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Unidentified Floating Objects

Unidentified Floating Objects
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This is a teacher-led and teacher-narrated lesson for more open-ended discussion.


Learn more about the Anchor Layer here,
or click next to get started!


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When people go swimming, they use different things to help them float. Watch this video, then discuss. What are the different things you saw that help people float? Do you know of any other things that help people float?
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Sometimes other animals like to float, too. Watch, then discuss. What is this floating thing?
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There is another thing that people and other animals use to float. This one is very different from the other things you saw, and it is very strange. Watch, then discuss. Have you ever seen anything like this before?
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Video trouble?
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These are very, very big floating things! Let’s see if we can figure out what they are and where they came from.
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Get a See-Think-Wonder Chart, or make your own with a large sheet of paper. Your teacher will add your ideas to the class chart.
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Look closely at the floating things. Then, discuss. What did you see? Your teacher will record your answers in the See column of your chart.
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What do you think these floating things are? Where do you think they came from? How do you think they are strong enough to hold up a person? Come up with as many ideas as you can. Your teacher will record your answers in the Think column of your chart.
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What do you wonder about these floating things? Your teacher will record your questions in the Wonder column.
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Save your See-Think-Wonder Chart. You will come back to it after the next lesson.
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It's time to do some investigations! In this unit, you'll explore many things about plants.

At the end of the unit, you will use everything you've learned in a fun project.

Have fun, and stay curious!

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Activity Prep

Print Prep

Note: This lesson is part of this unit’s Anchor Layer. If you have the Anchor Layer turned on, we recommend teaching all of the lessons in this unit in order.

The anchor phenomenon for this unit is based around some surprisingly large floating objects that can be found in ponds around the world.

During the introduction, students generate observations and questions about the phenomenon and create a list of possible explanations for the phenomenon.

Students will gather clues during and after each lesson in this unit to help them improve their understanding and explanations. It is important to encourage students to recognize that even if they don't know the perfect answer yet, they are going to learn a lot throughout the unit and will have an opportunity to revisit the phenomenon over time.

Preview activity
Number of students:
Plant Superpowers Teacher Guide teacher-only resource 1 per class
See-Think-Wonder worksheet 1 per class
Prep Instructions

Before starting this lesson, review the unit Teacher Guide for an overview of the Plant Superpowers Anchor Layer.

Set Up Your Classroom

Set up your classroom by creating a class "See-Think-Wonder" chart. You will start the chart today, and you will add to it over the course of the unit.

For the See-Think-Wonder charts, you can use chart paper or a space on your board that won't be erased to create a whole-class chart. If you would like to have students complete the See-Think-Wonder charts on an individual basis, here is a blank chart.

Extend this lesson