Inquiry based activity.
Experiment to see whether objects sink or float.
Beginning of lesson: get children to name a list of objects that they think can sink or float. Introduce the new vocabulary density, more dense and less dense.
Middle of lesson: get children to pick an object to see whether it sinks or floats. Children can choose from the following objects: an orange, a metal spoon, a plastic spoon, a football, a lollipop stick, scissors, a plastic cube, a wooden fork, a pencil, a metal sharpener and an apple. Children can take it in turns to test these objects in a basin of water. They can discuss which objects are less dense and which objects are more dense than water.
End of lesson: Children will be given lots of lollipop sticks and blu tack to make their own rafts which they can let float in a large basin of water. Children can also watch a video on youtube about sinking and floating such as the one on the Dee Dee Show.