Floating and Sinking

There is a lot of vocabulary that we take for granted when we talk about swimming. In New Zealand, we foster water safety by providing students with formal swimming lessons. Confidence in the water can save lives. This term the students have been experimenting to find out why some things float while others sink. They have been learning about the 3 States of Matter and how the properties of each impact on the ability to float. Experiments provided opportunities to introduce rich scientific language. Some of these words included: (heavier, flotation, lungs, submerge, volume, weight, atoms, solids, liquids, gases, density) Experiments enable the students to predict and question. Their first-hand experience will provide the language needed for writing. This vocabulary can be included in a written report or explanation. We will include some of the student's writing at a later stage.