Sample Thematic Unit

7/28/2019 Sample Thematic Unit

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Theme-Based Curricula Work - 1 -

An Example of a Sample Thematic Unit This was the subtopic of a theme Allabout Me

The following integrated thematic unit is centered on the focus book

Mr Archimedes Bath by Pamela Allen.

This well-loved picture book relates a legend of the Greek mathematician

Archimedes. It is said that Archimedes had been studying the displacement of

water. While Archimedes was turning the problem over in his head, he chanced to

come to the place of bathing, and there, as he was sitting down in the tub, he

noticed that the amount of water which flowed over the tub was equal to the

amount by which his body was immersed. This indicated to him a method of solving

the problem, and he did not delay, but in his joy leapt out of the tub, and rushing

naked towards his home, he cried out with a loud voice that he had found what he

sought. For as he ran he repeatedly shouted in Greek, heureka, heureka.

First, it was decided to focus on the sub theme

Asking Questions

because this is something young children naturally do, are able to understand, andhave had experience doing.

The theme relates directly to the core book because scientists and mathematicians,

like Archimedes, ask questions.

We want the children to learn the value of asking questions and the value oflooking for answers. We will need to teach the children how to ask good relevantquestions and ways in which we can find the answers.

Other related o water,bathing, and animals are included because of the bookscontent.

In order to integrate the theme of asking questions into many different topicand intelligence areas (e.g., spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal), we createdthe following activities.

Water Levels.

Fill clear basin or bowl three-quarters full of water. Mark the water level on theoutside with masking tape. Provide different size objects and have children predicthow the water level will change when they place each object in the water. As


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children place objects in the water, mark the new level with tape. Guide discussionsto help children infer that mass influences the water level in the container.

Equivalency Measures.

Use nonstandard capacity containers (e.g., plastic bowls, cups, tops from hairspraycans) and have children estimate which contains the same as the displaced waterafter the object is removed from the container.

Bath Rituals. Ask children to share their bath rituals by asking questions such as:

* Who helps with your bath?

Why do you bath?

* Do you have bath toys?

* When do you take baths?

Eureka! and Other Words.

Engage children in word play by asking them to share words they use to expressexcitement, joy, and pleasure. Compile an experience chart of their words.

Pool Play.

Set up a plastic pool and let children mark the water level before they get in andafter. Ask them to dictate describing words as they play in the water. List theirwords on an experience chart.

Art.

Provide wet chalk and allow children to respond to the story by creating an originalpicture. Try bubble art by adding food coloring to bubble mixture. Have childrenblow colored bubbles and catch them on paper. As the bubbles pop they leave acolored ring.

Sink or Float.

Provide an assortment of objects which will sink or float. Allow children to putobjects in a container of water and then mark on a chart whether the objects sinkor float.


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Animals.

Provide a variety of books that describe the animals (i.e., goat, wombat, kangaroo)shown in Mr. Archimedes Bath. Encourage children to look at pictures, askquestions, and listen as information about the animals is read. Child care centers

with technology available can encourage children to use early childhood softwareprograms to learn more about the animals in the book.

ConclusionDesigning and implementing integrated thematic units for young children is adevelopmentally appropriate practice which is supported by both brain research andthe psychology of learning. Thematic units greatly enhance learning because theyintegrate different intelligences and topics into a single lesson which mirrors how

young children actually learn. Finally, integrated thematic units make learning andteaching a lot of fun for teachers and children!

Activity Water Play

To know that some objects float while others sink To know that objects displace water To plan and carry out a fair test with help To appreciate that different materials have different properties

Activity Water PlayAllow the children to play with water with large and small containers. Ask questionsduring water-play to focus children's attention on the properties of water. (iemodel this process for the parents)Does it pour?Is it wet?What happens when you drop things in it?Can you see through it?Why is it important? What do we use it for?

Tell the storyMake a collection of things to test. After the story use them.Do they float or sink?Don't forget to predict before you test. Highlight for the adults the importance ofprediction in science

Clearing up


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The way the test is carried out will depend on the initial question asked. "Whichmaterial holds (sucks up) most water?" is probably the most appropriate question toask this age group. With younger children the difference between the materialsneeds to be quite marked. Some children may be able to use a measuring jug orcylinder to measure the water. Otherwise use tall thin containers which enable

children to compare the amount of water easily. A little food colouring in the waterwill help the children to see the levels better.One method of finding out which material sucks up most is to dunk the materials ina bowl of water for a count of ten, then measure the amount of water squeezed outfrom each one. The children will find it easier to squeeze the water out into a largetray or bowl before pouring it into a measuring jug or cylinder. (Encourage parentsto allow the children to be as independent as possible)Another method is to "spill" a known amount of water into a tray, mop up as much aspossible and find out how much is left. If you use this method some children mayneed help to realise that the one which left most behind is not the best!

