Choosing good materials and a good design are essential in building a ship that can sail without capsizing, whether the seas are calm or stormy. For this activity, you will use your imagination to design a boat. Don't forget that there are many types of boats, including ocean liners, sailboats, rafts, submarines, and so on. Each of these boats is very different, and each has a different purpose. What is the purpose of your boat? What will your boat look like?
Materials
You need only a few of these objects. Don't hesitate to add others you think would be interesting.
aluminum foil
juice boxes
Popsicle sticks
corks
straws
plastic bottles
Styrofoam cups
Styrofoam plates
plastic plates
fabric
plastic utensils
modelling clay
tape
balsa wood
small marbles or balls of modelling clay
plastic containers (margarine or ice cream)
Let's get to work!
Test all the objects you've collected by placing each one in a bowl filled with water. Do the objects float or sink?
If the object sinks, can you change its shape to make it float? For example, if you put a ball of modelling clay in the water, it will sink, but what happens if you form it into the shape of a bowl?
Once you have tested the objects, and the shapes that float, choose a material and shape for your boat's construction. For example: aluminium foil shaped into whatever form of boat you wish.
Use the other objects you collected to decorate your boat.
Test the sturdiness and stability of your boat by adding marbles or balls of modelling clay, one by one. If the boat capsizes, reshape the form.
