Ships Ahoy!

Add to list Go to activity
The goal of this activity is to design the fastest sailboat or one that carries the most treasure. Using simple, colorful, and recycled materials, learners design and build a model vessel to achieve the optimal use of wind power. This is a fun, hands-on activity that reinforces the engineering design cycle. Learners can apply their knowledge and understanding of wind power, buoyancy, displacement, friction, and lift to their sailboat design. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 18
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Boat hulls
  • K’NEX (for masts)
  • Foam shapes (for sails)
  • Plastic clips
  • Gems

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
      • Oceans and Water
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Mechanical Engineering
      • Metallurgy and Materials Engineering
      • Transportation Engineering
    • Technology
      • Transportation
      • Construction
  • Mathematics
    • Measurement
      • Rate
  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
    • States of Matter
      • Solids
      • Liquids
      • Gases
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Research and Development
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Informal Categories

  • Transportation

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • , Museum of Science, Boston, 2010

Funding Source:

  • The Gordon Foundation