Developmental Lesson Plan
Teacher Candidate: Ashley Petre Date:
Group Size: 20 Allotted Time 40mins Grade Level 3rd
Subject or Topic: Characteristics of water
Common Core/PA Standard(s):
3.3.3.A4 Connect the various forms of precipitation to the weather in a particular place and
time.
3.3.3.A5 Explain how air temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction, and precipitation
make up the weather in a particular place and time.
Learning Targets/Objectives:
1. The third grade students will be able to identify the buoyancy of water by completing
an entry in their journal.
2. The students will be able to identify objects that float versus objects that sink by
observation and completing a floating and sinking experiment and drawing their
observations in their science journals.
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
1. Thumbs up thumbs down 1. Take note of which students understand the
2. Collect and grade their science journals lesson and the ones that struggle.
2. Once the students have completed the
experiment, collect and grade the work that
they completed.
Assessment Scale:
Proficient, basic, below basic regarding their journals.
Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
Students will know what water is
Students will have had experience with seeing objects float
Key Vocabulary:
Buoyancy- ability or tendency to float in water
Float- to rest on the surface or within a liquid
Sink- to fall or drop to the bottom of a liquid
Content/Facts:
Understanding about the characteristics of water
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
1. Ask the classroom what they think it means to float
2. Ask the classroom what they think it means to sink
3. Then have each student draw something that they think sinks and floats on a
notecard
4. The teacher will draw a wave on the board
5. The students will come up one at a time and tape their picture under the wave if it
sinks and above the wave if it floats
6. The teacher will say, After the lesson we will come back and see if your guesses
are correct.
Development/Teaching Approaches
1. The teacher will then show a brainpop video that helps the students understand
what it means to be buoyant
2. Have students get in their color groups
3. The students will then be given a large container filled with water in their groups.
They will also receive an inquiry sheet and a variety of items to experiment with in
the water.
4. The teacher will then explain the inquiry to the students.
5. The students will then write a list of all their items in their science journals.
6. Next to each object they will guess if it will sink or float.
7. The students will then put the objects in the water one by one. They will make note
if the item sinks or floats.
8. The teacher will be walking around the room assisting groups and checking in on
their progress.
9. Once all groups are finished have a class discussion on if their predictions were
correct or not
10. The students will then fill out the right side of the journal entry on buoyancy as a
group. Teacher cleans up while students do this
11. After they finish their entry they will draw their observations.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
1. The teacher will bring the class back together and they will review the activity they
started the lesson with.
2. They will go through all the notecards and see if they all agree on where it was
placed. If not they will all discuss where they think it should be placed.
3. Tell the students that they should now keep an eye out for things that sink and float
in their everyday life.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Accommodation: provide student with low vision a larger print inquiry sheet
Materials/Resources:
Science journal entry
Science journal
Inquiry sheet
Large containers filled with water
Variety of items to place in water:
o Penny
o Paperclip
o Empty water bottle
o Sponge
o Cork
o Rubber duck
o Rock
o Etc.
Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels
Remediation Plan (if applicable)
Personal Reflection Questions
1. Was I clear enough in my explanation of the inquiry?
2. Did I use my time effectively?
Additional reflection/thoughts
Resources:
How to Teach Buoyancy to Grade School Children. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2017, from
http://scienceing.com/teach-buoyancy-grade-school-children-8159938.html
Buoyancy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2017, from
https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/buoyancy/
Bell, M. J. (2006). Science. Orlando: Harcourt School.
