Lesson: Made to Sail
Posted on September 23rd, 2019 by ASEE
In this lesson, students in grades 2 – 7 use simple materials to design and make model sailboats that must stay upright and sail straight in a testing tank. They will learn the basic components of a ship and how design represents a tradeoff between speed, stability, and ease of handling.
Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: buoyancy, Class Activities, Lesson Plan, Ocean, sailboat, wind power
The United States won the 33rd America’s Cup with a design that got a boost from aeronautical engineering. The wing sail of BMW Oracle Racing’s BOR 90 is essentially an oversized airplane wing. At 190 feet tall, it’s the largest sail ever used on a boat.
In this activity, students in grades 6 to 8 learn about the engineering design process and the physical principles of buoyancy by working together to build a boat out of straws and plastic wrap that can hold 25 pennies for at least 10 seconds before sinking.
