Building Buoyant Boats

In science, the 7th graders recently studied volume, density, and mass with regards to buoyancy.  They were asked to design a boat that is capable of carrying cargo, in this case marbles.  As they debated their design options, they considered the surface area of the boat and how it would displace the water.

As part of the lesson, each student wrote a lab report, which included a question, research, hypothesis, procedure, collection of data, and a conclusion.  The class then explored further questions that surfaced over the course of the project.  In all, the students designed some very successful boats, wrote clear lab reports, and had fun in the process!