Lesson Plan: Floating and Sinking (Year 5 Science)

Lesson Overview

In this 5-minute mini-lesson, Year 5 students will explore the scientific concepts of floating and sinking. The lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum standards for science, focusing on the Nature of Science strand and the Physical World strand.

Class Information

• Year Level: Year 5
• Subject: Science
• Duration: 5 minutes
• Number of Students: 18

Curriculum Links

• Strand: Nature of Science (Investigating in Science, Communicating in Science)
• Strand: Physical World
• Level: 2 NZ Curriculum Science Strands

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand why some objects float while others sink.
2. Predict which objects might float or sink and justify their predictions.

Materials Needed

• A clear large container filled with water
• Various objects (cork, plastic spoon, coin, stone, apple, sponge)

Lesson Procedure

Introduction (1 minute)

• Greet the students and introduce the topic.
  • "Good morning, everyone! Today we’re going to quickly explore why some things float in water while others sink. It's like magic, but it's actually science!"

Demonstration and Discussion (3 minutes)

• Show the container of water.

• One by one, drop the objects into the water, pausing briefly with each:

  • Cork
  • Plastic spoon
  • Coin
  • Stone
  • Apple
  • Sponge

• For each object, ask students to predict whether it will float or sink before dropping it.

  • "Do you think this cork will float or sink? Why?"

• Discuss briefly why each object floats or sinks, introducing the concept of density:

  • "Objects that are denser than water, like this coin, sink. Objects that are less dense, like this sponge, float."

Conclusion and Recap (1 minute)

• Summarize the activity:
  • "So, we saw that whether something floats or sinks depends on its density compared to water. Lighter or less dense than water? It floats! Heavier or denser than water? It sinks!"
• Encourage students to think about floating and sinking objects they encounter in their daily lives.

Additional Resources

• Science Kids NZ - Float or Sink

Assessment

• Informal assessment through student predictions and discussions during the demonstration.

Teacher Reflection

• Note which concepts students grasp quickly and which may require further explanation.

By engaging with real-world examples in a concise format, students gain a quick understanding of important scientific principles, linked effectively to the New Zealand Curriculum standards for their age and educational level.