It sinks!
Does a can of soda float? Does salt water really make that much difference? What’s a Plimsoll mark? Buoyancy can be a difficult concept for students. It’s all about density! With this hands-on introduction to teaching buoyancy from the Bridge website and COSEE-NOW, students work through activities and demonstrations that use online resources and ocean observing systems data to investigate the buoyancy considerations of commercial shipping.
This activity was developed to shed light on how the commercial shipping industry has benefited from ocean observing systems. By knowing water temperature and salinity, as well as water depth, shippers can maximize a ship’s cargo capacity and transit time.
My COSEE-NOW partners provided me with some great input on writing the objectives for this activity and guided me to some demonstration activities developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science that could be used prior to the activity to pique the students’ interest.
This activity has been demonstrated to over 100 teachers, including presentations at the National Marine Educators Association and National Science Teachers Association conferences.
Check out Don’t Even Sink About it! available on the Bridge
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