Embedded Files
Materials
Apples
Plastic knives if students are cutting apples
Toothpicks
Large bowl
Water
Figurine
Begin with a simple experiment
For this experiment, I started with a simple apple and asked the children to predict if they thought that it would float or sink. We then tested the apple. It floats!
We briefly discussed why we thought the apple floated. It feels heavy enough that it would sink in the water, but when we put it in the water it did not sink.
There is bits of air trapped inside the apple. The skin acts like a balloon and keeps all of that air inside when you put it in water. Therefore it floats. (This is a very simplified explanation, but enough that children can understand and learn some science.)
The experiment
Challenge them to come up with a structure that will not only float in the water, but one that I can place a wooden person on top of and it will not fall off. The structure has to be stable.
The test
Test your structure in water. If your figure falls off, try again. If it won't stay on, how can you change your structure to keep it more stable. Even professional scientists aren’t typically successful every time on their first try. Things take time and testing and improving is all part of the path to success.
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