Sink or Float?

Last week, our students started working on a sink or float experiment with items that come from trees. Several items were collected including: a stick, a branch, a leaf, helicopters, a walnut shell, and a chestnut. Then, in small groups, the students made predictions about if certain items would float or sink in a tub of water. Once the predictions were made, we tested each item and made our conclusions.

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With great surprise, myself included, all of the items floated! When asked why these items floated, many children deduced that it was because of how light they were. Even items that seemed heavy enough to sink, such as the stick, bobbed right back up the the top of the water. The most exciting part about science experiments is that even the teacher can be surprised by the outcome!

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After all the tree items had been tested and results were recorded, the students were asked to write a journal entry about one item in the experiment. The entry needed to include a picture and/or a description of the result using their “kid writing”.

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