Storybooks for Teaching Density and Buoyancy in the Classroom

Long ago, the Greek mathematician Archimedes discovered why things float. Legend has it he discovered this while taking a bath. 

If you fill a bathtub to the top it will overflow when you get in. Why is that?

The water has to move out of the way to make room for you in the tub. Archimedes discovered the weight of the object determines if the object will sink or float. If the object in the water weighs more than the amount of water being displaced it will sink. We weigh more than the amount of water being displaced. If you place a sponge in the tub, it will most likely float. The weight of the sponge is less than the weight of the water being displaced.  

Here are some engaging books for introducing the science of
 sinking and floating.

This book is perfect for showing how weight affects how high the boat floats.  The story is entertaining and introduces the words balanced, weight, and level.

 

This is a cute and funny book.  It has nice illustrations.  This is great for showing the engineering design process. 
Try this science and STEM activity with floating eggs to show how things rise up in the water.

This story shows lots of different boats.  How do they all float?  We like this one because it shows the hull full of water.  This is a great reference to the weight of the boat and how high it floats.

Expand Further for the Older Grades

Archimedes principle is also known as buoyancy. Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float in water, air, or another fluid. 

Liquids have what is known as a buoyant force. It is the lifting force on an object placed in a liquid. The buoyant force is related to the density of the object placed in a liquid. 

If the object is denser then the buoyant force the object will sink. If the object is less dense than the liquid the buoyant force will lift the object to the surface. 

Objects do not pull themselves to the surface. The liquid pushes them up. The denser a liquid the more buoyant force it will have.  

These books are great for getting more in-depth with 

density and buoyancy.

This book is fantastic.  It does a wonderful job explaining buoyancy. You can even show the video too. 
We like to pair it with a Cartesian Diver STEM Activity. 

This book gives examples of things that sink and float.  It introduces the terms density, gravity, and buoyancy.

Sinking and Floating is always an engaging activity. It can be a little confusing for kids. 

For younger students, focus on sinking and floating. 

For older students, expand to density and buoyancy. Using stories helps students relate it to real-world examples. 

We recommend performing a hands-on activity first and then reading the story. The students will be able to tie the two together. 

After that, read more structured texts and learn vocabulary. Make sure to have a reading corner with a collection of the sinking and floating books for kids to read on their own.

Hands-on Activities for Sinking and Floating