A Good

Mr. Allen held out a glass of water with three ice cubes
in it. “Why do things float?” he asked the class.

Bad Answer No one said a word. The entire class was silent.

“Anyone?” Mr. Allen smiled at his students. “Let’s

brainstorm some answers.”

He swirled the glass gently. The ice cubes bobbed up

and down in the water, then floated back to the top.

“How about some guesses . . . ” He paused, scanning

the students’ faces. “Any guesses?”

The students remained quiet. A few of them looked at

each other and shrugged. Others tapped their fingers.

“What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Remember,

there are no right or wrong answers.” Mr. Allen did his
best to keep his smile warm and inviting.

Still, no one in the class spoke up. The students avoided

Mr. Allen’s gaze.

Mr. Allen scratched his head. “Okay,” he said, finally.

“How about this—who can give me the worst answer you
can think of?”

“The absolute worst answer?” asked Miguel from the

back of the room.

“That’s right.” Mr. Allen nodded.

“Ooh!” exclaimed Martika. “I’ve got it! Things float

because . . . they have wings!”

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 Alex snorted. “If they had wings, they’d be flying, “Ice is made of
not floating.” water particles, too,”
declared Miguel. “I
Martika rolled her eyes at him. “It’s supposed to be
remember when you
a bad answer. What’s your bad answer?”
taught us about that.”
“Uhh . . . well . . .” Alex’s face turned red. “Magic?”
“Right,” said Mr.
“That’s a good one!” said Mr. Allen quickly. Allen. “But what’s the
“Sometimes science can seem like magic until we difference between
figure out what’s going on.” ice and the water it’s
floating in?”
“Maybe things float because ghosts are carrying
them?” Tyler wiggled his fingers in a spooky way. “Ice is a solid,
while regular water
“Or invisible giants!” added Ella.
is a liquid, right?”
“Well, I think clouds float in the sky so we can lie in the Martika suggested.
grass and look at cloud animals,” giggled Cassie. “I always
“Exactly!” Mr.
see three-headed elephants!”
Allen shouted.
A few students laughed. Hands went up all around
Ella piped up, “Isn’t that because the water particles
the room.
in ice are more spread apart than those in liquid water?”
“I see aliens!”
“They are less dense,” added Tyler.
“And zombies!”
“Which makes them float!” interrupted Cassie.
“And giant pizzas!”
“Good answers, class!” Mr. Allen smiled.
Soon the entire class was hooting with laughter.
Do You Know?
“I like looking at clouds, too.” Mr. Allen grinned,
Solids are usually denser than liquids. This means that a solid sinks
picking up the glass of water. “Clouds are made of lots in a liquid. However, water is unusual because its solid state is less
of little water droplets.” dense than its liquid state.

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