Grades 2–5
Clay Boat Challenge
An engineering challenge: shape clay into a boat that floats and holds as many pennies as it can.
Science worksheet · Sink or float
Sink or Float Sort
Cut out ten cards and glue each one under sinks or floats.
- Grade level
- Grades K–2
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Topic
- Sink or float
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Sinking and floating, Density, Predicting and testing
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Glue each card under sinks or floats.
Words on this sheet
SinksFloatsa coina leafa keyan applea corka marblea rocka metalspoon
Teacher tip
Test a few of the cards with real objects to check.
How to use it
- Set up a water tub with towels and let kids test real objects.
- Ask kids to predict and record before every test.
- Let partners compare answers and settle any differences with a book or a video.
Watch for
Big things don’t always sink. Shape and material matter.
Talk about it
- Did size or shape matter more?
- What question do you still have?
Take it further
Hold a boat-building contest with foil and pennies.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More sink or float worksheets
Grades 1–3
Floating: True or False?
Seven facts about sinking and floating to mark true or false, then explain how a heavy ship floats.
Grades 3–5
Liquid Density Tower
Pour honey, dish soap, water and oil into a cup, number the layers from bottom to top and draw your tower.
Grades K–2
Sink or Float: Predict and Test
Guess whether eight objects will sink or float, test them in a tub of water and check your guesses.
Free for teachers
Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit
12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.