ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:
Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

20

Subject or Topic:

Gina Laureti
Dr. Varano
Allotted Time 50 minutes
Density

Date:

November 3

Coop. Initials
Grade Level

3rd

Section

STANDARD:
3.2.3.A1. Differentiate between properties of objects such as size, shape, weight and
properties of materials that make up the objects such as color, texture, and hardness.
2.6.3.B. Organize and display data using pictures, tallies, charts, bar graphs and
pictographs
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. The students will predict if an object will float or sink based off their densities
by charting their predictions.
B. The students will test their predictions and show the results by completing a
chart.
II. Instructional Materials
A. A big clear container
B. Water
C. Bottle of diet soda
D. Bottle of regular soda
E. Cylinder of foam
F. Cylinder of metal
G. 4 bags of objects each including an apple, a leaf, a bottle cap, a feather, an ice
cube, a straw, a key, a penny, a spoon, a marble, a paperclip, and a crayon)
H. Chart paper
I. Markers
J. 4 buckets of water
K. Post its

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills

1. The students should have prior knowledge of mass and matter.

2. The students should know how to display data using a chart.
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Density: The weight or heaviness of an object when it takes up a given
amount of space. It is an objects weight relative to its size.
2. Volume: The amount of space something takes up.
C. Big Idea
1. What is density?
2. How does density affect if an object will float or sink?
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will have supplies laid out in the front of the room. The
supplies will consist of a big clear container filled with water, a bottle of
regular soda, and a bottle of diet soda.
2. The teacher will invite the students to make a semi-circle around the
supplies. The teacher will explain that they are going to place both bottles
of soda into the water. The teacher will ask the students what they think is
going to happen to the bottles. Students will turn to a partner and make a
hypothesis of what is going to happen.
3. Teacher will then place the regular soda bottle into the water. The bottle
will sink. Teacher will ask why the students think the bottle sunk.
Teacher will also ask if the students would like to change their hypothesis
about the other bottle of soda. Teacher will place the diet soda bottle into
the water. The bottle will float.
4. Students will go back to their seats.
B. Development
1. Teacher will begin by asking the questions, Why did the regular soda
sink while the diet soda floated?
2. Students will give their answers on what they think the differences
between the two bottles of soda are.
3. Teacher will explain that the diet soda floated because it is less dense than
the regular soda.
4. Teacher will introduce the word density and its definition. She will write
it on the board.
5. Teacher will explain that density is the amount of mass an object takes up
in relation to its size. Some objects may be the same size, but if one is
heavier than the other, it has more density.
6. The teacher will ask the students, Before we move on, turn and talk to a
partner and come up with a definition of density in your own words. The
teacher will call on three teams of partners to report back their answer.
7. Teacher will show an example to the class using a small cylinder of foam
and a small cylinder of metal. The teacher will ask the students if one of
the objects is bigger than the other. The students will observe that they are
the same size.

8. Teacher will ask the students which object they think is heavier. The
students will conclude that the metal is heavier than the foam. The metal
is denser than the foam.
9. The teacher will then go back to the clear container of water used in the
opening experiment. She will explain that an objects density affects
whether the object will float or sink. The more density an object has, the
less likely it will float. The teacher will ask the students which one of the
cylinders is more likely to float.
10. Students will turn to their partner and explain which cylinder they think
will float and why. The teacher will remind the students to use their new
definition of density to explain their answer.
11. The teacher will place both of the cylinders in the water and see which one
floats. The class will talk about if their hypothesis was correct. The
teacher will relate back to the opening experiment asking the students
again why the diet soda floated while the regular soda sank. The diet soda
has less density, even though its weight in relation to the regular soda is
similar.
12. Before moving on, the teacher will perform a checkpoint. In their partner
groups, students will write down in big writing on a sheet of paper their
definition of density on a piece of paper. When the students are done
writing their answer, they will hold their paper up. The teacher will walk
around and check each pairs answer and give quick feedback.
13. Now, the teacher will break the students up into groups of 4 students.
Each group will receive chart paper, markers, a bucket of water, and a bag
of objects. The bag will include an apple, a leaf, a bottle cap, a feather, an
ice cube, a straw, a key, a penny, a spoon, a marble, a paperclip, and a
crayon.
14. Before putting the objects into the water, the groups will draw a chart on
their chart paper to make predications. Students will check the box (either
sink or float) what they think will happen to each object considering its
density. (See attached Group Chart.)
15. While the students are making their predictions, the teacher will remind
students that an objects density is how heavy the object is in relation to its
size.
16. Students will test their hypotheses by placing the objects one by one into
the bucket of water and observing if the objects float or sink. Students
will record their findings on their chart.
17. When the class has finished experimenting to see if their objects would
sink or float, students will come together and fill out the teachers chart on
the board. If there is any result that is not unanimous, the class will test
that object together as a class.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will make a T chart on the board and title it density. She
will also hand out two post its to each student to use as an exit slip.

2. On one post it note, the students will write the definition of density in their
own words.
3. On the other post it note, the students will name one object that they wish
to test to see if it will sink or float.
4. On the right side of the T chart the students will put their definition and on
the left side of the T chart the students will put their object.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. A. P. has a learning disability and he will receive guided notes throughout
the lesson to write down what the teacher is writing on the board about
density.
2. A. P. will receive a chart that was already drawn out and labeled by the
teacher to use so he only has to focus on filling in his predictions and his
results.
3. A.P.s exit slip (post it) will have a word bank to choose from in order to
recite the definition of density. It will also have a list of household items
to guide him in his choice to see what objects will sink or float.
4. A. P. will also have the option of telling the teacher what his definition of
density is and what object he wants to test instead of writing it down.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
i. The teacher will walk around the room while the students are
experimenting with their groups. She will use the following checklist
to assess the charts made in the groups:
+
Students worked
together and
discussed their
predictions about
what objects will
sink or float.
Students filled out
their predictions
before actually
conducting the
experiment. The
students filled out
the results after
the experiment
was conducted.
Students used
their new
vocabulary
(density) when

discussing if an
object will sink or
float.
ii. The teacher will use the exit slips conducted at the end of class to
determine if the students understood the definition of density. She will
use the following checklist to assess the exit slip:
The student mentioned weight, heaviness, or mass
in the definition.
The student mentioned about the objects size.
2. Summative
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1. Did the experiment featuring the regular soda and the diet soda attract the
students attention in the beginning of class?

2. Did I provide a clear explanation to the students about what density is using
the data provided by the exit slip? If not, how else could I explain the
material to the students so they were able to understand it?

3. Were the objects I picked for the students to experiment with enough or
should I have provided additional objects to try when the group was
finished?

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Grigg, C. (n.d.). Density: Sink or Float? Retrieved September 24, 2014, from
EdHelper.com: http://edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_37_181.html
Sink or Float Activities for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from Brain Pop
Educators: http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/lesson-plan/sink-orfloat-activities-for-kids/