Name: Theresa Frigeria

Date of Lesson: 10/10/18

Grade Level: First Grade
Time required for lesson: 25 minutes
“Will it Float or will it Sink?”
Discipline Content area: Science- Buoyancy
Class description: 12 boys, 8 girls (5 of these students are advanced learners, 2 have IEPs, no
ELL)

Common Core State Standard/ NYS Standard:

MST1.E.S13: Scientific Inquiry: The observations made while testing proposed explanations,
when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into phenomena.

ISTE Standards addressed: Digital Citizen and Creative Communicator- Before students are
asked to access their tablets, they will be reminded what it means to be a digital citizen by
respectfully posting something that will be read by the rest of their class. They will also be
practicing how to be a creative communicator by clearly expressing their ideas through Padlet.

Learning Objective(s) for the lesson: Students will be taught the definitions of the words
buoyancy, sink, and float and place a list of objects into the categories of sink or float based on
their prior knowledge. Students will then test their theories with an experiment and record which
objects actually float and which ones sink. After the lesson, students will be able to demonstrate
an understanding about why certain objects float while others sink.

Rationale for the Lesson: The purpose of this lesson is to give students a hands-on experience in
learning about buoyancy. While collaborating with their peers, students will have the opportunity
to test out their prior theories and come to conclusions based on their experiment. Students have
the opportunity to learn through experimental discovery while having an important role in
determining the outcome of the objects’ buoyancy. They will work with one another in order to
promote communication and group learning.

Multiple Assessment strategies you will use: The first assessment strategy I will use is guessing
and prior knowledge by asking the students to decide which objects will float and which ones
will sink before the experiment. The next assessment I will use is having them record the actual
outcomes of the objects. When we come back together as a class after the experiment, I will
explain to the students why the objects either floated or sank and give a brief explanation of what
the process of buoyancy is. No formal assessment will be given for this lesson.

Materials needed: small clear tubs, water, corks, balls of clay, aluminum foil, pennies, feathers,
paper, pencils, and tablets

Technology: Every student will have a tablet for the first half of the lesson. I will have the
students add a post to my buoyancy Padlet saying which objects out of the five I give them they
think will float and which ones they think will sink.

Instructional procedures:
Introduction: To begin this lesson, I would first ask the class if they knew the definitions for
buoyancy, float, and sink. After a few students gave their ideas, I would write out on the board
the definitions of these words. I would then list out the five objects we would be using for our
experiment which include corks, balls of clay, aluminum foil, pennies, and feathers. After, I
would have the students access their tablets and make a post on Padlet saying which objects on
the list they thought would float and which ones would sink. I would remind the students how to
be a good online citizen while posting something that the entire class can read.

Developmental Activities: Before the students begin their experiment, I will introduce my
Screencastify which will give the students directions about how to conduct the experiment. After
this plays, I will ask if the students have any questions before they begin. I will split the students
up into four groups of five and have them go to the stations I have previously set up for them.
The stations will include a small tub of water and the five objects we have listed on the board.
Each student will pick one of the five objects placed next to the tubs with water in them. I will
then instruct the students with the same objects when to go. They will take turns placing their
objects into the tubs and record if it floated or sank. After all five objects have been tested, I will
ask the students to return to their seats. We will then discuss which objects floated and which
ones sank and why they think this is. I will briefly discuss the science behind the reasons that
certain objects sink while others float.
For students who require adaptations, I will previously create the groups in order to place every
advanced learner in a different group and the two IEPs in separate groups so that they can benefit
from being paired up with an advanced learner.

Closure: I will ask the students if they enjoyed our experiment and why or why not. I will also
ask them which outcomes they were surprised about and if anyone guessed about all five objects
correctly. We will have a class discussion about why the objects either floated or sank and why
they might have guessed differently. I will also ask them if they know of any animals that float
or sink and if they are able to float in water, themselves.

Extensions: I will tell my students that the objects we used in class are not the only ones to
conduct this experiment with and that you can use virtually any object. I will give them a list of
other fun objects to try at home.