This open-ended boat building exercise is meant to be part of a three-lesson series on ships. Links to the other two lessons are included. This particular part is mostly a group lab activity in which they build a boat, find its load line...

Students create a model boat. In this art lesson plan, students identify what makes a boat float and use milk cartons to create their own boat.

  Students build boats out of clay to test the buoyancy of the boat in water.  Students break into pairs and construct their boat to specific guide lines, then experiment with their boat in the water.   

Students build a miniature replica of the Mayflower. They make the boat float in a cup of water while studying the concept of gift giving on Feast Day.

Students research different types of boats in various time periods and cultures. Then they locate photographs and information about construction details of one type of boat. Students also use their research as the basis for designing and...

Working in small groups students develop three alternative boat designs. They discuss the rationale for the type of hull, propeller, location of ballast, and type of building material used in their design. They build their boat.

Young mathematicians work to recognize the relationship between their scale models of the Joides research vessel and the real vessel. They calculate the relationships between various parts of the ship using fractions, ratios, and...

Young scholars explore the principles of buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle and design their own flotation device. They compare the dimensions of a model to the real object to determine scale and analyze the models to suggest improvements.

Your charges will enjoy putting together this model of the space shuttle and completing the three challenge activities described in the lesson. The worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use to cut out their gliders are beautifully...

Middle schoolers work together to design an Egyptian funerary barge. They discover the importance of the afterlife to Egyptians. They create their boat and share their design with the class. They compare and contrast the technology of...

Students use simple materials to make model sailboats which must stay upright and sail straight in a testing tank.

Students use the internet to research the advancements in transportation on rivers throughout 1800 and 1900. In groups, they use a picture to build their own model of a steamboat using everyday materials. To end the lesson, they use...

Young scholars design a boat model with simplified steam engine. In this ecology lesson, students compare renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. They determine the efficiency of their boat model.

Students work on this paper lab in cooperative groups of four and manipulate nucleotides to discover the structure of DNA. When they have finished the lab, students have created model of DNA that can be hung on the ceiling. Students...

High schoolers use paper plates and detailed directions to build a model of the Michigan Avenue Bridge's gear system. By carefully measuring and cutting "teeth" for the gears of the "Gear Train," they create small gear that will...

Students develop and organize their own transportation museum in the classroom. They brainstorm a list of vehicles and bring in models to display or draw a picture to display.

Seventh graders create and engineer model transportation vehicles using crafting materials. They use technical drawing to develop their ideas and choose the appropriate tools and processes during the manufacturing of their designs. They...

Students simulate the water cycle. In this water cycle activity, students create a model of the water cycle. Students draw the water cycle and write a paragraph explaining their drawing.

First graders identify and demonstrate how symbols and models are used to represent features of the environment. They use a map and a globe to label where the students in the book came from, point out the continent, and show which ocean...

First graders examine cuneiform writing from a stone tablet, then write a simple sentence using pictographs. They analyze various examples of Egyptian art, construct a model of an Egyptian boat, and create a class painting using glyphs...

Students design an underwater vehicle. In this engineering lesson, students will design an underwater robot that includes specific systems for it to function properly. Each group will present their prototype to the class.

Want to get your students motivated in science class? Given only a piece of aluminum foil, assign groups the task of designing a "barge" that will support the weight of a bunch of pennies.  The group who is able to put the most...

Students research the exploration of Antarctica by the explorer Sir Ernest Shackelton. In this Antarctic exploration lesson, students watch a movie about Sir Ernest Shackelton and his ship the Endurance. Students study a map of...

Students study the habitat of the terrapin. In this terrapin lesson, students create a diorama of the habitat of the terrapin. Students also simulate how it would look if people moved into the area and how predators can threaten terrapin...