Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to explain the conditions necessary for an object to float and will be able to make some general statements from the activities which they have engaged in on-line
• Children will understand that an object which floats can be made to sink and vice versa
• Children will know that objects which have some part above the surface can be said to be floating, albeit not as well as objects which have little of them which are sinking or in suspension
• Children will note that an object which is buoyant is kept from sinking
• Water has buoyancy that allows certain objects to float
• Students should be able to explain the differences between solids, liquids and gases
• Science by inquiry - science as a process of hypothesis, prediction and observation
• Children may note that liquids are difficult to compress

• Students should be able to explain what is meant by density
• Application of the concept of density to floating and sinking
• Application of these key concepts to the environment and technology
• Properties of matter

In-class demonstrations of some of the principles illustrated in the flash animations in this on-line unit could be carried out by the teacher and/or pupils. Pupils could bring in their own items for testing.

Children can be asked to extend their investigations, for example, can they find a way to make an item which sank float, or to make an item sink which floated and to explain why the change occurred.

The material presented on the web-site could be extended with additional in-class work by the pupils. For example, students could measure how high the egg floats in salty water as fixed amounts of salt are added to the mixture and then plot a graph of their results.