Buoyancy Lesson Plan

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Alli Schie

Buoyancy
LESSON RATIONALE
There are many careers, especially in engineering in which people will need to know the
concept of buoyancy in order to create a desired product. Students should be provided with the
means to explore this field of science to find their interests and passions.
READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standards
a. Goal(s)- Students will explore the concept of buoyancy through an experiment
that tests the properties of different foil boats.
b. Objective(s)- Students will use trial and error in constructing foil boats to answer
the question “Can the shape of something effect the amount of buoyancy it has?”
c. Standard(s)- 2.PS.4 Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to
determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended
purpose
II. Management Plan
a. Time-
 Anticipatory set- 3 minutes
 Lesson presentation- 30 minutes
 Closure- 5 minutes
 Plan for assessment- 5 minutes
b. Space- Students will be at their seats during the anticipatory set and working with
partners at their desks for the experiment but I will have the tub of water at the
front of the class on a tall stool. Students will be able to come up and test their
boats when they have finished them. Then, for the closure and assessment,
students will go back to their assigned seats.
c. Materials
 Video/laptop/projector or smartboard
 Foil
 Tub of water
 Pennies
 Pencil
 Recording sheets
d. Expectations and Procedures- Students will be given clear expectations and rules
and will be expected to follow those closely. I will have students freely come to
the tub of water only when they have finished constructing their boats. Only 2
people will be allowed at the tub at a time. All other students will remain at their
seats. I will often pose questions or guide students during discussion to make it
meaningful.
III. Anticipatory Set- Watch the video Sink or Float from SciShow Kids.
IV. Purpose: “Today, we are going to explore what effects the buoyancy of an object
because many careers that you might be interested in, such as a toy maker, boat
operators, or a researcher will need you to have this knowledge in order to perform
the given tasks”.
PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION
V. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners
 My student with ADHD will be able to experience the stimulant he needs by
engaging in hands-on activities that involve construction.
 My student with Autism will be given step by step instructions along with a
written schedule of what we will be doing in class.
 My students will all be able to participate in an engaging activity and will be
able to explore/ask questions at varying levels based upon their needs.
VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
a. I will begin this lesson by using the video to reference and teach the definition of
buoyancy, the ability to float on water, and all the possible factors that effect an
object’s buoyancy or what makes an object sink or float. I will explain how if the
weight of an object being placed in the water is less than the weight of the water
being displaced, the object will float, but if the weight of the object is heavier, it
will sink.
b. Students will be posed with the question “Does the shape of a boat affect the
amount of buoyancy it has or the amount of weight it can hold?” Students will be
show a model boat made out of aluminum foil and we will have a tub of water. I
will place pennies in the boat until it sinks. I will count how many pennies it was
able to hold until it sank. Then, I will have students make their own boat to see if
it can hold more pennies than mine did. I will allow students to work with a
partner. Each set of partners will be given three pieces of 15cm by 15cm squares
of aluminum foil. Then, they will think of a design and construct a boat using
only one sheet of foil. They will then be instructed to predict how many pennies
their boat will hold and then test it to see if their outcome was successful.
Students will get three trials to try to hold the most pennies and answer the
question posed.
VII. Check for Understanding- I will observe students strategies and explanations of why
they changed their boat the way they did to know if they are using what they learned
about buoyancy to direct their experiment.
VIII. Review Learning Outcomes/Closure- I will bring students back together as a class
and facilitate discussion about what boat was the most successful and why and what
effected the amount of pennies the boat could hold and why. Then, I will have them
answer the question posed and allow students to discuss any other questions that
arose.
PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
Students will have to fill out an exit slip that has them reflect and write about what
strategies they used to solve the problem, what worked, what didn’t, and what they would change
if they did this again.
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. Did students follow the safety rules implemented and handle the experiment well? Why
or why not?
8. Were students curious about the topic and asking questions?
9. Did students participate in meaningful discussion? Why or why not?
10. Did students implement new strategies and reflect on what worked and what didn’t?
Buoyancy Experiment
Name:____________________
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Prediction: Prediction: Prediction:
Number of pennies: Number of pennies: Number of pennies:
__________ ___________ ____________
Sketch 1 Sketch 2 Sketch 3

Outcome successful? Yes/No Outcome successful? Yes/No Outcome successful? Yes/No


Actual number of pennies: Actual number of pennies: Actual number of pennies:
________ ________ ________

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