The Boat Challenge

We received the following challenge:

Create a boat that can float while carrying 10 penny passengers using only the materials provided.  You have 30 minutes to explore and test the materials before you begin your design.  Good luck and happy learning!

To say the students were excited would have been a complete understatement.  Students selected partners and the learning began.  The challenge which took three science periods to complete was designed to enable students to explore the following Texas state standard 

2.5(D) Combine materials that when put together can do things that they cannot do by themselves.

Talk about engagement!

ENGAGEMENT (as defined by Phil Schlechty.)
• The student sees the activity as personally meaningful. 
• The student’s level of interest is sufficiently high that he persists in the face of difficulty. 
• The student finds the task sufficiently challenging that she believes she will accomplish something of worth by doing it. 
• The student’s emphasis is on optimum performance and on “getting it right.” 

Watch the following video which chronicles our learning.