NTeQ Lesson Plan
Introduction to Density: Grade 8
Learning Objectives
Standards
NETS
 Creativity and Innovation – Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and
develop innovative products and processes using technology.
o Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
 Gizmo Density simulation program
 Communication and Collaboration – Students use digital media and environments to
communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning
and contribute to the learning of others.
o Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
 Collaborative explanations to data
 Research and Information Fluency – Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use
information.
o Process data and report results.
 Analyze data from simulation and use it to explain discover by inquiry the
mathematical relationship between mass, volume and density.
 Critical Thinking – Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage
projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources.
o Collect and Analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
 Analyze data from the simulation and observations
 Digital Citizenship – Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to
technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
o Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning,
and productivity.
 Work together to analyze data and apply concepts to explain real life situations
Maryland State Curriculum
8.B.1.a Use appropriate tools to gather data and provide evidence that equal volumes of different
substances usually have different masses.
Standard 1 Skills and Processes: B.1 Review data from a simple experiment, summarize the data, and
construct a logical argument about the cause-and-effect relationships in the experiment
Specific Lesson Objectives
 Students will discover by inquiry the mathematical relationship between mass, volume and
density.
 Students will apply the concept of density to explain why some objects float on others.
 Students will use the skills illustrated in the simulation to calculate the density of real objects in
the lab and discover that large and small samples of the same substance have the same density.
 Students will use the density concepts learned to explain several real life examples of floating
objects, like ships and hot air balloons.
Computer Functions
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A computer simulation (Gizmos: www.explorelearning.com) will be used to have students
discover the mathematical relationship between mass, volume and density.
Students will view videos and read articles with graphics of real life objects such as the sinking of
the Titanic and hot air balloons.
Students will choose one topic and use presentation software (PowerPoint, Prezi or Padlet) to
make a short presentation of how these are explained using the density concepts learned in
class.
Specify Problem
How are mass, volume and density of a substance related?
What causes an object to float?
Why can a ship composed of steel float, when a piece of steel will sink in a bucket of water.
What real life situations are explained by the concepts we have learned in this lesson?
Research and Analysis
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Students will gather data using the Gizmos Density simulation lab.
They will analyze the data in their lab groups in order to discover by inquiry the relationship
between the density of an object and whether or not it floats.
Students will view videos and animations of real life objects such as hot air balloons, The Titanic,
submarines or student choice (approved by teacher) and apply the knowledge acquired in the
activity to explain how they work.
Students will need to have background knowledge of the definitions of mass and volume, and
the fact that all matter is made of molecules.
Results Presentation
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Groups will choose a real life object, such as a hot air balloon, the sinking of the Titanic, a
submarine, or another approved object, and will work collaboratively to construct a short (3-5
minute) multimedia presentation.
o
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The presentation will use the concepts learned about density to explain how the object
works or the incident happened.
Students should include at least one picture, or graphic or video in their presentation.
Planning Computer Activities
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Students will each work at their own computer to complete the simulation and collect the data.
Students will rotate from individual computer use to group discussion to analyze the data and
complete the Think Sheet.
After the Think Sheet is complete, students will work in the actual science lab.
Students will return to computers and investigate the topics individually. They will then return
to their group to decide which topic they want to choose for their presentation.
When the group has decided, they will divide up the research and each student will make a part
of the presentation (a few slides).
During Computer Use
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Students will complete the density simulation www.explorelearning.com Density Laboratory
individually.
They will complete the worksheet which will guide them through collecting the data.
Students will return to the computers after completing the Think Sheet and actual lab activity to
research various applications of the knowledge about density they have gained from this
activity.
o Students will be given a list of possible topics (why the Titanic sank, how hot air
balloons, how submarines work) and a list of some web sites where they could begin
their research.
o They may choose their own topic of interest as long as it is approved by the teacher.
o Websites (a list of these will be on the teacher’s www.delicious.com site under the tag
of density. Students will be able to access these links there.)
 www.howstuffworks.com
 www.livescience.com/19599
 www.eballoon.org
 www.PBSkids.orgdragonflytv/show/balloon
 www.discoveryeducation.com
Students will return to their groups and decide which topic to choose.
Students will work collaboratively to make a short multimedia presentation using their choice of
presentation software (3-5 minutes) that shows how their topic is related to density.
Before Computer Use
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A demonstration will be done where a piece of steel is dropped in a bucket of water.
Students will be presented with the following question: Why can a boat made of steel float
when a piece of steel in a bucket of water sinks?
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Students will be given a few minutes to discuss this with their groups and a short class
discussion will be conducted.
Students will then be told they will be able to answer this question after the activity is
completed.
