Our Pumpkin Floats!

We explored one of our pumpkin predictions on Friday. First we discussed that its ok if a prediction is correct, and its ok if the prediction doesn't happen as we predicted. It is a smart guess and we learn from what happens. Many students predicted the pumpkin would sink. We tested it out and found that our pumpkin actually floats!

We had rich pre and post experiment conversation. Students shared why they thought it may or may not float. After we observed the floating pumpkin, we shared ideas of what the pumpkin may have floated.

Luckily, we were able to document our conversations. Please read the great ideas shared by your children.

Predictions

Why do you think  the pumpkin will float?

Why do you think the pumpkin will not float?

Itamar- No because the pumpkin is very heavy

Rohan- No because the pumpkin is not that buoyant, so it can’t float good

Lihi- When there’s no water inside something it will float and when there is it will sink

Sasha- It will go down because there’s seeds and stuff inside

Therese- It’s hard and bumpy

Ella- No because the pumpkin is round and heavy

Minti- Rocks don’t float because I tried it before and I think the pumpkin wont either

Itamar- Pumpkins are almost the same as rocks so they don’t float because they are hard and bumpy

Ben- One side of the pumpkin is heavier than the other so the whole pumpkin will sink

Naomi- There are so many seeds inside so it will probably make it kind of heavy

Therese- A lot of things can float because they have air inside (because air is light) and a pumpkin doesn’t have air so it will sink

Anya- I know because I pushed the pumpkin in a stroller all the way to school so I know how heavy it is

Farah- Once my dad was filling up a bucket of water and I had a pumpkin and we tested it and it went down to the bottom

Steph- I think it will float because there’s a lot of seeds on one side and less seeds on the other side and that would make it lighter.

Rachel- I carried the pumpkin and it was heavy so I don’t think it will float.

Hailey- I thought the pumpkin would sink because it was heavy.

Katie- I thought it would sink because it was heavy

Ronan- I got to hold it and it was so heavy, so I thought it would sink

Roy- it will sink because its heavy

Results

It floats!!  Why do you think the pumpkin floats?

Anya- Ben was right, one side is heavier

Audrey- One side is heavier because that side is going down in the water more

Sasha- I think one side is bigger than the other side

Elias- I think the stem is a little heavy

Ella- Maybe if you push it, it will sink to the bottom

Itamar- It has air around the outside

Rohan- If you carved a face it would sink because all of the water would go in

Lihi- Maybe there might be no water in the pumpkin so it floats

Gavin- The bumps might help it float

Farah- I think there’s more seeds on the side that’s sinking and less seeds on the other side

Itamar- One thing I think is there’s not a lot of seeds in this one and I think water can carry it because water can carry us (make us float)

Luke- Only deep water can make things go down