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Lesson Plan, Adam Quintero, 8

th
Grade Science

Week-At-A-Glance
Monday

Calculating Density
D = M/V
Does it float or sink?
Standards: 8A, 8D
Tuesday

Calculating Density
Irregular / Regular Objects
Does it float or sink?
Standards: 8B, 8D

Wednesday

Substitute
(Kids watch
Titanic Movie Pt. 2)
Thursday

Buoyant Force
Standard: 8C
Friday

Gallery Walk (practice)
Quiz
Standards: 8A-D

Lesson Objective:


SWBAT know buoyant force is the upward force in water (a fluid) that is equal to the weight of
the water the object has displaced and will draw force diagrams of objects that float and sink.
Aligned State
Standard:

8. Density Unit
All objects experience a buoyant force when immersed in a fluid. As a basis for understanding
this concept:

Standard 8C: Students know the buoyant force on an object in a fluid is an upward force equal to
the weight of the fluid the object has displaced.
Assessment:


EXIT TICKET

1. Tell Mr. Q as much as you know about buoyant force.

Buoyant force is the upward force in water (a fluid). It causes some objects to float. It equals the
mass of the water displaced. It is similar to normal force, except in water.

2. What is water displacement? What is it equal to?

Water displacement is the rise in water level when an object is placed in water. It is equal to the
buoyant force.

3. Add forces to the objects below. One is sinking; one is floating.







4. Add forces to the pic below.
Remember magnitudes & directions.

____ 5. Which is true of the buoyant force?

A. It always points upward.
B. It helps objects float.
C. It is equal to water displacement.
D. All of the above

____ 6. A piece of wood floats. It floats because water exerts

A. a downward force equal to mass of the oak.
B. an upward force equal to mass of oak.
C. an upward force equal to mass of displacement water.

____ 7. Buoyant force is like the _____________ force of water.

A. Gravity B. Normal C. Tension

o o
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Lesson Agenda:

1. Do Now (5 min)
2. Intro to New Material: Notes & Videos (20 min)
- Problem Presented: Why is it easier to lift objects in water than it is to lift them on land?
- Buoyant Force & Water Displacement Notes & Videos (Vocabulary)
- Force Diagrams with Buoyant Force (Sinking vs. Floating Objects)
- Answer Problem: Class Discussion / Connect buoyancy to other real-life examples
3. Guided Practice: Titanic / Buoyancy Project (12 min)
4. Independent Practice: Worksheet (8 min)
5. Assessment: Exit Ticket (5 min)


Do Now (5 min)

Answer each question with 1-2 COMPLETE sentences.

1. What is the density of polystyrene if the mass is 18 grams and the volume is 3 ml?

2. What is the density of albumin if the mass is 2 grams and the volume is 10 ml?

3. What is the density of water? How do you know if an object will float or sink in water?

4. Draw the forces that would be on this object. Then find the net force. [Picture projected on whiteboard]

Introduction to New Material (20 min)

Key Points (3-5):


1. Problems Presented:

Why is it easier to lift
objects in water than it is
to lift them on land?

Why does it seem like you
are stronger in the pool
than on land?
























Methods
(How will you get your points across effectively to your students?)


1. Connect buoyancy to prior experiences (swimming in a pool)

I will begin by having students think back to a time when they were in a
swimming pool. I will share how, when I was younger, we used to have races to
see who could carry someone across the pool on his/her back the fastest. I will
tell them how (sometimes) in the pool I was able to carry like 2-3 people on my
back and was still able to walk back and forth across the pool.

I will ask students if they have ever carried someone (on their back, etc.) when
they were in a pool. Was it easy or hard to do? Do you think you could carry that
same person or thing if you were on land and NOT in a pool?

I will then show them an example (simulation on Keynote) of a man who could lift
a rock while under water, yet was unable to lift the same rock on land.

Then I will pose the following 2 questions to students:

1. Why is it easier to lift objects in water than it is to lift them on land?

2. Why am I so strong when I am in the pool?

Students will discuss their thinking with a partner. Then will then write their
hypothesis on a piece of paper and turn it into me. The partners who have the
most detailed / most correct answer will get a PRIZE at the end of class.

I will remind students to keep in mind density and forces when drawing their
hypothesis. I will tell students that, by the end of the day, they will be able to
correctly answer these 2 questions in a scientific way.

These questions will serve as a great hook to engage students in the content



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2. Buoyant force is the
upward force in water.
It is equal to water
displacement.














































3. If gravity = buoyant, object
will float (balanced).
If gravity > buoyant, object
will sink (unbalanced).







2. Teacher will describe buoyant force and water displacement. Students will
listen, answer questions if asked, & take the following notes / draw force
diagrams.

I will use GUIDED NOTES as means
to ensure the INM does not take too
much time. I dont want students to
spend all class copying notes. Id
rather them spend time practicing what
they have learned (guided practice).














