Children develop the ideas of sinking and floating by predicting and testing classroom objects, fruits, balls, and natural materials. Water globes, outdoor streams, process art, fine-motor tasks, and blue-colour work extend the investigation through repeated observation and comparison.
What children learn
- Distinguish sinking from floating and use the terms to describe an object's position in water.
- Make predictions, test assorted objects, and compare predictions with observed results.
- Investigate how fruit peel and coverings can change whether an object sinks or floats.
- Compare how quickly different small objects rise or fall in a water globe or moving stream.
- Recognise and explore the colour blue through objects, playdough, painting, and collage.
Key activities
- Predicting, testing, and sorting classroom objects into sink and float groups
- Comparing peeled and unpeeled fruits in water
- Testing different balls and using bubble wrap to change their buoyancy
- Creating and observing water globes with assorted small objects
- Building outdoor streams and testing natural materials in the current
- Making Bubble Art and blue fish, playdough, peacock, and collage work
You’ll need
water tubs and transparent containers, assorted classroom objects, sink and float labels, fruits with and without peel, different balls, bubble wrap and tape, plastic bottles, sequins, beads, buttons, glitter, paper clips and coins, outdoor natural materials, paper and paint, blue flashcards and craft materials
Structure: 5 days; each day includes a Thought of the Day, Tuning-in Time, GMD, Cognition/Literacy, FMD, and Numeracy activities.