(Address these questions briefly)

How well did the learners achieve the outcomes (and were they challenged)?How much progress did they make?How satisfactory and safe were the resources (room, specialist equipment,materials etc.)?How effectively did you assess the learning?How far did you meet learners interests?How effectively did you give individual guidance?How did you deal with lateness, low involvement or lack of motivation ?

Sinking Boats

You will need:2 or 3 margarine tubs (or other plastic boxes) of different sizesA collection of marbles or small bricksHow many marbles (or bricks) can your child put in it before it sinks?Encourage your child to put the marbles in 1 at a time and to count as each one goesin.Use a different size pot.Ask your child to predict whether it will it take more or fewer marbles to make itsink?StonesYou will need:


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A tall see- through containerSome small stonesA marker pen or small piece of blutakFood colouringPut some water in tall, thin, see through container. Add a few drops of food

colouring to help you see better. Ask your child How much space do you think astone takes up?Mark the level of the water. What do you think will happen when you put a stone initLook at the level of the water nowTry this with other stones, ask you child to predict whether the new stone will takeup more or less space

Mr Archimedes Bath by P Allen Mr Archimedes shares his bath with his friends

and the water keeps overflowing. I have read the story then done the experimentstraight after to illustrate the principle.

Last term I made some small boats out of plastic trays and gave them differtentcoloured flags. Told the children they belonged to greedy pirates, Captain Blue(blue flag etc) and that these pirates were trying to see who could carry the mosttreasure. We all stood around the water table and then filled the boats withdifferent stuff, talked about what happened if we put all the stuff in the front orback, how we needed to distribute the cargo evenly and of course filled them upuntil they sank leaving all but one floating who was declared the winner. The moreimaginative the better, wooden beads became barrels of beer, compare bears weregolden statues etc.

Get the children to half fill plastic bottles or containers with a variety of mixtures,shake and watch the results. try oil and water, soil and water, sand and water, soapbar and water, a control one of plain water of course, the children can note thechanges, how long it takes, what it looks like etc. They will come up with their ownideas too. Leave them for the week to see the differences.

Try putting a large sultana or raisin into a bottle of lemonade and watch.!!

Magnets and materials - will it pick it up? Use items in the room and bring in a fewsurprises, we have keys that do not work and a metal chain as well as a few plasticbits that do!!


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In a hands-on, scientific inquiry-based classroom, children engage in diverse

activities as they learn to understand the natural world around them. Children

mimic scientists as they investigate their world in the process of developing

conceptual knowledge and understandings about the relationships and interactions

of nature. Questioning, predicting, experimenting, analyzing, interpreting, and

communicating ideas are crucial to students' scientific inquiry. Student-initiated

inquiry requires an ability to develop multi-faceted questions to facilitate higher

cognitive understanding. The teacher's role is to help students develop questions on

literal, interpretive, creative, and connective levels.. Thinking critically and logically

is necessary to the students' investigations.

Ultimate Goals:

For students to develop questions through habits of mind, thus eliminatingblock use.

To enhance, organize, stimulate, and focus student learning across alldisciplines.

To gain a deeper and richer understanding of scientific concepts and howscientists work.

Water ExplorationSink and Float: Add kosher salt to water to create a sink and float activity.


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Sieves: Have children hammer differentsize holes into disposable plastic containers

or aluminum pie plates. Experiment with rates of water flow, and notice how the

water cascades differently.

Displacement of Water: Read Mr. Archimedes' Bath by P. Allen. Replicate bath

activity with toys.

Evaporation of Water: Make your own mud puddles or water painting. Observe and

chart how long it takes to dry. Read Mud Puddle by R. Munch.

Soluble and Insoluble Liquids: Have children mix salt, flour, and cornstarch into

separate containers of water. Observe and discuss what happens. Extend the

findings to cooking experiences using Jell-O, cocoa, and bouillon cubes.

Will it SINK or Float?