We will watch 3 short videos to
deepen our understanding of the
points above. Students will listen,
answer questions if asked, & take appropriate notes.

I will then bring out a fish tank filled with water. One by one, I will call some
students forward to try and push an inflated balloon to the bottom of the fish tank.
This will serve as a way for them to kinesthetically experience what buoyant
force feels / looks like.

Challenge: I will then challenge students especially those who did NOT get to
feel the buoyant force on the balloon to go home and test BUOYANT FORCE
out - to feel it for themselves. It can be in a bucket, in the tub, wherever! Just get
an inflated balloon and try to push it under water. The deeper the balloon goes,
the stronger the buoyant force gets.

I will also challenge kids to test buoyant force out the next time they go
swimming. I will tell kids to blow up a balloon FULL of air. Then see if they are
able to push the balloon to the bottom of the pool (overcoming buoyant force).
This is a super hard task, so it they can do it AMAZING!

Students usually get excited with these challenges.


3. Teacher will describe forces on both sinking and floating objects. Students will
listen, answer questions, & take notes / draw the following force diagrams.











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4. Answer initial questions:

Why is it easier to lift
objects in water than it is
to lift them on land?

Why does it seem like you
are stronger in the pool
than on land?


Connect buoyancy to
other real-life examples
We will watch 2 short videos to deepen our understanding of the points
above. Students will listen, answer questions, & take appropriate notes.

We will refer back to our inflated balloon simulation. I will let the balloon float
on top of the water (gravity = buoyant balanced).

Then I will push the balloon under water (applied force), and ask students to
answer the following questions on the back of their Do Now sheets.

1. What happens to the buoyant force as Mr. Q pushes the balloon deeper
under water?

2. Why is it easier to lift an object in water than it is to lift it on land?



4. As a class, we will use our newly gained knowledge of buoyant forces to solve
the problems from the beginning of class. I will let students raise their hands to
share what they think. I will guide students to the answers if they are struggling.

Answer:

It is easier to lift objects in water than it is on land because, in water, you have
the upward force of BUOYANCY to help you lift. Thus, because all objects in
water have a buoyant force on them, they feel lighter and are easier to lift.


At this point, I usually open it up for conversation / elaboration of buoyant
force in connecting it to real-life events.

Usually, there are questions students have about it. If not, I will relate buoyant
force to the following real-life example: Jack from Titanic (the movie they saw
yesterday).

When Jack froze in the water, he sunk to the bottom But usually when people
who have drowned are discovered, they are found floating at the top of the pool.

Why?

This seems like a weird / dark discussion topic, but it gets students super
interested in density and buoyant force. I can also relate it back to our unit on
chemical reactions.

When people are alive & holding their breath in water (like an inflated balloon),
they float. That is because they are filled with air, causing buoyant force to be
strong enough to balanced out gravity.

When people drown/die, all the air in their lungs exits (an uninflated balloon).
They become denser as a result and sink. And because their lungs are empty,
they dont have as strong of a buoyant force, so gravity pulls them down.

After a while, dead people who have sunk to the bottom of a lake/pool/etc. begin
to decompose. This decomposition usually results is gases (carbon dioxide,
sulfur dioxide, etc.) being formed inside the face and abdomen. These gases
cause the buoyant force to increase, and as a result, the body rises to the top.





Guided Practice (12 min)
5
(What examples are you going to work through together?)

Teacher: (What will the teacher be doing at this
point in the lesson? What examples will you be
reviewing with students?)

I will show the trailer for TITANiC. Students watched
the 2
nd
half of the movie yesterday. The trailer is just
meant to excite/engage students.

I will tell students that when the Titanic sunk, many
things sunk with it, but many things also stayed floating.

I will then give instructions for our Titanic / Buoyancy
Project.

1. Pick 2 objects (one that sinks & one that floats)
2. Draw objects.
3. Add buoyant & gravity forces. Ensure each force has
a magnitude & direction
4. Find the net force.
5. Explain your drawing in relation to density & buoyant
force.

We will do an example together (anchor).

I will cold-call various students via popsicle sticks to
help in completing the example together.

Students will then start working to complete the project
on their own or in pairs.

Students: (What will the students be doing at this
point in the lesson?)


Students will watch the video quietly.






Students will listen to instructions.










Students will verbally help Mr. Q complete the example (if
they are called on). Students will complete the example on
their worksheet.

This will serve as a way for me to check understanding of
ENTIRE class and/or to clear up any misunderstandings
or misconceptions.
Checking For Understanding
(What questions need to be answered from students as evidence for understanding of the material?)

Cold-calling & Circulation
Within Entire Lesson

Within entire lesson, I will cold-call various students to
answer questions about what we are learning / have
learned. It will be via popsicle sticks to ensure I am
getting a sense of student mastery of the entire class,
and it will also to keep students on their toes (they dont
know when they will be called to answer a question).

I will also consistently circulate the classroom, looking
over and checking student work. This will be especially
important during independent practice, as I will can
seek out and give more help to students who may need
it (lower level).


