While Halloween may still be a little different this year, it's usually about trick or treating, often heavy on the treats. What child doesn’t want to come home from a productive night of gathering a sack full of delectable candy? October is also a month of mystery. Who are those little goblins behind the Halloween masks?

This month we offer an activity that solves a mystery and also allows an opportunity to talk about health, nutrition, and the effects of too much sugar consumption. Most importantly, though, it demonstrates the concept of density in a fun and memorable way.

Here’s the question. Can two soda cans of the same size and liquid volume do two different things when immersed in water? Watch our video to learn how the children solve the mystery. Also read how Freddie tries to trick Liza, Herman, and Bert in the Fuddlebrook story, The Mystery of the Floating Can.

Want to take your lesson further? Read the Archimedes crown story. Learn about the density of the planets. Research why we can float in salt water. Finally, try the amazing Fuddlebrook Candy Sink of Float Activity. All of these are great ways to further your students’ understanding of the rather complex topic of density.