SECTION ONE: Identifying standards and objectivesPennsylvania Standards:3.2.4.C. Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge, and support everystudent to realize her or his maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge andskills needed to recognize and use the elements of scientific inquiry to solveproblems.3.4.4.C. Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge, and support everystudent to realize her or his maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge andskills needed to recognize the basic concepts about the structure and properties ofmatter.

Enduring Understandings:

Some objects sink in water while others float Density is the ration of the mass of an object to its volume Density determines if a substance sinks or floats in another substance An object will sink if its density is greater than the density of the fluid it is

in; it will float if its density is less than the fluid it is in

Essential Questions:


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Why do some objects sink and others float? Does the type of liquid make a difference? What is density?

Performance Standards:

To meet the standards, students will be able to:

predict whether objects will sink or float in water classify objects as sinking or floating in water consider a data table of mass, volume, and whether the object sank or

floated and develop an evidence-based explanation for the results

SECTION TWO: Identifying Assessment

Pre-Assessment: Discrepant event

Formative Assessment: Keep asking why objects are sinking and why floating

Summative Assessment: See rubric below

SECTION THREE: Identifying lesson activities

Materials Needed:

Large container of water (large enough to accommodate objects) Objects that will float and objects that will sink: stick, rock, clay-depends

on shape, cork, cup-depends how placed, paperclip, nail, plastic button, metalbutton, apple, penny, grape, dime, orange, nickel, quarter, wooden block, ping-pong ball, ink pen, golf ball, plastic spoon, metal spoon, metal button, otherobjects

graduated cylinders (100 ml and up to 1 liter) beakers for water transfer four candles (two stubs and two larger) and equal amounts of water and

alcohol in same size containers small beakers (100 ml), super balls, mineral oil, food coloring

ENGAGE

Use overhead transparencies of instances of sinking and floating to elicitideas about the phenomenon; have students record their reasons in theirscience journals; discuss


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Demonstrate the discrepant event: two clear containers side by side; onehas water and the other alcohol. Place a small candle stub in the one withwater (FLOATS) and the larger candle in the alcohol (SINKS). Reversecandles and have students record observations and generate an explanation.Share in small groups then as a class.

EXPLORE - Construct a DATA / EVIDENCE table

In groups, distribute a bag of objects.

Examine a set of items Record item in the table under OBJECT (teacher can record or child can

draw picture) PREDICT whether the objects will sink or float TEST whether the objects will sink or float and record Measure the Mass and Volume and record

Have a class chart on the board where each table records the data for one object.Select about equal numbers of objects that sink and those that float.

Data table

Object Predict: Sinkor Float?

Actual: Sinkor Float?

Mass (g) Volume (ml) Density(insertlater)

EXPLAIN

Have students look for patterns in the data and as small groups, develop anexplanation for sinking and floating. From the data, it should be apparent thatobjects with a mass greater than their volume will sink in water and that objectswith a volume greater than their mass will float.

ELABORATE


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Return to discrepant event and have students explain Return to the overhead transparencies and have students explain Provide small beakers of mineral oil, colored water; predict which will

sink/float then add equal amounts of each; predict what will happen when asuper ball is added then add and explain individually in a science journal

Read 'Eureka! The Story of Archimedes' Discovery' and have studentsexplain.

EVALUATE

Sinking or Floating Rubric

10 Classifies objectsaccurately as sinkingor floating using data

Using the data table,develops a clear evidencebased explanation of whysome objects sink and othersfloat

Using the data table,develops a clearunderstanding ofdensity

7 Classifies most objectsaccurately as sinkingor floating using data

Using the data table,develops a partial evidencebased explanation of whysome objects sink and othersfloat

Using the data table,develops a partialunderstanding ofdensity

2 Classifies few objects

accurately as sinkingor floating using data

Using the data table,

develops a vague evidencebased explanation of whysome objects sink and othersfloat

Using the data table,

develops a vagueunderstanding ofdensity

TOTAL

Water Trough BoatsBooks: Who Sank the Boat?and Mr. ArchimedesBathby Pamela Allen

Materials: tub of water, a variety of lids, counting bears, pieces of tin foil tocreate boats, items to place in buckets of water


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Students experiment with each lid to see how many bears it will hold before tippingover. After comparing boats, the child takes a piece of tin foil and creates theshape of boat he thinks will hold the most counting bears. Children compare boatsand the number of bears each boat holds. Water can also be placed in a bucket.Children mark the water level as they place various objects in the water. Students

explore displacement.

