INQUIRY SCIENCE LESSON PLAN Grade Level ... - Franklin College

INQUIRY SCIENCE
LESSON PLAN
Grade Level 1
Related Standard (Source) Indiana State Standards (Number) 1.1.2
Investigate and make observations to seek answers to questions about the world such as,
“In what ways do animals move?”
* In this lesson we will be answering the question, “How can some objects float and not
others?”
TOPIC: Floating
OBJECTIVE: In order to investigate floating, the students will be able to make
predictions on their own about whether or not an object will float after testing and
observing floating by dropping several objects into a cup of water.
MATERIALS:
Teacher: Book, Water & Floating by David Evans and Claudette Williams
Book, Tuck in the Pool by Martha Weston
A bag of items for the students to test including a Fruit Loop, paperclip, rubber
Band, ball of aluminum foil, a bean, and a gummy bear
A clear plastic cup of water for each student
A worksheet for each student
Students: Materials provided by the teacher and a pencil
I. PROCEDURES
A. Beginning of lesson
1. Classroom management step: The teacher will tell the students
that he/she needs good listeners. The teacher waits until all
students are ready to start the lesson. If there are still students
not paying attention, the teacher will quietly remind them again
or walk by the student’s desk to remind them of what they need
to be doing.
Statements to initiate or set the stage for the lesson; motivation;
review: “Can toys float in a bathtub or a pool?” Wait for student
responses. “Does everything float in water?” Again, wait for

esponses. “No, some objects float in water and some do not. Today
you are going to get a chance to make predictions about whether or
not objects will float and then test them out.”
B. Instruction Steps
1. Begin by having a cup of water on the front table. Have a marble
and ask if anyone can predict whether or not the object will float.
Call on several students.
2. Put the object into the water so the students can see that it does
not float.
3. Give a simple explanation of floating from the book, Water &
Floating, saying that, “Liquids exert an upward force on an
object. This force prevents an object from sinking unless that
object can exert a greater force downward.”
4. Tell the students that they will be receiving several objects to use
to see if they will float.
5. Teacher will give directions as, “You will all be receiving a cup
of water. Please be careful not to spill your water so you can use
it for your experiments. After you have your water, you will
receive your bag of items. Once you have your objects, take
them back to your desk and test them to see if they float. Some
of the objects are food and some are not. Please do not eat the
food because besides being dirty, you will need to use them in
your experiments. You will have a worksheet (hold up the
worksheet). On the worksheet you will need to write your name
at the top and by the name of the object you are using put a check
on the line that says, “float” if you think it will float, or put a
check on the line that says, “not float” if you do not think it will
float.” After you have made your prediction, put the object into
the water to see if it floats. Once you have tested the object,
write yes on the line if it floated, or no on the line if it did not
float.”
* The objects already written out on the paper will assist
students in remembering to try all objects.
6. Ask students if there are any questions.

* Ask an average student to repeat the directions in order to
check for understanding and allow the lower students to hear the
directions again.
7. Tell students to get out their pencils and pass out the cups of
water while having a student helper pass out the worksheets and
bags of objects.
8. Tell students to get started testing their objects and to get as
many done as they can in about five minutes.
* Do not give a set amount of objects so that it does not stress
out the slower students and it will allow students to work at their
own pace. Allow more time if needed for the slower students.
9. Constantly walk around the room making sure the students are
making predictions as well as testing their objects correctly.
* Ask the higher level students questions about why they think
some of the objects floated and some did not.
10. Once the class is finished, call on several students to tell what
objects floated and what objects did not float.
* Since these questions have an obvious answer, call on lower
level students to allow them to participate in the discussion.
11. Ask students if their predictions were right or wrong and lead a
discussion according to student responses about why they
predicted what they did. Mention that predictions do not always
have to be correct and that is why experiments are made.
12. Call on several students to discuss why they thought some of the
objects floated and some did not.
C. Closure Statement
“Now that we have discussed floating and tested some objects, think about
things you know float such as a rubber duck. Why does the duck float?”
II. ASSESSMENT
Assessment will be based on the worksheet that the students’ used to predict
floating. All students’ work will be assessed and will receive a sticker if all
objects were predicted. If a student did not test or predict one of the objects,

the teacher will simply circle it and remind the student to complete the entire
worksheet. A participation grade will be given.
III. EXTENSION AND REMEDIATION
Extension: For the entire class: Read the book, Tuck in the Pool and discuss
why the pigs were able to float in the pool with the kick boards, but not able to
without them.
For an individual student: Teacher will let he/she or a small group look
through the book, Water & Floating to see more floating experiments that
could be done or the student will write about why he/she thinks objects float
before the class discussion.
Remediation: For the entire class: Have the students look up other trade
books on floating or look up information about floating on websites.
For an individual student: Use the book, Water & Floating and explain oneon-one
using that resource about floating.
IV. HOMEWORK
The students will need to find an object from their home, write down the name
of it, test it to see if it floats, and write the result. These will be shared the
next day in class.