Goals:

To gain an understanding of different boat designs and how these designs are directly related to the boat's use.

To gain an understanding of how boats are powered, and how boats move through the water.

Content Areas:

Science - Identifying and defining characteristics of boats, discussing propulsion

Language Arts - Chart construction, presentation, and peer evaluation

Materials:

Pictures of many types of boats, ships, and watercraft. (i.e. canoe, speed boat, catamaran, pontoon boat, kayak, coast guard clipper, cargo ship, santa maria, rowboat, tugboat, ice-cutter, iceboat, bass fishing boat, paddle wheel boat, sailboat, yacht, charter fishing boat, raft, house boat, destroyer)

Procedure: (2 hours)

1) Students should be divided into small groups containing 3-4 students.

2) Distribute pictures (4-5) of boats to each group. Have each group note similarities and differences between their boats: size, shape, color, unique features. Prompt students to construct a chart they can used to “check off” characteristics of each boat.

3) Instruct students to determine the purpose of each boat including where and how the boats are used.

4) Ask students to describe how each boat is powered, that is, how each boat moves. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each propulsion system? Do some boats have more than one form of propulsion? Each group should try to think of as many different means of propulsion as possible.
 

An example is a two person, fiberglass canoe. Because the canoe is made of fiberglass, it is easy to maneuver on a small lake or pond where the means of propulsion are paddles and any current present. However, the canoe can also be operated on a stream, where the flow of the river provides the bulk of the energy required for the canoe to move. An advantage of the canoe is that it can be easily carried from place to place, or portaged. A disadvantage may be that it takes two people to effectively operate the canoe, although if necessary one could do the job. Another disadvantage is that the canoe can only carry a limited amount of materials or gear. Also, because the design of the canoe makes it easily glide across the water, it is not easy to stand in the canoe or move around.

5) Teacher should inform students that there are 3 typical means of propulsion: propellers, sails, and paddles. However, other means do exist: poles, hovercraft, jet propulsion.

6) Teacher should lead a discussion about the various parts of a boat and the corresponding vocabulary.

7) Each group will present their chart and corresponding picture of boats to the class as the rest of the class evaluates their chart.

Did students make reasonable comparisons between the boats they picked? Teacher and students will evaluate each group's chart. Criteria for success:


Excellent = many comparisons between boats occurred, many categories were developed, purposes of boats were well described.

Good = some comparisons between boats occurred, some categories were developed, purposes of boats were described.

Fair = a few comparisons between boats occurred, categories developed, purposes of boats attempted.

Poor = no comparisons between boats, categories are insufficient to distinguish different boats, no attempt at purpose of boats.


Teachers may want to create a separate rubric for other groups to use during peer chart evaluation.

Extensions:

Plan a trip to see boats in motion.

Making Waves - written by Jennifer Cannistra, Jamie Hanna, Michael LeRoy, & Kim Mongoven

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 This page was submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program