Materials: trough with water basters, plastic flexible tubing, water wheels,siphons, hose, clamps, etc.

The water trough provides opportunities for tactile enjoyment such as pouring andsquirting. Students observe the flow of the water and explore how it movesthrough flexible tubing, and the correlation of tube height to water flow.

Materials: offer a variety of objects (baby toys, wooden blocks, medicine bottles,

containers, clips, rocks, oil clay, beads, spools, etc.) toexperiment with the water trough

Sort objects into labeled float and sink pie tins. Predict what you think will sink. Predict what you think will float. Document results on a large chart. Who can make things that float? Who can make things that sink?

Summary:Students will investigate objects that float and sink in water and describe whatthey discover by making representations of their findings.

Main Curriculum Tie:

Investigate water and interactions with water.

Materials:

tubs of water

objects to place in water cards for labeling sorting trays chart paper various size lids aluminum foil


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counting bears or similar objects to place on "boats" Who Sank the Boat?by Pamela Allen

Student Prior Knowledge:Students should know the words "float" and "sink".

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Share ideas using communication skills. Observe, sort, and classify objects. Make and interpret representations and graphs. Make connections from content areas to application in real life.

Instructional Procedures:1. Ask students to describe going swimming. How does the water feel? How do theyfeel in the water? Has anyone ever taken swimming lessons? Has anyone ever beenable to float on the water? What helps you to float on the water? What things have

you seen floating on water?

2. Divide students into small groups of 3 or 4. Give each group a tub of water andseveral objects. Invite students to discover which objects will float. As studentsbegin to explore, watch for students who naturally begin to sort objects into twocategories of things that float and things that sink. Ask the students to describe

their thinking as they make two piles. Invite other groups of children to see thetwo piles. Ask the class what each pile might be named. Provide cards for studentsto write the words "float" and "sink". (Write both words on the blackboard forthem to see.) Distribute trays for each category to the groups. Have the groupsfinish sorting their objects.

3. Ask students to discuss the attributes of objects that float and of those thatsink. Make a Venn diagram of descriptive words for objects that float and objectsthat sink. Are there objects that can do both?

4. Invite students to return to their tubs and see if they can make something thatfloats sink or something that sinks float. Distribute various lids (labeled with aletter of the alphabet) to each group and ask them to investigate making objectsthat sink, float on the lids. Which lids make the best boats? Distribute countingbears. Invite children to see how many bears can float on each boat. Ask studentsto record the results by writing the letter labeling each boat, and writing how manybears it can hold before it sinks or tips over.


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5. Ask each group to share with the class the boat that holds the most, and theboat that holds the least number of counting bears. Make a Venn diagramdescribing attributes of boats that hold the most counting bears and those thathold the least. Encourage comments about the exploration.

6. Provide each student with a sheet of aluminum foil. Ask each child to make a boatthat they think will hold the most counting bears. Show them how to mold and shapethe foil. Students make boats, and return to the water tub to test their boats.Classmates in group will count together as each child places a counting bear on theirboat. When the boat tips over, students place their boat on the large sheet ofchart paper and record the number of bears it held. Compare the boats in eachgroup.

7. Read the book "Who Sank the Boat"by Pamela Allen. Invite students to reenactthe story, with each student in the group adding a plastic animal to a larger tin foil

boat created by the group. Which animal will be the one to sink the boat?

Strategies For Diverse Learners:On the blackboard draw a picture of an object on the surface of water and writefloat. Draw an object below the surface and write sink.

Assessment Plan:Be equipped with a clipboard to take data during the students' investigations.Watch for students who know how to classify, students who have a rich descriptivevocabulary and students who make predictions.

Ask students to bring 3 items from home that sink and 3 that float. Test theiritems to see if they have correctly identified floaters and sinkers.

Fill it up

In this activity we pour water (or beans) between containers and guess how high upthe water will go.

1. Show the class a cup full of beans and an empty ice-cream container.What do you think will happen if I pour the beans into the ice-creamcontainer?

How far will it fill up?2. Check and discuss

Did you guess correctly?

Is the container full?

Is it empty?


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3. Give each child a cup full of beans. Put several containers of varying sizesaround the room. Ask the children to pour their beans into the containers,first guessing how high up they think the beans will go.

Volume

Objective

Estimate the number of quarts in a gallon.

Materials

Per group of four

Quart-sized container

Gallon-sized container

A funnel

Bucket or large pan

Suggested Books

Allen, Pamela. Mr. Archimedes' Bath. .

