Ice & Snow
Know that water can be solid (ice and snow) or liquid, that snow is made of tiny frozen ice crystals, that icebergs are huge chunks of ice floating in the ocean with most of their bulk hidden underwater, and that ice floats because it is lighter than liquid water
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Teaching Table
Set out your lesson
Explain solid water and why floating ice is mostly submerged using equal-volume comparison.
Can attend to a short explanation and respond orally, by pointing, drawing or writing; check relevant prerequisite understanding rather than assuming age proves readiness.
Check readiness rather than assuming age or source graph order establishes attainment.
Prepared passage, diagram materials are available in each step.
Open the teaching material first. Keep the adult key and check sheet separate until their named stage. No printing, purchase or external media is required for the supplied adapted text tasks.
Use the supplied text/schematic indoors. Do not collect, taste, touch or disturb wildlife or unknown materials. Discussion does not require a personal experience.
Only record a real observation after the activity is actually carried out safely; otherwise mark not carried out.
Materials are ready in each step. Use them on screen or print just the current step. Put teaching examples aside before the learner tries.
What this lesson covers and its limits
These are bounded opportunities, not learner attainment. Partial and blocked source requirements remain so.
- partial: Know that water can be solid (ice and snow) or liquid, that snow is made of tiny frozen ice crystals, that icebergs are huge chunks of ice floating in the ocean with most of their bulk hidden underwater, and that ice floats because it is lighter than liquid water
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using recall evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
- partial: Explain that ice and snow are frozen water (solid) and that water can change between solid and liquid
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using recall evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
- partial: Describe an iceberg as a huge piece of ice floating in the ocean with most of it hidden below the surface
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using recall evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
- partial: State that ice floats because frozen water is lighter than liquid water
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using recall evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
- partial: Does {{name}} know that icebergs are like floating ice mountains with most of the ice hidden under the water — and that the polar regions are covered in ice because it's so cold the water stays frozen?
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using recall evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
Canonical lighter is clarified as lower density at equal volume, not smaller total mass.
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Explain solid water and why floating ice is mostly submerged using equal-volume comparison.
Explain solid water and why floating ice is mostly submerged using equal-volume comparison.
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Learning resources
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Check understanding
- Explain that ice and snow are frozen water (solid) and that water can change between solid and liquid
- Describe an iceberg as a huge piece of ice floating in the ocean with most of it hidden below the surface
- State that ice floats because frozen water is lighter than liquid water
“Does your child know that icebergs are like floating ice mountains with most of the ice hidden under the water — and that the polar regions are covered in ice because it's so cold the water stays frozen?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Polar Regions
- Age range
- Ages 5–7