BUILD A BOAT!
Engineers and geoscientists play an important part in protecting the public, including designing boats and ships that carry everything from the food we eat to the cars we drive and of course, people! Boats take a lot of design work to make sure that all of the components won’t break down in the water, including the computer systems inside that run the motors. Boats need to float and be able to move through the water in a variety of conditions.
YOUR MISSION:
Design a boat that can carry a cell phone or iPod (sealed in a plastic bag!) without sinking.
GUIDELINES:
Create a video showcasing the design and function of your boat. Tell us about what obstacles you faced when you began building and how you improved your design and overcame these obstacles. This shows us your design thinking skills.
Upload this video to YouTube and email the link to stem@apegnb.com with the subject line: Build a Boat. In the email include the link to the video, as well as your name, age, and school.
You should use objects you can find around the house to create your boat (some examples are below).
We recommend that you test out your boat in the bathtub and try to get it to move from one side to the other. How does the boat react if you make waves in the tub? Make sure that if you’re testing with electronics they are in a sealed plastic bag so that they don’t get wet!
EXAMPLE MATERIALS:
You can use these or any other materials you find around your house to work with.
- Recycling
- Styrofoam
- Aluminum Foil
- Cardboard
- Plastic Bags
- Craft sticks
- Tape
- Glue
- Pipe Cleaners