Unpacked Content
Scientific and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Crosscutting Concepts
Cause and Effect
Knowledge
Students know:
- Objects are made of many tiny particles to small to be seen.
- Some objects have many tiny particles compacted close together that causes the object to sink while other objects the same size may float because their tiny particles are less compact.
- Some objects of the same size sink when others float.
- Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float.
Skills
Students are able to:
- Predict the results of different types of objects being placed in water. Test the objects and communicate the results.
- Use appropriate tools (Scale, balance, ruler, or graduated cylinder) to measure the weight, mass, and/volume of an object.
- Construct an explanation to describe the observed relationship between density and the ability of an object to sink or float.
- Identify the evidence that supports the explanation that density affects the ability of an object to sink or float.
Understanding
Students understand that:
- Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain phenomenon like sinking and floating.
Vocabulary
- density
- volume
- buoyancy
- data
- observe
- explain
- sink
- float
- mass
