Does It Float

Introduction
Science education is important as scientific exploration in early childhood builds foundations for a deeper understanding of concepts. Eshach and Fried 2005 (cited in Campbell, Jobling & Howitt 2015, p. 11) state that by providing science experiences, children are engaged, stimulated and aspects of development are improved.
A range of activities for children to probe understandings is shown in Table 1.
Concept
Activity
Probing method
The materials that an object is made out of depends on whether or not it floats, not its weight.
Does it float or sink?
POE
Does it float or sink?
POE

Can you make it float?
Problem-solving discussion, children’s work
Table 1: Table of concepts, activities and probing methods.
Appropriateness of

Child B: My dad said lay still in water
Me: Does that mean you were floating when you were laying still in the water?
Child B: Yes

Child B is using previous experiences to make meaning of floating which is aligned with the constructivist theory (Cambpell 2015, p. 53). Child B believes in floating, the object or person has to lay still in the water, and Child A’s believes the object has to be on the surface.

For the two activities, simple drop tests were conducted (Campbell, Jobling & Howitt 2015, p. 11 – 12; see Appendix A & B for lesson plans). In the last activity children will be making playdough float (Campbell, Jobling & Howitt 2015, p. 11 – 12).
For child A, misconceptions were evident as they believed all light objects float and heavy objects sink regardless of material (see Appendix C, question 4.1).
Child A was asked: Why do you think that all light objects float?
Child A: ‘because they are light and it will not go through to bottom of water’
Child B also had a similar misconception (see Appendix C, question 1.1 – 1.4)
1. – ‘I can’t feel it.’ ‘it feel light’

2. – ‘My one feel light.’ That one (pointing at the toothpick) is heavier’

3. – ‘it is light I think it float’