Procedure

Show the children a container that is a quart and a container that is a gallon. Askthe children which container would hold more and which would hold less. Explain to

the children that just as an inch is used as a standard unit of measurement forlength, a quart is used to measure the volume of something. Volume measures howmuch space something takes up.

Have the children get into groups of four. Give each group of four children anempty quart-sized container, a gallon-sized container filled with water, and afunnel. Ask: Can each group predict how many times the quart-sized container can


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be filled with the water from the gallon-sized container? Write each group'spredictions on the board.

Have the children count how many quarts are in a gallon. Tell the children to place afunnel in the opening of the quart-sized container. Each group should then pour

water from the gallon into the quart, making sure to fill the quart-sized containerto the top. Empty the quart-sized container into a large pan or bucket and fill again.Count how many times you fill the quart to empty the gallon. Have each group reportthe number at which they arrived. Each group should have about 4 quarts. Tell thechildren that there are in fact four quarts in a gallon.

First Grade - Science - Lesson 25 - Temperature

Adapted from STARS--"The Weather Report" Lesson 3 - What Goes Up and Down?

Objectives

Identify and describe the function of a thermometer.

Observe and compare temperature differences using a thermometer.

Materials

Cups, thermometer (can be found in STARS kit)

Ice cubes, very warm water, paper towels

Procedure

Tell the children that the next thing we are going to measure is called temperature.Write the word temperature on the board. Ask: What is temperature? (How hot orcold something is.) When have you heard the word temperature? (weather reportson TV or radio, when they have a fever, when a parent is baking in the oven)

Explain to the children that temperature is measured using something called athermometer. Write the word thermometer on the board. Say: Knowing how toaccurately read a thermometer and understanding that it measures temperature isa useful skill. For instance, before we get dressed each day it helps us to know whatthe temperature is outside. If it is cold outside, we should wear warm clothes; if itis warm outside, we should wear lighter clothes. Tell the children to listen to the


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way a weather person expresses how warm or cold it is outside. Say: You will noticethat the weather person will tell you how many degrees it is outside. For instance, inBaltimore during the month of January it is likely that there may be a day that is40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Have the children work in pairs of two. Before distributing the thermometers tothe students, discuss the care of the thermometers. Explain to the students thatthe equipment is made of glass and they must be very careful. Model for thestudents how to handle the thermometers and where to place them on the desks.

Distribute materials: thermometers, a cup of ice water, and a cup of very warmwater. Ask: What do you see inside the thermometer? (red liquid)

Ask students to place a finger in the cup of ice and describe how it feels. Thenhave them place a finger in the cup of very warm water and describe how it feels.

Tell the students to pick up their thermometers and look at the red liquid insidethe thermometer. Next, have the children place the thermometer in the cup of icewater. Ask: What happened to the red liquid in the thermometer? (It goes down.)Why do you think it went down? Next have them place the thermometer in the cupof very warm water. Ask: What happened to the red liquid in the thermometer now?(It goes up.) Why do you think it went up? Tell the students that when thetemperature is hot or warm, the red liquid will go up and when it is cold, it will godown.

First Grade - Science - Temperature

Additional Activity

If possible at your school, students can place an outdoor thermometer outside theschool building and check for changes each day. Keep a record of the temperatureon a calendar. At the end of the month you can take notice of which day was thewarmest and which was the coldest


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Process Skills of Learning:Observing Problem SolvingCommunicating Interpreting DataPredicting

MeasuringWhy (Purpose/Objective of the lesson):To demonstrate, observe, collect data, predict, and communicate that matteroccupies space and has weight.

How (Procedure of the lesson):I. Read Mr. Archimedes' Bath by Pamela Allen.2. Students work in small groups to predict and explore the rising of water using avariety of objects.3. Experiment by placing various objects into a graduated cylinder or beaker filledwith water.4. Collect data during exploration. Record data.5. Predict the object's mass.6. Use a balance scale and weights to explore and compare weight, volume, and sizeof the objects.7. Collect and record data.8. Graph results with mass on vertical axis and volume on horizontal axis.For Your Information (Background information for the lesson):1. Flexible plastic cylinders are better than glass or hard plastic because they areless likely to crack or break.2. If graduated cylinders are not available, use a clear plastic cup and establishmarks using a non-standard "unit." Objects should be large enough to raise water atleast 1 unit.3. The amount of water displaced will be the volume of the object.The difference between the weight of the object in the air and the weight in thewater will be close to the volume of the object.4. Younger students may be more successful if beakers are used instead ofgraduated cylinders.


