Middle School Students Experiment with Boat Designs

Thinking about buoyancy, displacement, density and stability, the middle school students experimented with boat designs. Beginning with several iterations of paper boats the students tried them out in the stream table to figure out which designs worked well, were stable and efficient moving through the water. After figuring out which designs worked best the students will build small models and then scale one up to culminate in the construction of wooden paddles and a single coroplast and wood boat large enough for a student to paddle across the Parker pond.

Early trial with paper and tape

Tape to help with waterproofing

Figuring it out together

Checking buoyancy by adding pennies for weight

An ark-like creation

Figuring proportions  and folds for the scale model boats

Hot gluing the stern flaps up

Fitting the breast hook to give the boat its shape

Fitting the gunwales

Naming the model boat

A finished model

And one more

Working on the final boat....folding the coroplast with the help of Ron Ishkanian, a local boat builder and friend

Attaching the breast hook

Sawing a paddle handle

Trying out the finished boat (in the art room)!

And in the pond!