After Computer Use
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Students will be moving back and forth from the computers.
o After students complete the simulations on their own, they will move to their tables to
complete the Think Sheet collaboratively, which will be checked by the teacher.
o Then students will go to the actual lab and practice the skills learned in the simulation
with real pieces of metal.
o After spending some time researching the different topics, students will return to their
groups to discuss and choose a topic for their presentation.
Supporting Activities
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Students will investigate ways in which density is used in industry and science. An example
might be explaining how it is used to separate crude oil into its usable parts or how it is used in
the primary steps in sewage treatment.
Assessment
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Formative assessment – Check the group’s answers to the Think Sheet to make sure the proper
connections between mass, volume and density and floating have been discovered by the
group.
Summative assessment- A rubric will be designed to assess the multimedia presentation by each
group.
o Students must show how density concepts explain how their chosen topic works.
o Students must have at least one picture, graphic or video in their presentation.
The students will be given a short quiz where they have to briefly answer the question
presented at the beginning of the lesson: Why can a boat made of steel float when a piece of
steel in a bucket sinks?
Name: ______________________________________
Date: ________________________
Student Exploration: Density Laboratory
(To be completed during the simulation individually)
Vocabulary: buoyancy, density, graduated cylinder, mass, matter, scale, volume
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Of the objects below, circle the ones you think would float in water.
2. Why do some objects float, while others sink? ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Gizmo Warm-up
The Density Laboratory Gizmo™ allows you to measure a variety of
objects, then drop them in water (or other liquid) to see if they sink or float.
1. An object’s mass is the amount of matter it contains. The mass of an
object can be measured with a calibrated scale like the one shown in
the Gizmo. Drag the first object onto the Scale. (This is object 1.)
What is the mass of object 1? _______________________________
2. An object’s volume is the amount of space it takes up. The volume of
an irregular object can be measured by how much water it displaces in
a graduated cylinder. Place object 1 into the Graduated Cylinder.
What is the volume of object 1? _____________________________
Note: While milliliters (mL) are used to measure liquid volumes, the equivalent unit cubic
centimeters (cm3) are used for solids. Therefore, write the volume of object 1 in cm3.
3. Drag object 1 into the Beaker of Liquid. Does it sink or float? ________________________
Activity A:
Float or sink?
Get the Gizmo ready:
 Drag object 1 back to the shelf.
 Check that Liquid Density is set to 1.0 g/mL.
Question: How can you predict whether an object will float or sink?
1. Observe: Experiment with the different objects in the Gizmo. Try to determine what the
floating objects have in common and what the sinking objects have in common.
2. Form hypothesis: Compare the floating objects, then do the same for the sinking objects.
A. What do the floating objects have in common? ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. What do the sinking objects have in common? ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Collect data: Measure the mass and volume of objects 1 through 12, and record whether
they float or sink in the table below. Leave the last column blank for now.
Object
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Mass (g)
Volume (cm3)
Float or sink?
Think Sheet
(to be completed in your lab groups)
4. Analyze: Look carefully for patterns in your data.
A. Does mass alone determine whether an object will float or sink? ________________
Explain: ____________________________________________________________
B. Does volume alone determine whether an object will float or sink? ______________
Explain: ____________________________________________________________
C. Compare the mass and volume of each object. What is true of the mass and volume
of all the floating objects? ______________________________________________
D. What is true of the mass and volume of all the sinking objects? _________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Calculate: The density of an object is its mass per unit of volume. Dense objects feel very
heavy for their size, while objects with low density feel very light for their size.
To calculate an object’s density, divide its mass by its volume. If mass is measured in grams
and volume in cubic centimeters, the unit of density is grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm 3).
Calculate the density of each object, and record the answers in the last column of your data
table. Label this column “Density (g/cm3).”
6. Analyze: Compare the density of each object to the density of the liquid, 1.0 g/mL. This is
the density of water.
A. What do you notice about the density of the floating objects? ___________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. What do you notice about the density of the sinking objects? ___________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Draw conclusions: If you know the mass and volume of an object, how can you predict
whether it will float or sink in water?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Calculating Density to Identify Unknown Substances
Metal
Short Gold
2 Black Stripes
Red Stripe
Tall Silver
Short gray
Medium gray
Blue stripe
Large wooden
block
Mass
g
Volume
mL
Density
g/mL
end
-start _______
------ =
end
-start _______
------- =
end
-start ________
------- =
end
-start _______
------- =
end
-start _______
------- =
end
-start _______
------- =
end
-start _______
------- =
L x W xH=
------- =
----x-----x-----=
__________
Identification
(use the chart
provided)
Large metal block
L x W xH=
------- =
----x-----x-----=
__________
Wood block small
L x W xH=
------- =
----x-----x-----=
__________
Small metal block
L x W xH=
------- =
----x-----x-----=
__________
Yellow liquid
------- =
Clear liquid
------- =