Will It Float Or Sink? - Fun Sand And Water Activities

Sand and water are simple substances that students can use for play and education

. They are easy to procure, and can be utilized for many projects. Children love to stick their hands in sand and let it fall through their fingers. They also love to endlessly dig in it. The faces of children light up with delight when they discover something buried. A social studies activity with sand, involving digging, discovery, and categorizing, is "The Great Dig." You will need several bins of sand, various objects, and small plastic shovels. The bins are the large rectangular bins that you use for storage. Depending on the size of the class, you can have a bin of sand for each student, or have several students in a group working with one bin. Bins work well because they are deep enough to hold several objects, and the students must dig to find the "treasure;" however, you can use any deep container that holds solid material, such as buckets, clean trash cans, etc... The objects selected for discovery can be anything you desire. Using wooden or plastic blocks with different colors, shapes, and sizes is a great way to bring math into the activity. Once all the blocks are discovered, the students can sort them depending on how you ask the children to categorize them. If you use the large, rectangular bins, you can simply put the lids back on them and save them until the next time you want to find "treasure."

Using water to expand scientific knowledge is fun and safe. "Float or Sink?" is an activity that introduces important aspects of science, such as predicting and analyzing. Once again, this activity can be done in groups or as a whole class depending on the number of students. You will need a clear bowl or bin filled with water. Allow enough room for the objects to be placed in the vessel, or it will overflow! Select about five objects for the students to test for flotation. A ping-pong ball, a plastic block, a paper clip, a cork, and a penny are good objects to use. Before the activity begins, the students should pick-up and touch each object. You should explain that they need to decide if it will float or sink in the water, discussing how to predict using what they know about the objects. You can create a chart on the board with the objects for input from the whole class, or a worksheet with individual charts for each student. After all the objects are tested, the students can share their ideas about why the objects sank or floated. They can "analyze" their data by suggesting weight, size, or other attributes as reasons for the outcomes. As you work with the children throughout the activity, ask a variety of questions. What other items do you think would float or sink? What about a sponge, does it float or sink? Why does an inner tube float? Questioning is an important technique to help build critical thinking skills. Using materials such as water and sand to facilitate learning is a great way to engage young children in a number of academic areas.

by: Kimberly McCune

POST COMMENT

Results Surprising News About Incontinence And Senior Sex A Day Late And A Dollar Short The Expert Beneficial Fundamentals When Understanding Along With Participating Various Peasurable Ga Anti-embolism Stocking Faqs A Fundamental Tool For Mind Mapping Student Life In Beijing And Shanghai Ozzfest Tickets - Ozzfest Is Back And Better Than Ever Fair Value And Fasb 157 The Difference Between Manual And Thermostatic Radiator Valves What Is Liquid Siding And Why Should You Care? How To Mix And Master Pros And Cons About Iras How Risky Is Stocks And Other Relative Investments?