Boats Afloat
Source Institutions
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WGBH
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In this water activity, learners build boats that float and sink. First, learners listen to the book, "Who Sank the Boat" and practice making predictions throughout the story. Then, learners make boats out of aluminum foil, recycled food trays, and plastic plates to see how many pennies their boats can hold before they sink. This activity is part of the curriculum Explore Water, related to Peep and the Big Wide World, a preschool science series on public television. The activity starts on page 42 of the PDF.
- 5 to 10 minutes
- 45 to 60 minutes
- $5 - $10 per group of students
- Ages 4 - 6
- Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
- English, Spanish
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
- aluminum foil
- recycled food trays and/or other recycled containers
- plastic, newspapers, and/or towels to cover the floor
- water table, pool, or container
- water
- water smocks (garbage bags with holes for head and arms work well.)
- small plastic plates
- pennies
Subjects
- Earth and Space Science
- Earth Structure
- Oceans and Water
- Earth Structure
- Engineering and Technology
- Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Data Analysis and Probability
- Data Analysis
- Data Collection
- Measurement
- Problem Solving
- Data Analysis and Probability
- Physical Sciences
- States of Matter
- Liquids
- Structure and Properties of Matter
- Mass and Weight
- Volume and Density
- States of Matter
- The Nature of Science
- The Scientific Process
- About Inquiry
- Asking Questions
- Conducting Investigations
- Gathering Data
- Formulating Explanations
- Communicating Results
- The Scientific Process
- The Nature of Technology
- The Design Process
- Invention and Innovation
- Problem Solving
- The Design Process
Informal Categories
- Literature
- Transportation
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- hear
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Source Collection:
- PEEP and the Big Wide World
Rights:
- All Rights Reserved, WGBH, ©2005
Funding Source:
- National Science Foundation
