Keeping Your Head Above Water

This awesome activity requires students to understand density and how increasing volume of an object reduces its density. Students use action figures to design a personal floatation device ... See More

This awesome activity requires students to understand density and how increasing volume of an object reduces its density. Students use action figures to design a personal floatation device that will cause the figure to float with its head above water no matter which way it is dropped into water. This is fun for kids and requires very inexpensive equipment. Aside from the fact that students are applying their knowledge of physical science concepts they are becoming junior engineers. This 5E learning cycle lesson looks like it will engage students while they are learning.

Engaging and creative

I like the simplicity of this activity. It gets kids thinking about density as well as design constraints. The activity does a nice job of extending the activity to consider and modify initi... See More

I like the simplicity of this activity. It gets kids thinking about density as well as design constraints. The activity does a nice job of extending the activity to consider and modify initial designs, and provides good analytical questions. Also does a nice job of teaching about density. Ideally done in pairs, and simple enough to understand (at least the initial activity) that a guest teacher could handle it. I have not done the activity, but I am thinking about incorporating this one into the summer science curriculum for middle school this year.