STEM Challenge- Boats

Do your students enjoy hands on activities to help them learn challenging science concepts? This product will challenge your students to build a buoyant boat using the STEM process while they learn about buoyancy and weight. Easy to use and engaging for students!

In this activity students will work through the engineering design process, utilize teamwork, communication, creative thinking and problem solving skills while learning about buoyancy, ship structure, how a ship is loaded and how cargo ships are different from speedboats as they create a cargo ship that can hold weight and remain watertight.

Included in this resource:

(there are 2 different documents in a ZIP file)

Teacher directions, hints and suggestions

Supply List- What is Needed

Student design brief

Student STEM Engineering Design Process Journal

• Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Evaluate, Share

Student Supply list with prices for students to "purchase" items to build their ship (you can set up a supply store and have students work within a budget)

4 different reading passages related to cargo ships

• Buoyancy

Cargo Ship Structure

Loading a Cargo Ship

Cargo Ships vs. Speedboats

3 different "View It" photo cards showing real life cargo ships and prompts for students to consider while viewing the photos

Expense log

Mind Map

Scoring rubric

Photos of real students making cargo ships

Please view the preview to see what is included in this great resource!