Cold-calling Activity
(Guided Practice)

Students will verbally give
their answers and explain
their reasoning.




This will serve as a way for
me to check understanding of
entire class and/or to clear up
any misunderstandings or
misconceptions.

Exit Ticket / Summary

This is the final way I can
assess whether students
mastered the objective or
not.

It is completely
independent and students
must rely purely on what
they learned from the
days lesson. The
summary allows for
flexibility, as students can
express answers in their
own words.
Independent Practice (10 min)

(What assignment questions/problems will serve as
evidence of student mastery?)

See attached Independent Practice worksheet on the
next few pages.

STRETCH for HIGHER-LEVEL STUDENTS
Students who finish early can help me by serving as
TAs to help other students who still need help

Who will you target to CFU?


During independent practice, I will also consistently
circulate the classroom, looking over and checking student
work. This will be especially important for my ELLs and
lower-level students, as I will can seek them out and
give them the more individualized help and support they
may need to master the objective.
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mastering the content. This will push their learning, as
they will begin to teach content to others.

Closing / Assessment (5 min)

Closing: Students will complete exit ticket with summary. When all exit tickets are collected (if time), students will
share out what they learned today.

HW: Finish Independent Practice Worksheet


Culturally Responsive Teaching

Connections to Prior Experiences:
Most (if not all) of my students have gone swimming at least once in their lives. Thus, when I connected
buoyancy to the prior experience of swimming, not only were students automatically engaged in the content,
but they were able to critically analyze and hypothesize why it is easier to lift people and things in water than
on land using their own experiences in pools, tubs, etc. I also presented them with challenges (tasks) they
could do at home or in a pool to experience / feel buoyant force for themselves (push an inflated balloon to the
bottom of a pool, tub, sink, etc.).

Connections to Contemporary Media (Titanic Movie):
Titanic is an older movie (1997), but most students have heard about it or seen it before my class. Just in case
they hadnt, I showed the 2
nd
half of the movie to my kids the day before this lesson. This gives them
something they can reference back to in our lesson today. It also allows them to connect what we are learning
in science class to an interesting, real-life phenomenon that has happened in our past. Students become more
invested in completing the Titanic / Buoyancy Project and get super creative with the objects they choose to
draw for their force diagrams. They choose objects they saw sink/float that day before in the movie.

Connections to Real-Life:
Although it is somewhat of a dark topic, most of my students have seen (on TV, in movies, or in some cases,
real life) people who have drowned / died in water. Using this example, I am able to truly help students see the
connection of what we learn in class to everyday life. They become really invested in the example of
discussing why dead bodies first sink, then float to the top, and I am able to teach it in a way that uses
scientific concepts and vocabulary. As a result, students learn content in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Visuals
I include many visuals (videos & pictures) on both the Keynote presentation and on the guided notes. By
having the pictures, drawings, and other information on the Keynote and guided notes, students will be able to
gain a greater understanding of this concept by being able to conceptualize the material.







SDAI/ELD - Differentiation, Modifications, and/or Accommodations

Guided Notes:
One differentiation I typically make for ELL / students with IEPs is guided notes. Guided notes help these students keep
up with the pace of the other students and not feel bogged down with lengthy notes. They allow more time to listen to
what I am saying and to focus on the visuals (videos) on the whiteboard. Additionally, guided notes allow students to
organize abstract concepts in a logical way.

Frequent Check-Ins
Lastly, I make frequent check-ins with my ELL / students with IEPs throughout the lesson to quickly assess their progress
and keep them on track.
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Buoyant Force #7 Name ______________________________ Pd ___

HOMEWORK

1. In your own words, what is buoyant force? ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In your own words, what is water displacement? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is buoyant force equal to? ___________________________________________________________________

4. Calculate the densities of the objects below
Object
Mass
(atoms)
Volume
(space)
Density = volume
Sink or Float
in water?
Object
(example)
5 g 20 ml
plastic 12 g 3 ml
mango 8 g 10 ml
apple without
peel
12 g 6 ml
strawberry 2 g 4 ml
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5. Explain in your own words Why does a rock sink in water, but a tree trunk floats?
Use the words: density, more, less, buoyant force, gravity, mass, volume, water, net force
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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Buoyant Force #7 Name ___________________________________ Pd ___

1. Draw the pictures. 2. Add the forces (magnitudes & directions) 3. Explain your drawing.

Mr. Qs Example


Explanation

This anchor is very dense and heavy.
The buoyant force equals water displacement.
The gravity arrow is larger than the buoyant
force arrow because the object is very dense.
The net force points down, so the object will
move down (sink). I t is unbalanced.
This anchor has a lot of atoms in a given space
(high density), so it will sink.
Object 1 Drawing
FLOATING







Explanation

Object 2 Drawing
SINKING
Explanation


Gravity = 90 N
Buoyant = 20 N
Net = 70 N