Sample Question: Can a mini-watercraft be built to perform a task using simple household supplies?

Sample Hypothesis: A mini-watercraft can be built out of simple household supplies that will move
50 cm. (Just one example!)

(Choose one task for the boat to carry out, some possible ideas are listed below.)

Some possible tasks for the watercraft:

1. Will it float for at least 5 minutes?

2. Will it carry a load of a given number of pennies or metal washers? Too easy? (try marbles)

3. Will it remain stable in the water if the surface of the water is wavy?

Materials: list specific materials used.

Some examples: craft/household/kitchen supplies such as plasticine, modeling clay, toothpicks,

paper (for sails if required), tin foil, corks, popsicle sticks, small bits of wood, small styrofoam trays,
tacks, elastic bands, etc.

When choosing materials I will want to consider:

1. How waterproof/non-porous is it?

2. Can waterproof joints be formed?

3. Is it stiff/rigid enough?

4. How well does it float/ how buoyant is it?

Method: 3 or more step by step details about what I did

Observations: -a picture and 3 or more details about what happened/what I saw.

Include appropriate scientific terminology such as:

 Buoyancy (positive, negative, neutral)

 Ballast

 Capsize

 List

Conclusion:

 answer the main question

 tell what you learned

 make connections (if/then statements)

Name:

Boats & Buoyancy: Final Project Report

My question: (Start your question with “Will” or “Can”)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
My hypothesis: (What you think will happen, begin with: “I think my watercraft will/can…”)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Materials: (list all the things you used to build your watercraft)

Method: (How you built your boat, step by step. Must list at least 3 steps)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 Observations: (What did you see after doing the experiment? What did you notice?)
Draw and label a picture of your boat and write down 3 details of what you saw or what happened.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Conclusion: (Answer the question at the beginning of the experiment, tell what you learned.)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 Grade 2 Boat Project Rubric Name: _______________________

Hypothesis/Identified Task: ________________________________________________________

General description: ______________________________________________________________

Boat Project 1 – Not Yet 2- Approaching 3- Meeting 4- Exceeding

Displays a limited Displays a high

Displays some degree Displays a considerable
degree of the skills degree of the skills
of the skills required to degree of the skills
Design and build an required to successfully required to
successfully build a required to successfully
object that can float, be build a boat that is able successfully and
boat that is able to build a boat that is able
stable and perform a to perform the independently build
perform the identified to perform the
task. identified task even a boat that is able to
task. Some assistance is identified task with
with much assistance perform the
required minimal assistance.
provided. identified task.

Clearly and
Identifies the
With some independently
question and
With much prompting, is able to identifies the
hypothesis. Generall
prompting, is able to identify the question and
Devise and Explain y, explains what task
identify the task the question, hypothesis hypothesis.
the boat will
boat will perform. and task the boat Explains in detail
perform with
will perform. what task the boat
minimal prompting.
will perform.

Identifies few or
Identifies some of Identifies most of Identifies all of the
none of the
Identify materials the materials and the materials and materials and
materials and tools
tools used. tools used. tools used.
used.

Communicates most Communicates all

Communicates a
amount of the of the procedural
limited amount of Communicates some
Communicates the procedural information
procedural of the procedural
information, without
procedures information. Much information. Requir
including most prompting,
prompting is es some prompting.
modifications with including all
required.
minimal prompting. modifications.

Related Vocab.

 Buoyancy
All vocabulary is
Vocabulary may be
 Struggles to included in report
Ballast (Keele) With prompting, can included in the
demonstrate and used
apply/define most report. When asked,
 Sink understanding of correctly, showing
terms. can easily use and
scientific terms. clear
 Stable define all terms.
understanding.
 Propulsion/Pro-
pelled