Who sank the boat?

Syllabus outcomes and content

Science and Technology K-6 syllabus (2024)

ST1-SCI-01

Measures and describes changes in living things, materials, movement, Earth and the sky

ST1-DDT-01

Uses technologies and materials to design and make products to address user needs or opportunities

Content

Forces can change the way objects move

• Recognise that a force is a push or a pull that can make things either start moving, stop moving, change speed, direction or shape
• Pose questions and test the effects of forces on an object's movement

A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions

• Pose questions and test how materials with different properties contribute to the effectiveness of a product
• Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product

Activities

Students will:

• participate in a shared reading of the picture book Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
• experiment with a range of containers to discover which makes the most effective boat
• identify the key features, shapes, and materials that make a boat float well and carry weight
• examine how the shape and materials of each boat affect its ability to float, testing the downward force of gravity and the upward force of buoyancy
• design and construct a boat capable of holding at least five animal figures.

Teacher information

Student numbers	This incursion can be delivered to multiple classes over one or more days.
Learning spaces	This lesson will require an outdoor space within the school grounds. Easy access to an outdoor tap is preferable. In the event of rain or extreme heat, a covered outdoor learning area may be needed.