At a Glance Grade Level: 6th class to 2nd year Subjects: Physical Science Topics: Properties of Matter Time Needed: 4 weeks, 50 minute periods/Daily Key Learnings: Density, Scientific Method Background: From the Classroom in Arizona, United States     Things You Need Standards Resources

Unit Summary
Students engage in several investigations related to the density of liquids, solids, and gases. They apply new understanding about density to the design and construction of hot air balloons. They make informed predictions about the variables that may affect the launch of their home-made hot air balloons, and test them.

Curriculum Framing Questions

	Essential Question Why is the universe the way it is?
	Unit Questions How can we explain how things move? What keeps a hot air balloon floating in the sky?
	Sample Content Questions What is density? What is the relationship between temperature and density of matter?

Instructional Procedures
Students study density of matter through a variety of lab investigations, teacher presentations, and Internet tutorials. Using the scientific method, students experiment with home-made hot air balloons and learn about the density of gases and other variables affecting flight. Student processes, activities, and learning are captured in student slide presentations and publications.

Prerequisite Skills
The student will need basic computer skills: keyboarding and word processing. They will also need basic knowledge of Microsoft Word*, Excel*, PowerPoint*, and Publisher*. In addition, they will need to be proficient in the scientific method.

Differentiated Instruction

	Resource Student Extra time and individual instruction will be given. Help from support personnel or volunteers will be elicited as needed. Students with special needs can be paired up with a buddy to help them along.
	Gifted Student Advanced students can study a topic usually presented by the teacher (such as finding density of irregular solids), and teach the rest of the class through a web page or PowerPoint presentation. Students can also help others with labs and computer work.

Assessment
Five assessment tools are provided with this unit. Three are checklists, which can be used by the students to check progress during study and before presentation and grading. These checklists are linked to the Daily Procedures document.

A final practical and written examination is included.

An overall project assessment rubric is used for final evaluation.

Credits
Gina Aldridge participated in the Intel® Teach to the Future program, which resulted in this idea for a classroom project. A team of teachers expanded the plan into the example you see here.