Science Week lesson plan: Floating flowers (KS1/KS2)

Resources

• Floating flower template (provided)
• Saucer
• Water
• Scissors
• Other resources including variety of paper types, liquids and craft materials
• Timer (optional)

Show

1. Cut out a flower carefully from the template provided.
2. Fold each of the petals inwards.
3. Pour water into the saucer.
4. Carefully float your folded flower on the water, petal-side up.
5. Observe what happens.

Explain

As the paper absorbs the water it spreads through the folded petals by ‘capillary action’. The absorbed water makes the fibres in the paper swell and this swelling causes the folded petals of the flower to open up.

Suggest

• Does the way you fold the petals make a difference to how it opens?
• Does the flower open in other liquids?
• Does the same thing happen if the flower is made from other types of paper or card?
• Do other paper shapes do the same thing?

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Practical science beyond Science Week

Love to Investigate

Love to Investigate is a set of 126 scientific investigations that encourage children to be curious, ask questions and explore the world around them.

Our series of practical, exciting investigations cover tricky topics in new and unusual ways, including evolution, mechanisms and air resistance. All activities come with background knowledge for teachers who haven’t taught the topic before and method boards to help children work more independently.

Love to Investigate is included as part of Curriculum Maestro and Curriculum Maestro Lite (Love to Investigate is no longer sold separately).