Electric Paddle Boat

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In this activity, learners build an electric two-paddle boat using paint paddles, plastic knives, and empty water bottles. Use this activity to introduce learners to Newton's Laws of Motion, hydroelectric power, density and circuits. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$10 - $20 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 2 plastic bottles with caps
  • 5 large craft sticks
  • 2 plastic knives
  • 1 motor
  • 1 piece of glue stick, 1/4"
  • 10 rubber bands
  • 2 pieces of PVC pipe, 1"
  • 1 dowel 12"
  • 1 empty thread spool
  • 2 paper clips
  • 2 brass fasteners
  • 2 batteries
  • 2 electrical wires
  • 1 binder clip
  • electrical tape
  • hot glue gun

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering
      • Transportation Engineering
    • Technology
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electric Motors
      • Electric Circuits
    • Energy
      • Work and Machines
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
      • Newton's Laws
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Informal Categories

  • Electronics
  • Model Building
  • Toys
  • Transportation

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop, 2012

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