How many pennies can an aluminum foil boat hold? That is the challenge in a collaborative activity designed to explore the concept of buoyancy. Learners use aluminum foil to build makeshift boats and test the weight they hold before sinking. They also explore concepts of density and displacement as an extension exercise.

Concepts

surface area, buoyancy, displacement, water displacement, density

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Create a competition to see whose boat can hold the most pennies
• Review concepts of buoyancy, density, and center of gravity prior to the activity

Classroom Considerations

• Requires a specific set of materials listed in the lesson materials

Pros

• Allows pupils to learn through discovery
• Includes possible guiding questions

Cons

• None