is Phil building in the video?

Correct Answer: A boat

Question 8:

What happens to the tin foil boat when too many pennies are put on it?

Correct Answer: It sinks

Question 9:

What is something that will sink?

Correct Answer: A rock

Question 10:

What is something that will float?

Correct Answer: A boat

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A boat stays on top of the water because it ________.

Correct Answer: floats

Question 2:

__________ is how much space something takes up.

Correct Answer: Volume

Question 3:

__________ is how heavy something is.

Correct Answer: Mass

Question 4:

When you look at volume and mass together it's called ___________.

Correct Answer: density

Question 5:

Phil uses ___________ to make his boat.

Correct Answer: tinfoil

Question 6:

The pirate's treasure chest __________ because it had too much treasure.

Correct Answer: sank

Question 7:

When you put too many pennies on a boat it will __________.

Correct Answer: sink

Question 8:

A canoe is shaped like a _________.

Correct Answer: boat

Question 9:

Phil came down the ___________ into the pool.

Correct Answer: waterslide

Question 10:

A __________ can hold people and cargo across the ocean.

Correct Answer: boat

Educational Standards

2.PS1.1:[Standard] Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties. 2.PS1.2:[Standard] Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for the intended purpose.* 2.ESS2.3:[Standard] Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Teaching Materials

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