Lesson

Plan Format

Teacher: Salli Stentzel
Grade: 2nd grade
Content Area: Science

1. Content and Standards:
a. 3.1.2.A9 – Plan and conduct a simple investigation and understand that
different questions require different kinds of investigations.

2. Prerequisites:
a. Students understand the purpose of a chart.

3. Essential Questions:
a. How can I predict and categorize a variety of objects according to
observable characteristics?

4. Materials and Equipment:
a. Small plastic tubs
b. Water
c. Colored stickers
d. Float or sink? Chart
e. Objects: straw, erasers, plastic counting bears, pennies, popsicle sticks,
feathers, counting blocks, foam shapes, sponges, rocks, wooden cylinders,
plastic weights
f. Paper towels/paper to put under tubs

5. Instructional Objective:
a. Students will make and test predictions about sinking and floating and
then classify objects according to weather they sink or float.

6. Instructional Procedures: List instructional strategies and learning experiences
that are in alignment with the objective(s). Include information about what teaching
strategies you will use to engage students. Include information about what type of
technology, manipulatives, etc. you will use to facilitate students meeting the
objectives.
a. Preparation:
i. Students will be broken up into groups of four
ii. Create a bag with each item to test. Each group will receive the
following:
iii. tub filled with water
iv. items to test (see objects above - one to each group)
• Introduction:
a. What is a prediction? (to make a guess about something)
b. Teacher will explain to students that we are going to be
conducting an investigation today. We are going to make
predictions about whether items will float or sink in water. Then
 we will test our predictions to determine if we were right or
wrong about each item.
c. Define the terms sink or float.
i. Sink – when an object becomes submerged in a liquid
ii. Float – when an object sits on the surface of a liquid
d. Teacher will demonstrate how the students are to put their objects
on either a ‘sink’ or ‘float’ paper.
• Whole Group Work:
a. Explain “Group Work” poster. When finished explaining the
poster, ask students to give a silent thumbs up if they agree to
follow the rules for group discussions.
b. Students will be separated into 5 groups of four (adjustments will
be made if there are any absent students.
i. Students are told they must stay together for the
experiment. Everyone will complete the same object at one
time.
ii. Each student will be given a color to represent what task
they will complete
c. During the testing, the students will follow these steps.
i. Pass out worksheets to each group
ii. Teacher will model with whiteboard magnet and Teacher
will chart the result and show on the projected worksheet
on the smart board. This is to show students how the
objects are to be placed in the water, avoiding splashing,
and showing what to look for to determine whether the
object floats or sinks.
iii. Make a prediction for the object (Will it float or sink?)
Record the prediction on the worksheet/chart
iv. Using the preprinted worksheet/chart the group will make
predictions for each object. They will check the box (sink
or float) for their prediction.
v. With the explicit guidance from the teacher, based on the
colors of their stickers, students will then drop the objects
into the water and determine if the objects float or sink.
vi. Students will mark the appropriate box for the actual result
vii. The student who completed the test for that object will
then place it on the ‘sinks’ or ‘floats’ paper
viii. This step is repeated for all objects.
d. Once the testing is complete, groups will discuss which objects
sank and which objects floated. What are the similarities? What
are the differences?

7. Closure:
a. Explain to the students that we will be reviewing our findings on the next
school day.

8. Assessment:
a. Teacher will walk around to the different groups and review their ‘float’
or ‘sink’ piles and their worksheets to assess their level of understanding
of predictions.
b. Once worksheets are collected, they will be used to guide discussion
during the next lesson (comparing and contrasting qualities of sink vs.
float items.)
9. Differentiated Instruction:
a. Support:
i. Students who may struggle with oral communication will be grouped
with students who are able verbally convey their thoughts on
predictions and results.

10. Reflection: