On September 20, 2020, volunteers from the Irvine branch of AYLUS hosted its fourth science exploratory class for the fall session. We used Zoom to host the lesson, and students, consisting of elementary and middle schoolers, had a great time participating.
For the fourth lesson, we went over density, pressure, and buoyancy. We started off with a PHET buoyancy simulation, and the kids seemed to know the concept of density affecting how objects float. We explained to them the concept of density, which they got without much problem. We then went over pressure, which they understood better when given visual examples. We talked about why buoyancy exists, and how to tell if an object will float or sink based on its density and shape. We then told the story of Archimedes’ Principle and the king’s crown, which they seemed to understand pretty well. We ended with assigning the kids an optional experiment for homework. They are to put an ice cube in a cup of water and measure the water level before and after the ice melts. What a great success!
Screenshots:
Volunteers: Andy Chen (1.5 hrs), Brian Song (1 hr)