MISS FARRELL

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Grade 2 Science

Unit: Boats and Buoyancy

PS1 FALL 2016

Lesson Duration: 30 mins

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:
(1) Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and
experiences.
(2) Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and
critically to oral, print and other media texts.
(2.7) Construct objects that will float on and move through water, and evaluate various designs for watercraft.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
Express or represent ideas and feelings resulting from activities or experiences with oral, print and other media texts
(1.1)
Describe, classify and order materials on the basis of their buoyancy. Students who have achieved this expectation will
distinguish between materials that sink in water and those that float. They will also be aware that some "floaters" sit
mostly above water, while others sit mostly below water. The terms buoyancy and density may be introduced but are
not required as part of this learning expectation. (2.7,1)
(2.2) Connect situations portrayed in oral, print and other media texts to personal and classroom experiences

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Express ideas and feelings about other media texts (video).
2. Connect information and situations from other media texts (video) to classroom experiences.
3. Describe materials on the basis of their buoyancy.

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Are students contributing to class
discussions?
Are students being a good audience while
watching the video?
Are students able to summarize and talk
about what they learned from the video?
Are students excited about this unit?
Are there any clear areas of confusion
where deeper teaching will need to take
place in future lessons of this mini-unit?

Big Ideas :
Floaters and Sinkers
Surface area factor
Weight factor
Water pushing back = buoyant force

Written/Performance Assessments:
Performance aspect:
contribution to class discussion
summarize the big ideas from the video in your own words
There will be no written component in this introductory lesson.

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Alberta Program of Studies
Resource #2: Scholastic.com Resource for Magic School Bus video integration
Resource #3: Edmonton Public Schools Boats and Buoyancy Unit Resource

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

* Smartboard (projector)
* Internet access
* Whiteboard/ marker

PROCEDURE
Introduction (10 mins.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
Hangman written on board

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PS1 FALL 2016

Big thought cloud also written: I wonderwhat will be our new science unit?

What do you think our new topic/unit will be for science?

(guess, brainstorm)
Provide a hint It has to do with waterbut what about water?
Our new topic for science will be boats and buoyancy!
Does anyone know what the word buoyancy means?
(Prior knowledge evidence)
Answers provided by students:
Boats
Flags
Boats can be made of wood
Boats can be made of iron

Buoyancy is all about floating and sinking

Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Students will be contributing to class discussions, and be excited and eager
to approach this new unit.
Advance Organizer: Brainstorm class comments on board to help students visually conceptualize.
Transition to Body: So, to begin this new unit, we are going to start by watching a magic school bus video!
HmmmI wonder what it could be about! Does anyone have any guesses?

Body (40 mins):

Learning Activity #1: Magic School Bus Video Ups and Downs
* Set up projector with the Magic School Bus video already loaded in full from the teacher desktop onto the projected
screen. Ensure sound is on at a good level.
Dim lights. DO NOT start the movie without ensuring everyone has a clear desk distraction-free audience.
If you have cleared everything off the top of your desk, show me with two hands in the air to show me that you are
ready!!

While movie is playing, if students are distracted at any point we can pause and ask comprehension questions before
restarting the movie.
this catches those who were not paying attention, without putting them down. Simply call-upon those who actually
know the answers, and this will reward the good behavior.

Learning Activity #2: Movie Debrief

What happens when an object floats?
What happens when an object sinks?
Lets remember some specific examples from the movie
Does anyone remember what happened when a piece of bread was thrown in the water?
What about when she crumpled up the second piece of bread into a ball? What was different?

MISS FARRELL

PS1 FALL 2016

This discussion is crucial it will give me insight into planning future lessons.
Are there areas that need revisiting? What concepts come easy to the students? What ones are harder?

Closure (5 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
BIG IDEAS on the whiteboard.
Write BIG ideas at the center of the whiteboard
Then ask the class; what were the BIG ideas from todays lesson?
For each answer I will summarize it into a word or statement and circle it with a cloud to represent a
big idea.
Then, after each one, I will show all the students how to kinetically (physically) put it into our brain
by pointing and dropping it into our brain.
= this is a fun way to get them excited and remind them of what they have learned today.
Transition To Next Lesson: Next week, we are going to experiment with floating and sinking objects into water!