CONTEXT

Grade(s): Grade Two

Subject(s): Science

Long-Term Students are learning about different areas of science throughout

Sequencing and the year. Students begin with matter, then move to energy, then
Scaffolding: earth systems, then living systems, then computer science, and
ending with scientific methods.

Right now the students are finishing up their unit on matter.

Students will describe and investigate matter and energy, and have
an understanding of natural and human materials and their
relationship in the physical world.

GOALS

Curricular Organizing Idea:

Expectations: Matter: Students will investigate properties of materials and
relate them to purpose.

Guiding Question: How can the suitability of materials be

determined for specific purposes?

Learning Outcome: Students investigate properties of

materials and relate them to a purpose.

KUSPs:
- Various properties of materials can be measured, including
length and weight (mass).
- Materials have unique properties.
- Test properties of various materials.

MATERIALS & RESOURCES

Four tubs to use to fill with water

Students are going to be putting 8 different items into water to see if it will float or if it will
sink.
Get students to gather sticks and stones.
Get at least 4 plastic blocks.
Sticky notes to make research station signs.
Students will be in groups of four- will use their own supplies for pencil, erasers, scissors,
water bottle,
Booklet for students to write their observations in.

Teacher task: fill up the tubs with water before the students come back in from recess.
Have them set up on four tables along with the research station signs.
 OVERVIEW OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES & INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Gather students on the carpet and discuss the experiment with the students. They will be
scientists for the day who are learning about what sinks and what floats.

Students will first as a group in the circle on the carpet go through the worksheet as a
class to fill in the hypothesis section of the worksheet. Students will put their own guesses
for the object however each object will be talked about one by one by the class. Once all
students have written in their hypothesis students can split into groups and send them to
their research stations to begin the experiment. Students will have to grab some of their
own supplies before they can begin experimenting. They will fill in the observation page as
they experiment.

Once students have finished the experiment they will work on their booklet to answer the
results page. If they finish that as well they can work through the final two pages of that
section in the booklet.

Pull students' attention back to the front. Go over what we have learned as a class.

TIMING, SEQUENCING, TRANSITIONS OF LESSON

INCL. KEY PROMPTS & INSTRUCTIONS

Introduction / Hook When students enter from recess do not let them sit at their desks
(5 mins) or touch anything that is on the table. Get the students to go
straight to the carpet and sit in a circle.

Once the students are sitting in a circle on the carpet tell them
what they are going to be doing for the day. They are going to be
scientists for the afternoon!

Outline what they will be doing for the afternoon. First they will
write in their booklets, then the teacher will assign groups and do a
demonstration, and finally students will get to go to the stations
and do the experiment themselves.

At the end of this lesson we will know:

That are materials are different, and will not respond in the same
way
We can test materials for their differences, like in the experiment
What objects float and what objects sink (students will discover
through experimentation that heavy objects sink and light ones
float)

Activity #1 As a class the students will go through the hypothesis portion of

Hypothesis the worksheet.
15 min Question to ask: does anyone know what a hypothesis is? Are
there any guesses?
Get the students to fill in whether they think the object will float or
 sink. Have students who are stuck come sit by you for extra help. It
is important they have their hypothesis filled in before they go to
their experiment.

Transition/Intro of Have one bucket of water close to the carpet. While the students
Experiment remain on the carpet, do an example of what to do. Put the object
in the water and see if it floats or not. Then put an answer on the
5 min worksheet.

Reminder of appropriate behaviour when it comes to the

experiment. Researchers do not splash in the water, they do not
throw things in the water. They are calm and gently place objects
in the water.

Split the students into groups of four through either numbering

them off or dividing them based on how successful they will be in a
group together.

Ask students to go to their supplies after they have gotten their

groups. They need to bring to their research station a pair of
scissors, a pencil, an eraser, and their water bottle. If someone
does not have one of those things that's okay! Someone in your
group will and we can share.

Activity #2 Let the students begin their experiment. Remind the class that
Experiment time! every student should get a turn to try and put something in the
15 min water.

As a group, work together to test the objects and record whether or

not they will float.

If there is any inappropriate water splashing, or fighting over who

gets to put things in, then we will have to go back to the carpet and
only the teacher will get to use the water.

Once the group is done. Raise your hands and the teacher will
come over to see the results. If everythings is successful then the
water can be dumped down the sink.

Activity #3 To be done as the next progression for students once they have
Booklet work finished the experiment.
10-15 min
Now that we have figured out what floats and what sinks we are
going to do the results page. Circle what you think is the right
answer.
 Go around and make sure students are understanding the
questions.

Once students finish that page they can work their way through the
next two pages until other students finish.

Conclusion / Brief discussion regarding what the students have learned. What
Wrap up (5 mins) surprised them about the experiments? Did any of their
hypotheses not come true when the actually went to the
experiment.

Get students to clean up any of the supplies that are still lying
around.

ASSESSMENT(S)

Experiment: walk around and ensure that students are testing the objects appropriately.
Do they understand where to fill out the worksheet, are they working as a team.

Booklet: do they have the right answers for the observation and results page. Do the
students understand the ideas surrounding what floats and what sinks.

Discussion: what have the students absorbed from the lesson? Have they pulled away the
objectives that were laid out at the beginning of class.