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5. Clay is essential to have available as one of the various objects for thecomparison of size and mass. Use clay to create similar-shaped objects withdifferent masses or similar-massed objects with different shapes to lead studentsto discover that it is not mass that displaces water but the volume of the objects.6. A reference book is AIMS Floaters and Sinkers.

Additional Activities (Extensions):1. Use various-sized, marshmallow-filled containers to experiment with volume.2. Substitute various liquids such as oil, soap, or salt water. for the water.3. Experiment with larger objects such as fruits and vegetables, regular soda anddiet soda to see what will sink and float.4. Use three film canisters containing 14,7, and O pennies, respectively. Predictwhether they will sink or float. Experimentand record observations. Explain results.5. Make a clay boat. Estimate the number of paper clips the boat will

carry before sinking. Test prediction.6. Research history of water transportation and how it is used in othercultures.Suggested Instructional Strategies:1. Students work cooperatively in small groups of 3-4.2. All students will be involved in exploration.3. Teacher acts as a facilitator using questioning strategies to enhancemqulry .

FLOTATION FASCINATION


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PROJECT GOAL:

FOR STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OFFLOTATI0N

PROJECT OUTCOME:

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A BOAT FLOAT THEIR BOAT EXPLAIN THE PHYSICS OF FLOTATION AS IT APPLIES TO THEIR

PROJECT.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

SCIENCE:Students will keep a science log of all activity investigations, data, and results.This log and all lab reports will be kept in their portfolio .

1. Flotation Experiment 1What do you think makes an object float? Pre-assess.Make predictions about buoyancy of a variety of items.Test predictions by "floating" items.Record and chart results.Cross-reference results with predictions.

2. Mr. Archimedes & BathRead children's book of same title.Perform experiment: Science Center Home Page, Floating and Sinking.

3. Floating WoodPerform experiment: Floaters and Sinkers, Aims Education Foundation. Asuper source of hands on activities to help build the concept of densityas the ratio of mass to volume. Students investigate the densities andvolumes of a variety of objects as well as the floats line and relationshipbetween surface area and cargo capacity. $14.95 ISBN 1-88-1431-09-6
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons/bath.htmlhttp://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons/bath.html


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4. bends or refracts the rays of light from the penny to their eyes. Thecoin now seems placed in an entirely different position, but it has notmoved.

5. What Do We Know About Sinking and FloatingStudents will brainstorm why they think things float and sink. They willobserve an object that both floats and sinks (clay, aluminum foil), thenrecord their observations in a science journal which they will keepthrough-out the unit.

6. Making and Testing PredictionsStudents will make predictions and explain reasoning about whetherobjects float or sink. They will test their predictions and record resultsin their journals. Group discussion will follow their investigations.

*EXTENSION, LESSONS 10 AND 11:

CREATE A BULLETIN BOARD ON WHICH PICTURES ARE ARRANGEDFROM LIGHTEST TO HEAVIEST ACCORDING TO THE SINK/FLOATINVESTIGATIONS. GRAPH THE RESULTS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS(LINE, BAR, CIRCLE).

7.

Will it Float or Sink?

Cover table with newspaper and give pairs of children a plastic container half filledwith water. Also give each pair 2 plastic plates. Use permanent marker and label on"FLOAT" with boat above water and the other "SINK" with boat under water. Giveeach pair of children an assortment of objects: crayon, pencil, rubber band,marbles, cotton ball, cork, plastic spoon, rock, a paper, coin, sponge. Have each pair

choose one object and predict whether it will float or sink. Then have children dropobject into water and observe it for a minute. Then have children remove objectfrom water and place it on appropriate plate. Children then test the other objectsin the same way. Discuss which objects floated and which sank

How can water help you separate objects?


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Display mixture of paper clips and toothpicks. Have volunteer separate them asquickly as possible. Record time to complete task.

In a clear bowl filled with water put in 1 clip and 1 toothpick. Elicit that clip sinksbut toothpick floats. Ask child if they can think of an easier way to separate clips

and toothpicks. Ask for volunteer. Put clips and toothpicks in bowl. Have volunteergather toothpicks as quickly as possible. Record time. Compare times with andwithout water

8.

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Sample Thematic Unit