What Objects Sink and What Objects Float
Jane A. Neil School
8500 S. Michigan
CHICAGO IL 60619
The objective of this mini-teach is to explore the problem of why certain objects sink and why certain objects float with Severe and Profound Non-categorical Special Education students.
For an individual up to a group of five students you will need an aquarium or a large bowl of water to test objects, such as: small rocks, plastic boats, apples, nails, wood, eggs, or crayons.
Have the student or students try to predict what will happen if they pour the cup of rocks or sand and gravel into the aquarium or bowl which is filled with water. Next have the student or students pour the rocks or sand and gravel into the aquarium or bowl and observe what happens. (Note: some of the students may need help such as hand over hand assistance, or gestures.) Next have your student or students try to predict what will happen when a plastic boat a rubber ball or a block of wood is placed into the aquarium or bowl filled with water. Your student or students should now place the plastic boat, rubber ball or block of wood into the aquarium and observe what happens.
The performance assessments that I use for students with such severe disabilities are teacher observation, their ability to follow directions, their enthusiasm and their willingness to learn. Students should try to the best of their abilities to perform this experiment to see which objects sink and which objects float.
Complete Book of Science
Grades 1- 2
American Education Publishing
Ashland, O.H. 44805
Great Explorations in Math and Science
(GEMS), Lawrence Hall of Science,
University of California at Berkely, 1988, 91, 93