Amy Stewart

 

 

Cargo Task

 

Grade:  5/6 Grade

 

Materials:  clay, plastic cups, foam cups, paper cups, aluminum foil, straws, paper towels, toothpicks, tape, scissors, glue, markers, construction paper, crayons, egg cartons, marbles, sinkers, or beads, water containers.

 

Objectives: 

 

  1. The learner will demonstrate their understanding of buoyancy through planning and constructing a cargo boat.
  2. The learner will cooperatively work in groups to discuss producing a cargo boat, make predictions, reassess boat production, and summarize their learning.
  3. The learner will improve the design of the initial boat and identify the modifications to carry more cargo.
  4. The learner will compare their boat and cargo load with another group and previous knowledge to create a better boat and participate in class discussion.

 

Procedure:

 

a) Engage:  Floating paperclip (8-10 minutes) Samantha

1.      Set up the experiment

2.      Ask students to predict what will happen if paperclip is dropped in- check for prior knowledge

3.      Ask for ways to make it float and try predictions

4.      Show how to float the paperclip

5.      Ask why some worked and others did not- begin thinking about what makes an object float (buoyancy)

 

b) Explore:  Ship-making academy (3-5 minutes to explain, 15-20 minutes to build) Amy

 

  1. Explain that there will be equal amounts of materials at all tables and that students are free to use them as the wish to create a cargo boat. 
  2. Briefly describe the task- Their mission is to create a boat that will hold the most amount of cargo.
  3. Students instructed that in small groups they will discuss ideas, sketch a plan and describe materials in their journals, and begin building/ these directions are also written and distributed with materials
  4. Materials are distributed
  5. Teachers circulate posing questions and guiding learning
  6. Tests are conducted at each table for buoyancy and cargo load.  Students use unit of measure given in with their materials.
  7. Readjustments are continuous and a uniform measure of testing is created.  When important points are made, stop and discuss

 

 

Consolidate:  Boats are tested (10 minutes) Matt

 

  1. “Who has the best boat?” ask each group randomly why theirs is the best.
  2. On board record data of weight held and specialties of the boats in each group
  3. Talk about how displacement of weights matters in building a boat
  4. Ask about fairness of weights:

Lead discussion towards a standard weight

            Explain about rebuilding and contest on Wednesday

 

2nd Day

  1. Introduction: go over good boat ideas and displacement of the weights (5-10 min)
  2. Get students to build new boats (alternative: if students choose to, they may keep their boat from the previous day, instead they may take time to personalize their boat)
  3. Students engaged in building a new boat (10 min)
  4. Hold official testing in front of class.  Students pose questions along with teacher. (10minutes)
  5. Recap: (10 minutes)
    1. Why did the winning boat hold the most?
    2. What effect did the weights have?  How it was put in is important?
    3. Tie into displacement

 

Assessment:

 

·        Teacher gains assessment through the discussion during production. 

·        Students continue to extend their journal entry past the sketch to include changes made, weights measured, and qualities they have discovered to be important in creating a cargo boat.

·        On the board, the teacher will have the class create a list of what makes a boat more buoyant and hold more cargo.

 

Handout (example of components)

 

Journal Records

Materials used:

Sketch of cargo boat

Predictions and description of cargo

Changes made

Data Record (actual cargo numbers)

Construction notes

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